One of the most common complaints made by the international supplier base is the repetition of Supply Chain Security audits.
This common complaint brought multiple industry leaders together in September 2014 to identify a strategy that would help reduce the cost and number of supply chain security audits conducted on global suppliers and factories each year. This collaboration led to the creation of a single agreed-upon security audit and sharing platform that would allow importers to conduct and evaluate shared CTPAT compliant supplier and factory security audits.
The Supplier Compliance Audit Network (SCAN) was developed to facilitate this strategy and establish an audit sharing platform that would help improve audit consistency, lower audit costs, and reduce audit frequency while maintaining confidentiality. Both US Customs and the CTPAT organization have been introduced to SCAN and have acknowledged the potential benefits of the program.