DELIVER Asia 2026 Conference Recordings

Modern supply chains are among the most complex systems in the global economy.

With international trade exceeding $40 trillion annually, products move through an interconnected network of manufacturers, ports, warehouses, transport providers, and retailers before reaching consumers.

At DELIVER Asia 2026 in Singapore, Julian Tan, Global Head of Physical Security Operations at Dyson and Secretary of TAPA APAC, highlighted how this complexity creates growing security challenges across the supply chain.

Cargo theft and supply chain losses remain a major issue worldwide.

According to industry estimates, reported losses in 2023 approached $1 trillion, with many incidents likely going unreported.

The most common incidents occur during road and rail transportation, particularly in domestic logistics networks where cargo passes through multiple handover points.

These vulnerabilities can significantly impact companies’ financial performance and supply chain reliability.

Supply chains are highly sensitive to geopolitical events.

Julian pointed to ongoing tensions in the Middle East as an example of how regional conflicts can trigger global supply chain disruption.

When conflicts affect key shipping routes or energy markets, transportation costs increase through higher fuel prices, insurance premiums, and emergency surcharges.

These costs ultimately flow through to businesses and consumers, increasing the price of goods across global markets.

To address these risks, organisations increasingly rely on standardised supply chain security frameworks.

TAPA, the Transported Asset Protection Association, was originally established to combat rising cargo theft. Over time, it has developed global standards that help organisations assess and strengthen the security of their logistics operations.

These standards cover areas such as:

• Facility security and access control

• Transport and trucking security

• Guard force management

• Cyber and data protection within logistics operations

By applying consistent standards across supply chains, organisations can identify vulnerabilities earlier and reduce the likelihood of disruptions.

Intelligence platforms also play a critical role in strengthening supply chain resilience.

TAPA’s data-sharing platforms allow companies to report incidents anonymously, helping the industry identify high-risk regions, cargo types, and transportation routes.

While this data provides valuable insights, Julian notes that it represents only reported incidents—meaning the true scale of supply chain risk may be even greater.

Counterfeit goods represent another major supply chain challenge.

Illicit products entering legitimate logistics networks can damage brand reputation, undermine consumer trust, and erode revenue for legitimate manufacturers.

Addressing this problem requires stronger collaboration across manufacturers, logistics providers, and regulatory authorities to identify and disrupt counterfeit distribution channels.

Traditionally, supply chain operations focused on efficiency and cost optimisation.

Today, however, resilience has become just as critical.

Organisations must be able to anticipate risks, adapt to disruptions, and recover quickly when incidents occur. This requires long-term investment in supply chain standards, workforce training, and improved operational visibility.

As Julian concluded, supply chains do far more than simply move goods.

They power global economies, support humanitarian operations, and ensure essential products reach people around the world.

Strengthening their resilience is therefore no longer optional—it is essential.