Over the last decade, logistics professionals have done their best to keep their supply chains running despite a series of challenging events. These range from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and the recent West Coast port shutdown to numerous natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, fires, and hurricanes.

Yet according to Securing the Supply Chain, a new publication from the Council of Logistics Management, only about 61 percent of U.S. companies have disaster-recovery plans in place. Few of those plans directly address supply chain continuity, say the authors, Dr. Omar Keith Helferich and Dr. Robert L. Cook, both of Central Michigan University.

Securing the Supply Chain aims to address that shortcoming. The 300-page book presents general findings about the state of disaster preparedness in supply chains. It also offers practical recommendations for actions logistics professionals can take to ensure the continuity of their domestic and international supply chains.

It also includes a "disaster classification profile" that assists planners in identifying threats and determining priorities for allocation of resources. In addition, Securing the Supply Chain walks the reader through the five stages of disaster management: planning, mitigation, detection, response and recovery. An information resource guide and templates present a model for database creation and updates. Finally, a series of appendices include such useful references as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) action plans and a bibliography of more than 300 references.

Securing the Supply Chain is available from the Council of Logistics Management for $100 for members, $150 for non-members, plus $5 shipping and handling. To order a copy, call CLM at (630) 574-0985 or go to the "bookstore" section of the organization's Web site, www.clm1.org.