New ‘MESH’ Risk Program Lands As Supply Chains Brace For Another Volatile Peak Season

In a bid to push risk management beyond firefighting, BSI has launched MESH, a methodology that promises to stitch mapping, evaluation, strategy and harmonization into one operating motion for risk. The timing tracks what we hear from operators: disruption is no longer episodic, it’s ambient, and boards want evidence that risk work lifts margin, not just compliance scores.

Why it matters now

Most teams still run on fractured playbooks where procurement screens suppliers, security watches third parties and operations handles incidents, each on separate data. That fragmentation slows decisions when the Red Sea closes, a cyber supplier gets hit or a new due diligence rule lands. The pitch behind MESH is one view of risk so leaders can quantify tradeoffs, not simply avoid them, as peak season and year-end audits collide.

What MESH proposes

BSI positions MESH as an intelligence-led program that starts with gap analysis, maps exposure across tiers, then aligns procurement, supply chain, operations, compliance, sustainability and IT around a single plan. The outputs are meant to be practical: targeted audits where risk is real, mitigation steps with owners and monitoring tight enough to catch drift before it becomes downtime.

“In today’s complex, unpredictable global landscape, supply chains are more intricate and exposed than ever, thanks to disruption, regulatory shifts, cyber-attacks and emerging risks. In the face of this heightened risk and with mounting scrutiny, businesses cannot afford to be reactive or fragmented in their approach.

“All companies, regardless of size or sector, need true end-to-end visibility to make smarter, risk-based decisions that set them apart in a crowded market. BSI’s MESH program is led by seasoned experts, who bring the full range of BSI’s knowledge to empower businesses to not just weather uncertainty, but convert risk into opportunity and sustainable advantage.”Tony Pelli, Global Practice Director, Risk & Resilience, BSI

Where it could move the needle

The prize is less paperwork, more decisions. If MESH shortens time from signal to action—rerouting freight before a chokepoint bites, switching suppliers ahead of a sanction, tightening controls after a third-party incident—the ROI shows up in fewer premium moves, tighter OTIF and lower loss events.

Execution questions

Three tests separate slideware from savings. First, telemetry: can the program fuse ERPs and TMS with external threat, customs and regulatory data fast enough to matter. Second, governance: who owns the call when compliance risk collides with service level, and how quickly can the org move. Third, verification: targeted audits must find real gaps, not create busywork.

If you’re evaluating BSI, ask for a pilot where one theme—forced labor, maritime chokepoints or third-party cyber—runs from mapping to action in weeks, not months. Demand baselines for incident response time, premium freight, supplier changeover and audit findings closed. Clarify how cross-functional alignment is enforced once headlines fade.

New frameworks don’t move freight on their own. If MESH helps leaders price risk into daily tradeoffs and cut time from signal to action across silos, it’s a step toward resilience that pays back in margin, not just reports.