supply chain management certification

supply chain management certification

The Importance of Supply Chain Management Certification in Today’s Business Environment

1. Introduction to Supply Chain Management Certification

To achieve the development of a supply chain capable of meeting today’s and tomorrow’s future requirements, we must start within the organization through the company’s supply chain management certification process. This process starts with the definition of the target curriculum and the development of course modules in the relevant areas of the knowledge base. Execution of the program is through traditional, contemporary, and future classroom environments, partnerships with academia and professional organizations, and distance learning – the WWW. The execution also includes development of an overall company logistic response plan, which includes experience, training, and contributions from external sources. Additionally, the certification process should start at the first opportunity after joining the company, be expected to progress the individual at a reasonable rate dependent on the assigned tasking, and should lead to expansion of capability and responsibilities yielding growth within the company.

People are the most important concept in any organization today. Without the right people, providing the right product, to the right person, at the right time and in the right location, it makes little difference what else the organization does with their customers – they simply will not be around. More importantly, in order to compete in the business environment of the future, the supply chain must become an end-to-end supply chain and include the customers of our customers. How do we get to the development of an extended end-to-end supply chain? The only answer is through the professional growth and development of our staff through a broad-based supply chain certification process that includes proven logistics and product support planning principles.

2. Benefits of Obtaining a Supply Chain Management Certification

In the last few years, a number of supply chain management certificate programs have emerged to meet the educational interests in the industry. The curriculum of the programs varies in concept, content, and length, but the focal point appears to be management development and improving competencies of supply chain management professionals. Because the various supply chain markets are at different levels of development and maturity, it is likely that the defined content areas of the programs will differ. As with other types of training and education, seasoned professionals are likely to benefit the most from learning how companies with different goods and service orientation operate within competitive markets, while neophytes will gain more from formal training in logistics and supply chain management frameworks and models that define how organizations plan, implement, and evaluate overall operations.

Most business experts and managers agree that the concept of supply chain management is an increasingly popular and critical philosophy that integrates firms not only within the company, but also across companies. Using a systems view of the entire operation, companies that incorporate these new supply chain strategic initiatives strive to increase the value they produce for their customers in the most efficient manner. Acknowledging the need for distinctive qualifications and competencies to practice supply chain management, a number of firms, corporate and supply chain management professional organizations, universities, and colleges with programs in logistics and supply chain management have recently recognized the importance of providing supply chain management certification and other educational opportunities to the professionals employed in this field.

3. Popular Supply Chain Management Certification Programs

In addition to these programs, the American Society for Transportation and Logistics, also known as AST&L, offers the CTL/CTLM Certification Examinations and the Chartered Member of the Institute for Supply Chain Management, popularly referred to as CISCMI, in addition to professional development and education courses. The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, also known as CSCMP, has also recently come up with the SCPro certification, also known as the CSCMP Supply Chain Professional. The American Society for Quality, also known as ASQ, offers courses and certification programs such as Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge and Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge. The International Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Institute offers diploma and certification programs for professionals in the business of purchasing and supply chain management.

There are a number of professional certificate programs in supply chain management available to professionals in the field today. The goal of these courses is to provide the participants with innovative, state-of-the-art education in supply chain management. Popular certificate programs in supply chain management include the Certified Supply Chain Professional Exam Preparatory Course, popularly referred to as CSCP, offered by the Supply Chain Management Program at The University of San Diego and developed in partnership with the Association for Operations Management, the Certificate in Supply Chain Management offered by The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Supply Chain Management Executive Program offered by the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

4. Practical Applications of Supply Chain Management Certification

Current research findings and best practices tend to support the pedagogical choices for many topics that should be included in a logistics certification program. When these programs are offered as distance learning or other part-time graduate regimens for the general non-resident business community, more options are needed to complete a holistic thought about supply chain problems as they extend into other global companies at the entrepreneurial and corporate strategy levels. The inclusion of other curricular elements, many of which originate from other business schools and are associated with our own specific programs beyond knowledge portals, is another key element in a more comprehensive curriculum to have certified managers who use best practices in their supply chain.

Senior managers must have an in-depth understanding of both the tactical and strategic activities involving teams, as this is essential if logistics leaders are to manage supply chain networks effectively. General management techniques have been used successfully in these highly segmented areas to plan, integrate, and direct advanced global supply pipelines and achieve the level of coordination that today’s global consumers require. For this reason, we need curriculum support for state-of-the-art availability of knowledge to sustain and improve supply chain operations.

5. The Future of Supply Chain Management Certification

The migration to a digital supply chain promises a number of potential benefits. Existing certification programs and schools of supply chain management will need to recognize and incorporate digital content into their programs. Those programs that fail to do so may cease to be relevant as certification programs that do not teach the management of digital supply chains are less likely to be used as part of organizational hiring processes. It is unfortunate, but this paradigm shift will likely result in the demise of programs and certifications whose structure has become irrelevant due to the day-to-day realities of the present-day business environment. Possible and specialized future certifications, however, would potentially provide significant value to supply chain professionals and the organizations that employ them.

Currently, there are a number of certifications that a professional can earn in the field of supply chain management. These certifications are relatively new compared to certifications in many other trade and professional areas, but they are becoming increasingly important to the career paths of supply chain management professionals. In light of this importance, this article will provide a brief overview on the current state of supply chain management certification. Subsequently, the challenges associated with migration to the digital supply chain will be examined to see if there might be an impact upon future certifications. It is then the intention of the author to provide a prediction of the trends that will likely affect supply chain management certification in the near future.