When you look at that big package of paper towels on the grocery store shelf, it is not likely that while price comparing, you’re also pondering the components that are required to make a finished product or how it arrived on that shelf. Not only by the person stocking the shelves, but also where the product originated from when it was, well, not paper.
Until panic buying set in at the start of the pandemic, the supply chain concept wouldn’t occur to most people. Consumers go to the store or click the checkout button online, and presto, whatever they bought goes home with them or arrives magically at the front door.
This year, everything changed dramatically.
Suddenly, customers started seeing the physical impact of panic buying, creating shortages of everything from paper products to fitness equipment, and supply chains worldwide began to adapt to new customer behaviours.
The dedicated professionals who continue to manage all the complexity involved in moving products and services worldwide are the unsung heroes working behind the scenes.
“Many people may not recognize where supply chain exists and what is involved in bringing the right product, to the right place, at the right time,” notes James Laitinen, a designated Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and board member of the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Chapter based in Vancouver.
“Supply chains impact many areas of our life. Let’s take health care, for example,” he explains. “Imagine the incredible challenge of the COVID-19 response effort with a vaccine manufacturer having to not only manufacture, but now distribute millions of doses around the globe with the incredible challenge of keeping the product cold, delivering it quickly to the customer internationally, while also keeping all operations staff safe in those operations to get the vaccine to you.”
Laitinen says that disruptions caused by the COVID-19 response have affected industries globally, but as a professional association, ASCM can assist and support businesses and employees worldwide through their training programs and its extensive global network of professionals.
“Globally, organizations are going through unpredictable events and major disruptions of supply and demand,” Laitinen says.
“We provide the foundation for all of the basics through to the advanced strategies to manage these complex situations. That is all in our wheelhouse and core competency of what we instruct.”
The certification and training programs build knowledge in operations, logistics or supply chain. These diverse topics are divided into three practice areas for professionals with three separate certification programs.
The training can be customized for any organization investing in building operations or supply chain competency by hosting ASCM training for their teams.
ASCM provides the trainer and the content delivered for these certification programs within the workplace, online or based on a customized schedule or requirement unique to that organization.
“Our expertise covers everything from sourcing raw materials to the consumer point of delivering a product,” explains Roberta McPhail, a master trainer with APICS/ASCM who holds multiple certifications and more than 30 years of industry experience.
“The programs benefit both the employee and the business that employs them,” McPhail states.
Laitinen adds that their research has indicated that APICS/ASCM members are in demand, generally earning up to 25 per cent on average more than their non-certified colleagues.
“Employers often look for these certifications as a benchmark of value when they consider hiring for a new role,” he says.
“What a designation like CSCP, CPIM, or CLTD shows employers is that the candidate has achieved a designation in this area of knowledge.
“It is recognized in a global context that can be validated and verified via APICS/ASCM.”
The value in certification extends beyond the workplace, as there are more than 120,000+ certified professionals globally.
Joining ASCM provides continuous professional development and learning opportunities to stay current and be exposed to the leading-edge topics emerging in operations management and supply chain best practices. Being a part of this global community of professionals who are passionate about operations management, supply chain, and logistics provides the opportunity for career growth worldwide.
Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
- Demand management
- Procurement management
- Supplier planning
- Material requirements planning
- Capacity planning
- Sales and operations planning
- Master scheduling
- Performance measurement
- Supplier relationships
- Quality control
- Continuous improvement
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
- Supply chain design
- Supply chain planning and execution
- Supply chain improvement and best practices
Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD)
- Logistics and Supply Chain Overview
- Capacity Planning and Demand Management
- Order Management
- Inventory and Warehouse Management
- Transportation Management
- Global Logistics Considerations
- Logistics Network Design
- Reverse Logistics and Sustainability
To find out more about ASCM Vancouver Chapter certification programs or membership opportunities, visit its local website www.apics-vancouver.org, or email [email protected]. APICS has been rapidly growing over the years, and in 2021 will be transitioning to a new brand as the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).
