Of all my past & current employers and clients - only one has REQUIRED that I be a member seeking/holding certification...and that was for my first purchasing job. My manager was a wonderful mentor (and if you ever goto a PMAC National event, seek her out - Donna Lee Reid - Dufferin/Peel Catholic School Board - she's incredibly smart). Donna introduced me to the concept of 'networking' - because of Donna, I see the purchasing/supplychain/logistics profession as a group of peers ready & willing to help each other out. Whenever I need to buy something 'new to me', I contact someone who may have done it before to seek advice (Most of whom I've never even met in person!) Everyone has been willing to share their experiences & expertise.
From there, I 'educated' my next employer(s) on the benefits of the PMAC training and membership - I negotiated a deal that I'd save them more than they paid in my tuition (in actuality, I always 'earned' my annual salary in 'savings').
In later years, a director told the staff the certification meant "nothing" to them, but a business degree (especially an MBA) made more sense. As I crept up the ladder, strategy was more important than tactical thinking, but, the PMAC education went through phases to build strategic thinking, so yet again, I needed to 'educate' my employers and clients.
I completed my certification in 1999, back then it was called CPP (Certified Professional Purchaser)...in the last year, it's been rebranded as SCMP (which personally I think better reflects the education/experiences I've had in the profession). So with a new certification brand, I have to 'yet again' educate my clients (no its not a new certification, it's a rebranding of what I've always had..). So for this year's forecasts/budget, I had to question the benefits of my "Membership Dues".
Being a member does not get me discounts on Errors & Omissions insurance (that I require for government clients); nor does it lobby/educate government & corporations on the certification requirements as well as other associations do for their members; nor am I finding courses I want to take this year at a member discount. So what does my membership get me? Networking opportunities that perhaps I wouldn't have if I weren't able to open with "I'm a fellow member of PMAC"; I have fond memories of the program, and still keep in touch with fellow 'live-in course survivors'; I receive lots of 'free' trade magazines as a result of being a member and even if the clients/corporations don't understand the certification, some actually do put it in their requirements; there's opportunity for me to be a course instructor; I receive emails/calls from students in the program when they see my certification...
Perhaps the certification isn't about the education, courses & discounts per se, but instead its about what you do with it. I love teaching, and one of my dreams was to be one of the instructors for the final "live-in course". Perhaps it's like a marriage - I stuck to this through the good and the bad...I'm committed to seeing this through (I think I'll go write a cheque now)
What do you 'require' of your professional associations/memberships?
4 comments:
I wanted to let you know that we are listening to your concerns and are working to improve the value proposition of SCMP accreditation for you and other accredited members. Below I've listed some of the major concerns from your post and have addressed them as best I can at this moment. I hope this provides some clarification for you.
1) I have an MBA why do I need an SCMP?
This is a valid point that many people ask, I would like to point out that there are a lot of advantages to a professional credential over an academic one. Professional credentials certify for employers that an individual possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and ethically carry out a professional role, where an academic credential makes no such claim. You may find a recent PMAC advertorial in Purchasingb2b on the differences between academic and professional credentials informative. http://www.pmac.ca/images/stories/news_pdf/Purchasingb2b%20-%20June%202011%20PDD.pdf
2) Being a member does not get me savings on Errors and Omissions insurance.
But it DOES! PMAC has negotiated special rates with LMS ProLink Ltd. for members http://www.lms.ca/PMAC/
3) PMAC doesn’t lobby/educate government & corporations on the certification requirements as well as other associations do for their members.
We are continually trying to make the best use of the resources we have available. We make annual presentations to federal government pre-budget committees to educate them on the importance and benefits of accredited SCM professionals and through our advertising campaigns in national publications, such as The Globe and Mail and Purchasingb2b magazine we have worked to educate employers and those in the field. But more can always be done, that is why we are establishing partnerships with other Canadian SCM associations to coordinate our lobbying and awareness efforts for greater effect.
4) I am not finding courses I want to take this year at a member discount.
That is unfortunate and we are continually looking for ways to offer quality SCM training to our members. One way we are hoping to address this is with the launch of an expanded PMAC Webinar series that will cover more topics, occur with greater frequency and provide a more flexible option for members seeking professional development.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. I'm glad that you have found value in the networking and teaching opportunities that have come from your membership. I also noticed that you would really like to get involved as an In-Residence Week presenter. Here is my attempt to make that dream a reality. Please contact Sonia Chorafakis, schorafakis@pmac.ca, 888-799-0877 x3128, to inquire about opportunities to be a part of the 2012 In-Residence Week.
Cheers,
King Siu
Communications, PMAC
Thanks so much for responding! I'm surprised I didn't know about the Errors & Ommissions insurance (I knew about the home, life, etc insurance options from years ago) That's one HUGE benefit that I found enticing from the Canadian Association of Management Consultants...
I feel so much better now that I put the cheque in the mail ;)
I'm happy I could help, and we're glad you decided to put your cheque in the mail as well :)
Please be advised promotion and advocacy of PMAC is conducted on an ongoing basis. Outreach to employer organizations both public and private, includes providing information and communications about the SCMP professional designation, about the Strategic Supply Chain Management Leadership Program Leading to the designation, about introductory Supply Management Training courses, as well as Professional Development. Corporate presentations are also conducted, most recently to a local health authority, and to an engineering procurement construction firm. If there is someone we haven't reached that would benfit from receiving an information package, let us know who they are and we'd be happy to contact them.
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