Does Anyone Care if I'm Certified?

I've been delinquent in renewing my Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) annual membership. If I don't renew, my SCMP certification (Supply Chain Management Professional) will expire. For our annual business forecast & budget, I decided to question all expenses (as we do for clients), so I've been debating the benefit to being a member and maintaining my certification. (Rationale: I have an MBA so is the certification necessary?)

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?

Related articles

• The Importance and Relevance of PMP Certification Requirements (pro2sell.com)

Better Value Procurements: Supply Stability

Guest Post by Rusty Joerin of Woodsgift Enterprises

Planning and effective contract management will ensure supply stability and avoid supply complacency. Things change, are you prepared?

Long term system contracts for the supply of standard products and services are a common method to achieve stable supply for a set period of time. Progressive organizations will incorporate in these contracts process for semi or annual review. A review will consider service level conformity to contract as well as price administration. Changes in volume may trigger negotiation of some terms as may be allowed for in the original contract. A spend analysis may identify opportunities for savings and greater supply stability.

Disruptive events will occur that may precipitate a supply crisis to the unprepared. Contingency plans to cover labour disruption, the loss of a key relationship manager or natural disaster that interrupts the chain of supply should be made. Even with our best efforts, not every situation will be anticipated, nor should it be. What is important is that an agreed process to manage disruptive events be addressed in any long term supply contract.

Time is your enemy, time is your friend.

Plan to make time your friend. Organizations that had “shovel ready” projects benefited from the recent time limited stimulus spending on infrastructure projects.

I am all too familiar with end of budget year spending that may not provide the best value to the organization. Annual needs analysis at budget time followed by early consultation with your procurement professional will deliver better value and supply stability – every time.

Complacency with supply contracts is not an option. When knowledge is shared between buyer and supplier, balance of power is maintained. Always know what you buy and when. This knowledge is critical when managing changes in long term supply contracts.

Supply stability is the result of planning, effective contract management and is in everyone’s best interest.

Rusty James Joerin, SCMP is a Supply Chain Management Professional and accredited by the Purchasing Management Association of Canada. He offers procurement services primarily to public sector organizations that do not have a professional supply manager on staff and provides additional capacity to assist with project related supply.
Information about his experience and qualifications may be found at:www.woodsgift.com

Ten Steps to Better Procurements: Understanding

Image via Wikipedia

Another in the series from our guest blogger Rusty Joerin:

#8 – Understand Your Supply Chain

Understanding your supply chain will avoid costs and political gaffs.

Some of the goods we buy are essential to have available at critical times or if not available essential services are interrupted and costly rush orders result. Many of us are concerned about the providence of the goods and services we buy.

A spend analysis will identify the items most critical to the functioning of the business and those most susceptible to logistical, ethical, and environmental issues. These are the priority commodities to begin an examination of the chain of supply from resource extraction to delivery.

It is probable that some of the issues resulting from the things you buy are not immediately obvious. For example, social networking firm Facebook was criticised for buying electricity from coal fired generators (Oregonian Feb 23, 2010). There are many questions you can ask about the component parts of the supply chain; here are a few of them:

Where are the raw materials mined? Are the workers treated fairly? Is the country politically stable? Are there toxic by-products from the refinement and how are they handled? Are there alternate sources of supply for key raw materials? Natural disasters and extreme weather events happen; do you have a back-up plan for supply?

How are the raw materials and component parts shipped to manufacturers and distributors? Through how many assemblers and distributors do your products pass and are you able to bypass some? Is child labour and/or sub standard work environment evident in the factories that make your products or provide your services? Are the companies involved in your supply chain financially stable?

To better understand your supply chain consider visiting your supplier’s factories and distributor facilities, run a credit check, and research your supplier and their supplier’s operations. A supply chain management professional will provide you with good advice.

Other Posts in the series: How to Add Value to Your Procurements
• Be Proactive
• Analyze what is required – bring clarity to the specification
• Understand the supply chain
• Align procurement strategies with corporate strategies
• Apply the highest standard of ethics
• Use the right tool for the job
• Plan contract management before there is a contract
• Learn from what was done
• Mitigate procurement risks
• Utilize the skills of supply management professionals

Over the coming year, Rusty Joerin, guest blogger, will expand on the above. Your comments are welcomed.

Rusty James Joerin, C.P.P. is a Supply Chain Management Professional and accredited by the Purchasing Management Association of Canada as a Certified Professional Purchaser. He offers procurement services primarily to public sector organizations that do not have a professional supply manager on staff and provides additional capacity to assist with project related supply for those organizations with purchasing specialists on staff.
Information about his experience and qualifications may be found at: www.woodsgift.com