DC Velocity - July 2009

with government agencies and some of the large corporations that have engaged in prior relief efforts. The call always comes out to “show us what you are sending in so we send what you are not.” We need to eliminate or minimize organizational silos, and build communications standards to enable a shared system.

Many companies would like to get involved in humanitarian efforts but are unsure how to go about Q it. What advice would you give them?

A The Chinese proverb “dig a well before you are thirsty” applies. It is extremely difficult for an individual or

organization to get involved in the relief effort when it is in process. VOADs are largely unable to assimilate new volunteers as their resources are stretched in meeting the obligations they take on. They would consider it a risk to their “brand” to send out the newly acquired individual.

Ideally, a business will engage with the voluntary disaster relief organizations that are active in its area. The Web site www.emergencymanagement.org/states/ allows visitors to click through to state emergency management offices that offer resources and connections to disaster support opportunities. The site www.ready.gov offers a good deal of useful information.

James Kellso

IN 2006, SENIOR EXECUTIVES AT INTEL

Corp. realized there was a problem with Intel’s career ladders. Although supply chain expertise was becoming increasingly critical to the company’s success, the semiconductor maker lacked a formal career path for these professionals. If it hoped to recruit and retain the type of high-powered supply chain talent it wanted, Intel would need to remedy that. So it turned to 21-year veteran James R. Kellso to head up development of a program.

Kellso and his team created two new designations: supply chain master and senior supply chain master. Employees can earn these designations by demonstrating depth of knowledge in their area of expertise, internal influence within the company, external influence in the industry at large, and abilities as a role model/mentor. Currently, there are more than 20 supply chain masters at Intel. But Kellso is the only senior supply chain master.

Once the Intel program was in place, Kellso began looking at ways to expand the concept to the entire supply chain profession. As part of that effort, he chaired an initiative to create a designation program similar to Intel’s through the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). And he hasn’t stopped there. Kellso has been a tireless advocate for creating these types of professional designations, promoting the idea at conferences, at educational events, and in trade journals.

What types of projects do supply chain masters at Intel get to work on? Q A We have created a community of prac- tice of supply chain masters. The community is often sought out as the first group to get involved in highly strategic projects. We recently completed the development of a concept for a totally new supply chain for Intel’s Atom processors and sought out and utilized a great number of our supply chain masters on that study.

Why did you feel it was important to establish such a career path? Q

A We have a technical job ladder that leads upward to principal engineer and Intel Fellow. However, we have a great number of employees who are not engineers or whose skills do not fit into the technical job ladder. In the past, despite their passion for supply chain management, the only way in which these people could be promoted was to shift to a management job ladder. The creation of the supply chain master recognition and job ladder provides an avenue for our people to grow and expand their skills in the area in which they want to work and we need them to excel in.

Could you describe briefly the new career path that you helped establish at Intel? Q

A The supply chain master is a step in a new career lad- der that allows a person to progress from supply chain analyst to senior analyst to supply chain master to senior supply chain master. A person in the supply chain field can continue to develop his or her technical and business skills, and move upward without having to shift to a managerial job ladder.

Where can companies go for information on how to set up a similar program? Q

A The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals has adopted a professional recognition program similar to Intel’s. All of the materials necessary to establish a program for one’s own company can be found on the CSCMP Web site.