fastlane
Are you certifiable?
IT IS COMMON FOR THE COUNCIL OF SUPPLY CHAIN
Management Professionals (CSCMP) to use its Annual Global
Conference as the setting for major announcements. Twice, those
announcements have involved a name change for the organization,
and at other meetings, various new programs and initiatives have
been introduced.
In keeping with tradition, the council chose its recent meeting in
Philadelphia to unveil a program that promises to be one of the more
interesting and far-reaching initiatives of recent years. Although not
the best-kept secret in the industry, CSCMP officially introduced a
new certification program for supply chain professionals—SCPro.
Certification is not a new idea in the industry. Organizations such
as the American Society of Transportation &
Logistics and APICS: The Association for
Operations Management have had certification
programs for some time. In both cases, those programs started out with a narrow focus but expanded their coverage of supply chain functions over
time. Even so, the new SCPro initiative will most
certainly be the most comprehensive program in
the industry.
CSCMP describes it as “a rigorous three-level
certification [that] offers supply chain professionals a concrete way to fully demonstrate a
broad range of skills that command competitive
salaries and titles, while giving hiring managers an independent
barometer of a candidate’s commitment to and success within the
supply chain management profession.” That rather lengthy goal is
an ambitious one, but when you examine the three levels, it appears
to be quite achievable, although not without significant effort on
the candidate’s part.
To apply for Level One, “Cornerstones of Supply Chain
Management,” the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree or four
years of relevant work experience. He or she must then achieve a pass-
ing grade on a 160-question exam on various supply chain subjects to
earn a Level One certification. This will be an achievement in itself
and will qualify the candidate to move on to Level Two, “Analysis and
Application of Supply Chain Challenges.”
Level Two requires a Level One designation plus either a bachelor’s
degree and three years of experience or seven years of relevant expe-
rience. This level concentrates on problem solving and the ability to
develop solutions on a number of subjects, including external and
internal process integration, risk assessment and management, net-
work design, strategy, and sustainability.
Successful completion of this level will be
achieved through analysis of real-world case
studies.
Then it’s on to Level Three, “Initiation of
Supply Chain Transformation.” Requirements
include a Level One and Level Two designation
plus either a bachelor’s degree and five years of
experience or nine years of relevant experience.
Achieving this highest level of certification will
require a tremendous amount of practical application involving hands-on analysis of a working
organization. Each candidate
will be paired with an academic mentor as he or she moves
through the process. CSCMP
characterizes Level Three
SCPros as “true leaders” who
will have demonstrated their
value to the industry and their
companies.
Probably the first question
that comes to mind for many
of us is, “Do I really need to do
this?” If you’re close to retire-
ment, probably not, unless it’s for personal grati-
fication. If you’re a student or just starting out in
the field, however, you absolutely do. The indus-
try is becoming more complex and competitive
every day, and this credential will be an invaluable
asset. To that great unwashed group in the mid-
dle, as painful as it might be, you had better take
a hard look at it. As Satchel Paige said, “Never look
back. Someone may be gaining on you.”
A more detailed explanation of the program
may be found at cscmpcertification.org. ;
Clifford F. Lynch is principal of C.F. Lynch & Associates, a
provider of logistics management advisory services, and author of
Logistics Outsourcing – A Management Guide and co-author of The Role of
Transportation in the Supply Chain. He can be reached at
cliff@cflynch.com.
