"This supply chain management certification captures what is happening in the global trade today and prepares a professional to look for business solutions outside functional silos."
This is the assertion of recent CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) graduate, Joseph Omollo. Launched last year by SAPICS, The Association for Operations Management of Southern Africa, the CSCP programme has been commended by the first group of African graduates, which include 10 South Africans along with Kenya-based Omollo, who is purchasing and supply manager at Magadi Soda Company. The success of SAPICS's pilot CSCP programme has placed the South African organisation among the world leaders in terms of establishing the certification and garnering support for it.
Says Liezl Smith, also a recent CSCP graduate, and a member of the SAPICS Board of Directors: "We are proud that so many people embarked on this when it was launched, and that SAPICS currently has 11 CSCPs in Africa. There are many other countries that are only starting now." Smith, who also holds the CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) and CIRM (Certified in Integrated Resource Management) qualifications, is an independent consultant, mainly on business process engineering.
Internationally recognised, the CSCP programme is offered by SAPICS in association with its United States-based affiliate, APICS - the Association for Operations Management of America. The programme takes a broad view of the supply chain management field. It extends beyond internal operations to encompass all the steps throughout the supply chain - from the supplier, through the company, to the end-user. It is designed to enable graduates to manage these activities in order to maximise a company's value chain.
Smith rates the content of the CSCP programme as very relevant, current and beneficial. "All the latest developments are covered. I found it a really good summary of all the new concepts that you only get bits and pieces of through the day-to-day networking and magazine articles. If you want a comprehensive overview of the current supply chain environment, this is the course to do," she enthuses.
"The CSCP qualification has already benefited me significantly in my current job," comments Omollo. Reflecting the value of the certification, he was recently named Supply Chain Manager of the Year by the Kenya Institute of Management, at the organisation's Company of the Year Awards, in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition, Magadi Soda Company was voted the overall winner in the Supply Chain Category. "I believe these achievements are the result of my increased knowledge in my field - thanks to SAPICS and the CSCP programme," Omollo states.
He cites the rapidly evolving nature of the supply chain management field as the reason he decided to pursue the CSCP certification, which is being touted as the first comprehensive educational programme designed for operations and supply chain management professionals. Omollo is also certified in purchasing management (CPM) by the Institute for Supply Management in Tempe, Arizona, in the United States, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply in the United Kingdom, as well as the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management. He says he would not hesitate to recommend CSCP to other supply chain management professionals.
Smith concurs: "It is something I would recommend to any middle to senior level supply chain practitioner," she concludes.
SAPICS - The Association for Operations Management of Southern Africa - comprises professional members from across the spectrum of South African industry. Since its foundation in 1966, SAPICS has become a leading provider of knowledge in supply chain management, production and operations in South Africa. The association is closely affiliated to APICS in America.
SAPICS is the South African custodian of two internationally recognised certification programmes - Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and the newly launched Certified Supply Chain Professional Programme (CSCP). The association's education offerings are aimed at advancing manufacturers' ability to succeed in a changing and increasingly competitive market place.
The Annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition is a premier educational and networking event in Africa for supply chain management professionals. The 29th Annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition will be held at Sun City from 3 to 6 June 2007.
For more information contact Jenny Lazell, SAPICS, +27 (0) 11 805 5677, [email protected], www.sapics.org.za
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