To a great extent, business success is a result of effective management of operations and resources. That is the focus of APICS — the association for operations management — an international organization with more than 40,000 members.
APICS is focused on education and professional development. Offering certifications in production and inventory management for manufacturing and distribution specialists and supply chain management (Certified Supply Chain Professional) which is valuable to professionals in fields as diverse as health care, retail, insurance, services, and logistics, APICS is dedicated to helping members and their companies better manage operations and get the most from all resources — people, equipment and facilities, materials, funds and trading partners.
APICS chapters throughout the world offer a professional development meeting that consists of either a presentation on an operations management topic or a plant tour. Recent topics in our local chapter include lean operations and six sigma quality, "green" energy management, capacity management, and the logistics infrastructure in China, among others.
The group also tours local plants and discusses the products, markets, and operations. At each of these companies, members are usually given a tour of the production areas and warehouses, learn about the company business and operations, and discuss their challenges and successes.
As an education-oriented association, APICS also offers classes on a wide range of operations management topics. There are programs leading to certification for individuals and others focused on operational improvements such as lean manufacturing and global sourcing. CPIM certification classes are offered through local chapters and colleges, and all classes and workshops are available on-site at host companies in the area, and at public scheduled sessions.
APICS members come from plant and warehouse operations, procurement, customer service, general management, logistics, information technology, and other business areas. The association publishes a magazine for members and offers a weekly newsletter to all (members and non-members) highlighting operations management issues in the news. For more information and to sign up for the newsletter, visit www.apics.org Many local chapters also publish newsletters with local activity schedules and items of interest.
APICS offers business professionals the opportunity to learn best practices in operations and resource management, enhance job performance and career advancement through education and certification programs, and helps companies advance productivity, innovation and competitive success.
Dave Turbide, CFPIM, CMfgE, CIRM, CSCP, is president of the Granite State chapter of APICS and vice president for education. More information can be found at www.daveturbide.com.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
9 Priorities for 2010
Recently, Chain Link Research held a webinar in which they discussed the results of recent research on goals, challenges, efforts and impediments for the supply chain in the coming year. The results were interesting but not surprising.
1. The top priorities are customer satisfaction and responding to changes in the market (flexibility and agility).
2. The biggest challenge is forecast accuracy. Efforts are (and should be) focused foremost on the forecasting process, which was also cited as the most difficult challenge.
3. The top impediments are all people-related – organizational inertia, a reactive (fire fighting) culture, lack of manpower and corporate politics.
4. Perhaps the biggest surprise, and the best news in these survey results, is that cost reduction is not at the top of the list of goals. Respondents did, however, mention difficulty in meeting cost reduction goals as the number two challenge (presumably they’re already set and ongoing). Cost cutting, while necessary in challenging times and always a high priority for resource managers at any time, is reactive and does nothing, in-and-of itself, to promote the growth and long-term health of the business. An all-encompassing focus on costs often leads to deterioration of skills and capabilities (lack of investment in training, education, process improvement) and short-term actions that end up costing the company far more at a later date to remediate the damage done.
Better forecasts, shorter lead times and greater agility, a more effective planning process, improved customer satisfaction, and all of the other priorities listed in this research all contribute to an improved bottom line either through higher revenues and/or direct and indirect cost reductions. These are permanent, systemic improvements that continue to pay back year after year.
It takes an investment to achieve these kinds of improvements – money, surely - but also an investment in time, effort, and emotional energy. That can be difficult when the challenges of everyday business are overwhelming. But it’s an investment that is absolutely necessary and does deliver an outstanding return on that investment.
Read more articles by Dave Turbide at www.daveturbide.com or click here
NOTE: Dave Turbide is listed on the ChainLink Research Advisory Board but did not participate directly in this study.
1. The top priorities are customer satisfaction and responding to changes in the market (flexibility and agility).
2. The biggest challenge is forecast accuracy. Efforts are (and should be) focused foremost on the forecasting process, which was also cited as the most difficult challenge.
3. The top impediments are all people-related – organizational inertia, a reactive (fire fighting) culture, lack of manpower and corporate politics.
4. Perhaps the biggest surprise, and the best news in these survey results, is that cost reduction is not at the top of the list of goals. Respondents did, however, mention difficulty in meeting cost reduction goals as the number two challenge (presumably they’re already set and ongoing). Cost cutting, while necessary in challenging times and always a high priority for resource managers at any time, is reactive and does nothing, in-and-of itself, to promote the growth and long-term health of the business. An all-encompassing focus on costs often leads to deterioration of skills and capabilities (lack of investment in training, education, process improvement) and short-term actions that end up costing the company far more at a later date to remediate the damage done.
Better forecasts, shorter lead times and greater agility, a more effective planning process, improved customer satisfaction, and all of the other priorities listed in this research all contribute to an improved bottom line either through higher revenues and/or direct and indirect cost reductions. These are permanent, systemic improvements that continue to pay back year after year.
It takes an investment to achieve these kinds of improvements – money, surely - but also an investment in time, effort, and emotional energy. That can be difficult when the challenges of everyday business are overwhelming. But it’s an investment that is absolutely necessary and does deliver an outstanding return on that investment.
Read more articles by Dave Turbide at www.daveturbide.com or click here
NOTE: Dave Turbide is listed on the ChainLink Research Advisory Board but did not participate directly in this study.
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