Continuing education is important not only for personal career development but also for learning new supply chain strategies and tactics. Here are a just a few examples of upcoming professional education programs around the world.
Executive seminars offer professionals just-in-time education
CSCMP partners with the academic community and with various associations and organizations to cosponsor seminars and courses to benefit all levels of supply chain professionals. Seminars range from a one-day event with a single-topic focus to a five-day executive development course. The content offerings vary as well, reaching a diverse segment of the supply chain and logistics population. CSCMP members receive reduced registration rates on all CSCMP-cosponsored events.
Programs: The Ohio State University
University of Wisconsin
The University of Tennessee
Vanderbilt University
Pennsylvania State University
Lehigh University
Georgia Institute of Technology
VICS
LeanCor
Info:www.cscmp.org/Education/LogisticsDates.asp
Certification exams to be offered in India
Students and professionals in India no longer have to leave the country to take exams administered by the International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA). ISCEA has formed a partnership with India's Rai Business School (RBS) to offer its certification exams at RBS locations.
Candidates will be able to take exams in India for the following ISCEA certifications: certified supply chain analyst (CSCA), certified supply chain manager (CSCM), certified RFID supply chain manager (RFIDSCM), and certified lean master (CLM). ISCEA will also offer exams for the Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization's (TOCICO's) theory of constraints certification.
Program: ISCEA Certification Exams
Locations: Rai Business School locations (Delhi, Faridabad, Gugaon, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Kochi, Raipur, and Chennai)
Dates: February 16; April 19; June 21; August 16; October 18 (all 2008)
Info:www.iscea.com
The world is your classroom at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech's Executive Master's in Logistics program is international in both scope and location. The 18-month program includes five two-week residences: two at Georgia Tech's campus in Atlanta, Georgia, and the others in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
In between residences, students participate in distance learning courses. This allows them to remain on the job while learning how to reduce logistics costs and streamline their supply chains.
The curriculum applies engineering, technology, and business strategy to international supply chains and includes lectures, case studies, group projects, and meetings with government officials.
Program: Georgia Tech's Executive Master's in Logistics program
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA; foreign residences; and distance learning
Application deadline: November 15, 2007
Classes start: January 2009
Info:www.emil.gatech.edu
Australian school offers postgrad programs
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) offers three levels of postgraduate education in value (supply) chain management: a graduate certificate, a graduate diploma, and a master's of business degree.
The graduate certificate provides an introduction to business operations management. The fourcourse program covers management skills, strategic supply chain management, business excellence, and value chain management. The graduate diploma extends the graduate certificate by allowing participants to specialize. Students can choose from elective courses such as manufacturing management, service operations management, and computer-based information systems for managers.
The master's degree provides professionals with advanced value chain management skills and knowledge, and prepares them for senior management roles and responsibilities. The master's degree offers a greater range of electives than the other programs and includes the opportunity to complete a management project.
Program: University of Technology Sydney Value Chain Management programs
Location: Sydney, Australia
Application deadline: October 31, 2007
Classes start: February 25, 2008
Info:www.gsb.uts.edu.au/management/ supply_chain_management
VICS offers certification program
Mastering the ins and outs of collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) can, at first, seem overwhelming. Fortunately, the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions (VICS), the organization responsible for creating the concept, offers a certification program. This program is endorsed by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.
The program consists of six interactive workshop sessions that draw heavily on best practice case studies: change management; setting the stage for collaboration and scorecards; maximizing performance by measuring results—the CPFR ROI Calculator; data synchronization— best practices and protocols; The CPFR Model—from pilot to profit; and The CPFR onboarding and roles responsibility matrix.
The program is designed for retailers and vendor community suppliers and will be particularly beneficial for category analysts and managers as well as sales, marketing, and supply chain professionals. To receive the certification, individuals must complete the course materials and pass a formal examination administered by VICS.
Program: VICS CPFR Certification Program
Location: Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
Dates: November 13-15, 200
Info:www.vics.org/education
Online courses put education at your fingertips
Here's another way to expand your supply chain horizons right from your desk. Corporate training specialist Supply Chain Online offers six course modules covering topics like supply chain strategies, product and process design, and performance measurement.
With the exception of the 30-minute introduction module, classes take one to two hours to complete and cost US $60. The modules were developed by Warren H. Hausman, founder of Supply Chain Seminars and a professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
Program: Supply Chain Online corporate training modules
Courses:Course Introduction
Supply Chain Strategies I
Supply Chain Strategies II
Internet Technologies and Supply Chain Management
Performance Measures for Supply Chain Management
Product and Process Design for Supply Chain Management
Info:www.supplychainonline.com
