New supply management accreditation program

Source: Supply Chain Digital

Date :9/10/2007 11:34:59 AM

A new strategy-focused accreditation program has been formed to help Canada's next generation of supply chain leaders.

Candidates who complete the 36-month program earn the Certified Professional Purchaser (C.P.P.) designation.

"There is no other executive development program like this being offered in North America," says Robert Dye, president of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC). "It's like earning a master's level degree in supply chain management. Our program sets the gold standard for professionalism in the field."

Called the Strategic Supply Chain Management Leadership Program, the competency-based program is delivered in partnership with universities and colleges coast to coast, and is instructed by top academics and senior practitioners. The program shifts the emphasis from purchasing to comprehensive, strategic supply chain management.

"With an increasingly competitive business environment, the supply chain has become more complex and strategic," says University of Alberta School of Business's Dr. Edy Wong, who led the accreditation renewal. "From our research it was clear that employers are looking to C.P.P.s as innovative, strategic leaders with a 360-degree view of business. The new accreditation program will build this unique competence."

Balanced to provide advanced supply chain management knowledge and high-level business skills, the program stresses integrative thinking, strategic analysis and communication throughout. A series of modules cover procurement, global sourcing, logistics and operations, while interactive workshops address such subjects as negotiations, international business, ethics and corporate social responsibility. The requirements of the program are:

- 8 Modules

- 6 Interactive Workshops

- In-Residence Week

- Final Written Examination

- 3 Years of Progressive Practical Experience

According to the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council, the supply chain management field has approximately 150,000 positions at the professional and managerial level. The sector is growing at an estimated 10% a year, requiring knowledge workers with both business and technological skills.