Certification: The Career Enhancer

The growing number of supply chain certification programs now available opens up new opportunities for managers looking to advance their careers. But before
embarking on any program, the experts advise, make sure that it has value to current and potential employers.

In April, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) unveiled its new SCPro certification program. Beta tested by pallet and container pooling solutions provider CHEP, the three-level certification offers global supply chain management professionals a way to demonstrate industry skills and mastery of end-to-end supply chain functions. CSCMP’s new program is just one example of a growing number of certification options that targets both current and aspiring supply chain managers. Another is the Supply Chain Council’s SCOR Professional (SCOR-P) certification program, which focuses on establishing in-depth knowledge of the SCOR model and methods.

Seen as a viable middle ground between a full-blown college degree and the more basic certificate programs (which are not to be confused with certifications, as you’ll read later in this article), certifications fill a void for executives who need enrichment in specific areas—or who want to add designations like CPM, CPIM, CSCP, CPP, CPPM, and CIPM after their names.

Kathleen Hedland, CSCMP’s director of education and research, says the SCPro came about after several years of research and discussion. Hedland sees the offering as a viable alternative for executives who are looking to earn educational credit hours without having to sign up for a degree program. It’s particularly useful for supply chain managers who are currently employed, and who would rather take a validated test than go through the time and expense of a regular classroom and/or virtual degree program.

“We went through a rigorous process of validating all of the test questions for the SCPro,” says Hedland, who notes that the test is designed not to test functional expertise (like so many certifications do), but rather the student’s knowledge of the true, end-to-end supply chain. “The goal is to test and validate the executive’s understanding of the entire supply chain and how each function within the chain impacts the next.”

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