The Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution designation was introduced to delegates at the recent 38th Annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition for supply chain professionals. The CLTD programme will provide supply chain practitioners with the essential knowledge needed for success in logistics, transport and distribution. These are critical skills for industry sectors including manufacturing, retailer, government, military, energy production and supply, and other industries with a large distribution component.

Richard Ringold, Vice President of Business Development at the Holmes Corporation, introduced the CLTD designation developed by APICS – the leading global professional association for supply chain management.

“The process of earning a CLTD designation will help participants expand their outlook on global logistics trends and developments, and bring new ideas to their organisations,” explained Ringold.

The CLTD program was built around universally relevant content that can be used by large global companies, or at a local level within companies of all sizes.

“Businesses can be sure that anyone with a CLTD designation has the tools needed to help reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction and service levels, as certification programmes test real-world expertise, not just the theoretical knowledge as tends to be the case with traditional tertiary qualifications.”

According to Ringold the additional value of certification for supply chain practitioners is that it has the power to change a person’s career, the lives of their families, and their personal sense of recognition, worth, and value.

In South Africa that CLTD certification will be available through SAPICS – the APICS Exclusive Premier Channel Partner for Sub-Saharan Africa. “Both APICS and SAPICS are focused on developing people through professionalization programmes and designations such as the CLTD,” said Jenny Froome, general manager of SAPICS.

“The CLTD is for individuals with at least three years of experience or a university degree,” advised Ringold. “The programme is ideally suited for logistics, transportation and distribution professionals at mid-management or upper management levels who want to lead their organisation’s use of best practices.”

“Best practices are useless without the best people to perform them. Fostering the development of supply chain management professionals allows people to form global teams that speak the same language – the language of world-class end-to-end supply chain management,” concluded Ringold.

Eligibility applications for the CLTD programme open on 1 July 2016 and the first exam is scheduled for 1 October 2016.

Those that want to be among the first in the world to earn the CLTD certification can email education@sapics.org.za for more information