Local supply chain professionals excel in international certification from APICS

2015 was an incredible year for the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional Certification in South Africa. SAPICS’ pursuit to create a skilled work force in South Africa was enhanced by the adoption of this valuable and globally recognized supply chain certification.  Since its introduction in 2006 The CSCP has evolved into a truly global certification for supply chain professionals. Three South Africans recently scored impressively high scores in the exam and are proud to become Certified Supply Chain Professionals. 

Salome Posthumus, Frances Hedding and Orestes Peristeris have all achieved their CSCP certifications with a score of 333.

“According to our records this is the highest score anyone has achieved for CSCP in South Africa. Prior to this score we have had one candidate achieve 331 in 2010 and two candidates achieving 331 in 2014,” said Jenny Froome, general manager of SAPICS, the exclusive Sub Saharan Africa Channel Partner of US-based APICS, the leading provider of supply chain management education and certification programs.

APICS uses a scaled score; the range for CSCP scaled score is 200–350 with the minimum passing score being 300. The CSCP course provides a holistic view of the entire supply chain, and the certification is internationally recognised as one of the most respected certifications coveted by the close-knit global community of supply chain professionals.

People are more important than processes and procedures
The mantra of ‘putting the customer first’ is a popular management expression; the CSCP certification however shows in detail how a true focus on the customer is critical to growing a business and its market share. “The biggest realisation I came to is that the customer really should drive all decisions within a business,” says Posthumus. “The biggest change I will make to the way I work is to continually ask what value my actions give to the customer. If an action doesn’t add value, it’s time to adjust the process.”

Supply chain professionals are responsible for environmental sustainability
Sections of the CSCP course material highlight the responsibility of supply chain professionals in helping business to work towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

“It is within the ability of supply chain professionals to drive innovative thinking and form solutions in line with sustainable development,” says Hedding. “Technological developments have made available incredible tools that we can use for this purpose. Technology applied correctly creates opportunities for changing the way that businesses operate in ways that weren’t possible before.”

There are no islands in the supply chain
CSCP certified professionals have an increased awareness of how the complexities of the supply chain are interconnected.  They understand that supply chain management in the true sense is more than procurement, more than logistics, more than operations management. It is all of these and more. This awareness creates the ability to advise business leaders with confidence on ways to increase revenue, decrease costs and waste, and keep customers happy.

According to Peristeris, the take away that proved the most valuable was reading and learning the entire body of knowledge of supply chain management and operations in one course. “Even though I have completed a Master’s degree in Logistics Management, I found the coursework to be highly relevant and up to date. After completing the course and passing the exam, I see the value in having an international certification which recognises and certifies my knowledge and expertise in the field of supply chain.”

“The Certified Supply Chain Professional has a good overview of the subject matter in the overall certification material,” Froome agrees. “South African companies benefiting from the skills of their CSCPs include Sasol, Resolve, Pick n Pay, GSK Healthcare, Polyoak Packaging, Distell, Value Logistics and Industrial Logistic Systems, to name but a few.”

For more information on the CSCP certification please visit www.sapics.org.za