Top 5 Supply Chain Certifications that are in high demand

Top 5 Supply Chain Certifications that are in high demand

What is Supply Chain Management?

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the process of managing a good or service’s entire manufacturing flow, starting from the raw materials all the way to providing the finished product to the end customer.

In other words, a supply chain includes everything from the supply of raw materials to the manufacturer from the retailer to its final distribution to the end consumer.

Supply Chain comprises of several components such as Sourcing, Inventory Management, Procurement, Purchasing, Warehousing, Distribution and Logistics. This opens up a plethora of job opportunities in one of these areas.

Supply Chain Industry

Some of the popular job titles in the SCM Industry are:

  • Supply Chain Executive
  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Sourcing Executive
  • Sourcing Manager
  • Strategic Sourcing Manager
  • Purchase Executive
  • Purchase Manager
  • Procurement Manager
  • Procurement Intelligence Manager
  • Operations Manager
  • Logistics Analyst
  • Logistics Manager
  • Inventory Manager
  • Distribution Manager

In most of the organizations Supply Chain jobs include planning, strategic procurement, logistics management, fork truck operation, dispatching, scheduling, inventory control, assembly, processing, maintenance, planning, buying, sourcing, packaging, quality control, inventory management, space planning and supplier management.

Growth of Supply Chain Industry

According to Allied Market Research, the global supply chain industry is valued at $15.85 billion and is expected to reach $37.41billion by 2027 and grow at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2020 to 2027.

The Bureau of labor statistics in US expects the demand for supply chain professional to increase by 7% year of year.

Growth of Supply Chain Industry

Salary of Supply Chain Professionals

Salary of Supply Chain Professionals
Source: https://www.scdigest.com/

Which Supply Chain Certification should I do?

Which is the best supply chain Certification?

Your abilities ensure that you can do your job effectively and a certificate is a way to convey to recruiters that you have all the necessary skills expected by the Industry. Hence a professional supply chain certification plays an important role in getting you a new job. This is why even executives with several years of experience in Supply Chain still complete these Certifications. It helps them to continually learn, upgrade and be prepared for the next job interview at a new company. Recruiters use Certifications as a sieve to filter out the best candidates for their company.

Top 5 Supply Chain Certifications

Here is a list of top supply chain certifications that are globally accredited and valid in 195 Countries.

Here is a list of top supply chain certifications that are globally accredited and valid in 195 Countries.
  1. IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS)
  2. IIPMR Certified Procurement Professional (CPP)
  3. ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
  4. ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
  5. CSCMP Certified Supply Chain Professional (SCPro)

IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS)

The International Institute for Procurement and Market Research (IIPMR) is the world’s highest rated certification body. It offers a comprehensive course on Supply Chain called Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS). With its close knit management committee comprising of former employees from Apple, IBM, US Government, Walmart, HP, Office Depot etc, their curriculum is considered to be the best in the industry.

Executives from 75+ Countries and top organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Boeing, Siemens, Pfizer, Nokia, Ford, Maersk, Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini, Government of Canada, UK Government, Singapore’s Ministry of Defense, US Army, United Nations, Government of Qatar, Shell, Saudi International Petrochemicals, Samsung, World Bank have completed CSCS Certification.

According to United States Supply Chain Management Council (USSCMC), the CSCS Certification is the most sought after credential in the supply chain industry.

IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS)

Duration: 2 Months

Course Fee: $600

Membership Fee: Free for life time

Exam Fee: Free for the first two attempts. There is a Re-Exam fee of $50 per attempt from the third attempt onwards

The CSCS Certification has a life time validity. Re-certification in future is not necessary since IIPMR provides life time updates on the latest trends by means of regular webinars, newsletters and whenever new topics are added, the same is circulated to all members via email.

IIPMR Certified Procurement Professional (CPP)

The Certified Procurement Professional (CPP) program is the third and highest level Certification offered by IIPMR. It delves deep in to supply chain but with the main focus being Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence.

Micro level best practices in procurement across different category of products and services, techniques on how to reduce cost in procurement, niche skills such as Price Forecasting, Financial Risk Analysis and training on how to use top procurement software such as SAP Ariba, Precoro, Easibuy, ODL logistics software etc make CPP Certification the best value for money.

Procurement Newz, a leading Magazine in the US ranks CPP Certification as the most valuable designation since it is highly preferred by recruiters.

CPP Certification is done by Procurement Managers, Senior Buyers, Senior Strategic Sourcing Managers, VPs, Directors, Head of Procurement and Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs).

IIPMR Certified Procurement Professional (CPP)

Duration: 3 Months

Course Fee: $700

Membership Fee: Free for life time

Exam Fee: Free for the first two attempts. There is a Re-Exam fee of $50 per attempt from the third attempt onwards

The CPP Certification is also valid for life time. Upon successful completion of the CPP Exam, members can start using the designation for life time. The members do not have to renew or take another exam in the future. IIPMR provides regular updates through webinars, new case studies, new software tools, new technologies and new topics are emailed to members in order to keep them updated. Hence re-certification is not required.

ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)

The CSCP Certification is offered by the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), a subsidiary of American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS).

Members from 100+ Countries and from top companies such as General Motors, Best Buy, Amazon, 3M, Samsung, Hyundai, Target, Walgreens, Merck etc have completed the CSCP Certification from ASCM.

ASCM claims that those with CSCP Certification earn 21% more than those who are non-certified and 62.6% of their members consider the Certification to have had a positive impact on their hiring potential.

ASCM is very active by means of extensive local chapters in most of the cities within the US and also in select cities across other different Countries.

The CSCP Certification is one of the highly respected designation within the SCM Industry.

APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)

Duration: 3 Months

Course Fee: $1380 for non-members and $995 for members

Membership Fee: $180

Exam Fee: $965 for non-members and $695 for members

The CSCP Certification is valid for 5 years.

ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) was started in 1915 and is the first supply management training institute. ISM’s mission is to enhance the performance and value of supply chain executives by offering relevant training, seminars and certifications.

With members from over 70+ Countries, the CPSM Certification offered by ISM is rated as the third best according to Market Research Experts (MRE).

ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)

Duration: 4 Months

Course Fee: $3370

Membership Fee: $249

Exam Fee: $379

The CPSM Certification is valid for 3 years.

CSCMP Certified Supply Chain Professional (SCPro)

The Council for Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP) started its operations in 1963 and has been instrumental in shaping up the career of several thousand supply chain executives. It offers regular networking, career development and certifications in supply chain.

The Annual Supply Chain Global Conference & Exhibition conducted by CSCMP every year is a must-attend event for supply chain executives.

CSCMP offers a certification called SCPro that has three levels. It is considered to be one of the most difficult exams to pass due to the comprehensive nature of the questions asked. However the SCPro Certification is well reputed across the world and adds great value for career growth in the supply chain industry.

Duration: 3 Months

Course Fee: $1500 for non-members and $1095 for members

Membership Fee: $325

Exam Fee: $650

The SCPro certification is valid for 2 years.