Presidents Message

The Durham APICS Chapter is contributing to global warming by putting a lot of irons in the fire this summer! This message will acquaint you with what’s new. The year 2010/2011 will really exciting, full of opportunities for learning, connecting with colleagues, and getting in to your profession. I encourage you to get involved and enjoy what your Chapter has to offer.

Program

On September 28, 2010, we kick off the 2010/2011 season with what promises to be a terrific PDM: Todd Hall, Director of Sustainable Development at OPG will be speaking about “Business Continuity and Pandemic Planning”. Learn how to manage through significant business disruptions, such as the G20 Meetings that were presented to Toronto this summer. This will also be an opportunity for us to cut the birthday cake and celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of our Chapter’s Charter in the Durham Region! Our PDM will be held from 6:00pm until 8:00pm at the Whitby Library. Please register at www.apics-durham.org.

Education and Professional Development

CPIM: The cornerstone of our educational offerings is the CPIM professional certification program. Our Saturday exam preparation courses begin again this year on September 11, 2010 with the Basics of Supply Chain Management examination preparation course. Our CPIM course schedule is posted on our web site’s Home Page at www.apics-durham.org.

*New* New to the Durham Region in 2010, the Inventory Control Workshop Series introduces attendees to fundamental concepts, terminology, and processes in five specific areas: Basics of Inventory Management, Cycle Counting, Distribution Inventory Management, MRP and Bills of Material, and Physical Inventory.

Each of these five modules is designed to be presented in four-hour sessions. This is a non-certification program, targeted at personnel who are new to the field of supply chain management, companies who detect gaps in their knowledge of inventory control, businesses who are experiencing problems with inventory stock loss and shrinkage, and individuals who want to enhance their basic understanding of inventory management methods and standards. It is an excellent introduction to the world of APICS, and the internationally-renowned APICS Body of Knowledge. These workshops use material developed by the APICS Educational and Research (E&R) Foundation and APICS Instructors. Please see our web site for more information, or call me at 905-683-7710.

*New*: APICS is pleased to announce a new, one-day course for professionals in functions that support the supply chain (for example, sales and marketing, accounting, information technology, and senior executives). The class, Customer-Focused Supply Chain Management, will provide an insider’s view of supply chain management. It offers fundamental knowledge of the functions of SCM and is designed to quickly and effectively educate team members who interact with or support supply chain activities, helping to increase efficiency and generate ideas for improvements. After this course, participants can more fully contribute to the cross-functional and inter-organizational processes of a successful supply chain. Further, the class leads participants and others in their organizations to the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), and other APICS programs. The course strengthens the entire team and fosters appreciation of a properly structured and managed supply chain. Please contact the Durham Chapter if you or your company is interested.

*New*: CPIM Maintenance and Recertification: In today’s competitive job market, your credentials help differentiate you from other potential employees. When you invested in your future by earning the APICS Certified Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) designation, you made an important career choice that has given you an edge over the competition. The APICS CPIM Recertification Exam is a one-time opportunity for individuals whose CPIM credentials have expired. You now can reclaim your credential. Instead of taking all five CPIM exams again, candidates are able to renew their certifications by taking only one exam. The new exam will include 30 questions taken from the following CPIM Modules: DSP, ECO, MPR and SMR and will have a total of 120 multiple-choice items delivered in a three-hour exam.

Now is a good time to recertify and keep your designation current while growing your global understanding and honing your production and inventory management skills. Visit www.apics.org for details regarding eligibility as well as costs. Contact the Durham Chapter for refresher course opportunities.

The best and easiest way, though, is to keep your CPIM credentials valid from the start through the maintenance program. You can accumulate maintenance points through membership, volunteering, attending the occasional PDM, or attending an APICS CPIM course, an APICS workshop, or an APICS seminar. Dr. W. Edwards Deming would argue that one would do this in the spirit of constant improvement. Writing a recertification exam is, as he would say, “putting out a fire” – it solves the immediate problem but doesn’t improve the process.

Communications

This summer, we are pleased to introduce you to our new quarterly newsletter, “The Voice of APICS: Measuring the Pulse of Operations Management in the Durham Region.” I hope that you will find the new format both attractive and informative, Take some time to read through it, print a copy, and distribute it to your friends and colleagues. I hope that it will encourage some to consider APICS membership.

Our web site: www.apics-durham.org continues to be a central cog in our communications strategy. Thanks to Troy Woudwyk, our site is kept very current. Please visit the site monthly for news and updates. Further, please keep your contact informaton the main APICS database updated by visiting www.apics.org: unfortunately, we find obsolete telephone numbers and email addresses on the APICS database from time to time, which inhibits effective communication with our members. 

Linkedin: Some of our members are starting to discover the power of Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) as a tool for professional networking and communication. Many of our Chapter events are now being posted onto Linkedin – if you are a member or plan to sign up, please watch for updates regarding Chapter events.

Membership

Don’t be surprised if our new VP, Membership, Ryan Doherty, gives you a call in the upcoming months. We have established as one of our goals to connect with every member either in person or on the telephone at least once per year. We are not selling new doors and windows, or duct cleaning! We just want to take a few minutes to say hello, see how things are going for you, and ask what APICS might be able to do for you. And we promise not to call at 6:00am!

*New*: APICS now offers a variety of membership categories, to remain attractive and relevant to as many professionals and academics as possible. The new membership categories include:

Young Professional e-membership: Specifically for recent graduates, the Young Professional e-Membership offers the opportunity to build a professional network and expand operations and supply chain management knowledge—at a price that's a perfect fit for a young professional's budget. Annual dues are $100 US (compare to the regular Professional Member rate of $200 US).

Academic Professional Membership:  As an academic professional member of APICS, you help shape the future of the profession. This is available to Professors, Assistant Professors, Researchers, Deans, and Lecturers (but not Adjunct Professors or consultant instructors). Annual dues are $75 US (compared to $200 for a full Professional Membership)

Retired Membership: While not a new category, this is open to individuals 62 years of age or older, who are retired from formal employment, and have been APICS chapter members for a minimum of five years. This entitles the member to full individual benefits while saving 50 percent on society dues.

Enterprise Professional e-membership: Available to organizations with 25 or more enterprise members, this new membership type enables companies to provide more employees with access to valuable APICS content, products, and services. Annual dues are discounted to $125 US per member.

Outreach

The Durham Chapter continues to reach out to our business and academic colleagues in the Region. We do this through a variety of means, such as Chapter Brochures and marketing collateral, presence on Linkedin and other similar web sites, and through our newsletter. There is no substitute, however, for word-of-mouth. Be evangelical about APICS. We believe in the product that we offer. We truly are committed that the notion of attaining CPIM certification improves the OM practitioner’s marketability and ability to contribute.  

The Durham APICS Chapter continues to be committed to offering unsurpassed quality services for professional and personal development to our members, future members, and friends, and at a reasonable cost. I want to take this opportunity to again thank my team of dedicated volunteers, who work tirelessly to deliver the APICS Body of Knowledge, and learning opportunities to you.