By Vishnu Rayapeddi, B. Pharmacy (Honours), MBA (Ops.), Lean, SSGM, CSCP, CLTD

While acquiring a certification can have a significant effect on your career trajectory, it’s a process that requires a considerable outlay of time and money. For individuals in the early stages of their career, it can be difficult to make an informed choice. To help make this decision easier, here are some tips…

According to experts, if you’re seeking a career in inventory management, then APICS’ CPIM is the best certification to get.

Over 100,000 (over 770 in NZ) people have pursued the CPIM since its inception in 1973, making it the most recognised of all the certifications in the supply chain sphere. APICS describes the CPIM in rather broad terms on its site, but Rich Sherman, a consultant at Trissential boils it down to the following: “You get the CPIM if you want to learn production planning, scheduling and inventory management. It’s very plant floor focused.”

No bachelor’s degree is required, and you need only two or more years of experience in the field. Monty Boyle, a consultant in the US who has the CPIM, says that each individual will get something different out of it depending on their prior experience, but stresses that the certification training provides everyone with a solid grounding in the terminology and thought processes involved in production and inventory management.

As a result, people who have the CPIM share common concepts and terminology that are very valuable in the workplace. For example, Boyle highlights the section of the exam dedicated to manufacturing capacity planning, which analyses capacity planning in three ways: according to the factors of a master production schedule, using capacity bills and using resource profiles.

Anyone with the CPIM will likely approach capacity planning in a similar way.

Current Structure: The CPIM requires you to take not one, but five exams on five different modules of study: Basics of Supply Chain Management, Master Planning of Resources, Detailed Scheduling and Planning and Execution and Control of Operations.

New Reconfigured Structure: From September CPIM will have just 2 parts, Part-1 and Part-2 with 2 exams of 3.5 hours and 150 multi-choice questions. Both parts come with extensive online study tools, including a pre-test, chapter wise quizzes, a post-test, a practice exam, flash cards, activities and much more.

Part-1 will be an enhanced Basics of Supply Chain Management module and Part-2 consists of SMR- Strategic Management of Resources, MPR-Master Planning of Resources, DSP-Detailed Scheduling and Planning, and ECP-Execution and Control of Operations.

NZPICS will continue to support those who are midway through their current CPIM.
NZPICS also offers various other APICS courses including, Principles of Operations Management (ideal for lower levels), CLTD, Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution, CSCP, Certified Supply Chain Professional and SCOR-P, Supply Chain operations Reference Model Professional.

For Further information on CPIM or other APICS courses, please contact NZPICS on (09) 525 1525/1535 or email info@nzpics.org.nz or visit their website www.nzpics.org.nz