Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment

Become a fast learner

Do you want to learn more about supply chain management but don't have a lot of spare time? CSCMP has developed a series of online "Supply Chain Quick Courses" that will meet your needs.

Designed for entry-level to mid-level professionals, these courses were created by recognized experts in the supply chain field. Each course includes one instructional, online video that runs from 45 minutes to 75 minutes; teaching notes, including terminology and definitions, test questions, and an answer key; recommended further reading; and a video-player interface. Current topics include: demand management, financial fundamentals, manufacturing operations, performance measurements, physical distribution systems, quality, sales and operations planning, and master planning and capacity management. CSCMP will be continually adding new courses to download. Courses cost US $64.95 for members and US $94.95 for nonmembers.


Program: Supply Chain Quick Courses
Sponsor: CSCMP
Info:https://cscmp.org/education/quick-course.asp


Learn to think lean

Experts maintain that when you apply lean thinking to the supply chain, you can achieve a more efficient and effective operation with less waste. But how do you acquire that lean thinking? The Georgia Institute of Technology's "Building the Lean Supply Chain Problem Solver" course could be the first step.

Georgia Tech says that the course will teach participants how to "think lean" and use problem-solving tools to eliminate waste. Students will learn how to develop a keen eye for operational waste and discover and solve the root causes of business problems. This course is the first of three that participants can take to receive a Lean Supply Chain Professional Certificate. The course is cosponsored by CSCMP.

Program: Building the Lean Supply Chain Problem Solver
Sponsor: Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Dates: August 9-11, 2011
Info:www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/building-leansupply-chain-problem-solver


How to pay for performance

The University of Tennessee offers two courses about compensating providers of outsourced services for overall results instead of for specific products or actions. "Performance-Based Logistics" (PBL) is for managers who work with the U.S. Defense Department in PBL contractual situations. The course focuses on establishing and executing performance-based lifecycle product support. PBL concepts and applications are presented through lectures, question and answer sessions, case studies, and small-group exercises.

"Vested Outsourcing" is designed for managers in any industry who procure outsourced services such as third-party logistics, information technology support, or facilities management. Participants will learn about the underlying theories and practical applications of paying for results (such as on-time delivery) as opposed to paying for activities (such as picking and packing). The course will also help participants write their own performance work statements that link to desired outcomes.

Both courses are co-sponsored by CSCMP.

Program: University of Tennessee Center for Executive Education
Courses and dates: Performance-Based Logistics: September 13-16, 2011; Vested Outsourcing: August 1-3, 2011; November 8-10, 2011
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Info:https://thecenter.utk.edu/

Recent

More Stories

cover of report on electrical efficiency

ABI: Push to drop fossil fuels also needs better electric efficiency

Companies in every sector are converting assets from fossil fuel to electric power in their push to reach net-zero energy targets and to reduce costs along the way, but to truly accelerate those efforts, they also need to improve electric energy efficiency, according to a study from technology consulting firm ABI Research.

In fact, boosting that efficiency could contribute fully 25% of the emissions reductions needed to reach net zero. And the pursuit of that goal will drive aggregated global investments in energy efficiency technologies to grow from $106 Billion in 2024 to $153 Billion in 2030, ABI said today in a report titled “The Role of Energy Efficiency in Reaching Net Zero Targets for Enterprises and Industries.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Logistics economy continues on solid footing
Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy continues on solid footing

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in November, continuing a steady growth pattern that began earlier this year and signaling a return to seasonality after several years of fluctuating conditions, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index report (LMI), released today.

The November LMI registered 58.4, down slightly from October’s reading of 58.9, which was the highest level in two years. The LMI is a monthly gauge of business conditions across warehousing and logistics markets; a reading above 50 indicates growth and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

Keep ReadingShow less
iceberg drawing to represent threats

GEP: six factors could change calm to storm in 2025

The current year is ending on a calm note for the logistics sector, but 2025 is on pace to be an era of rapid transformation, due to six driving forces that will shape procurement and supply chains in coming months, according to a forecast from New Jersey-based supply chain software provider GEP.

"After several years of mitigating inflation, disruption, supply shocks, conflicts, and uncertainty, we are currently in a relative period of calm," John Paitek, vice president, GEP, said in a release. "But it is very much the calm before the coming storm. This report provides procurement and supply chain leaders with a prescriptive guide to weathering the gale force headwinds of protectionism, tariffs, trade wars, regulatory pressures, uncertainty, and the AI revolution that we will face in 2025."

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of top business concerns from descartes

Descartes: businesses say top concern is tariff hikes

Business leaders at companies of every size say that rising tariffs and trade barriers are the most significant global trade challenge facing logistics and supply chain leaders today, according to a survey from supply chain software provider Descartes.

Specifically, 48% of respondents identified rising tariffs and trade barriers as their top concern, followed by supply chain disruptions at 45% and geopolitical instability at 41%. Moreover, tariffs and trade barriers ranked as the priority issue regardless of company size, as respondents at companies with less than 250 employees, 251-500, 501-1,000, 1,001-50,000 and 50,000+ employees all cited it as the most significant issue they are currently facing.

Keep ReadingShow less
photo of worker at port tracking containers

Trump tariff threat strains logistics businesses

Freight transportation providers and maritime port operators are bracing for rough business impacts if the incoming Trump Administration follows through on its pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% tariff on China, analysts say.

Industry contacts say they fear that such heavy fees could prompt importers to “pull forward” a massive surge of goods before the new administration is seated on January 20, and then quickly cut back again once the hefty new fees are instituted, according to a report from TD Cowen.

Keep ReadingShow less