FOR RELEASE: April 9, 2012

Outstanding achievements within the supply management profession will be celebrated and showcased this month and next.

(Tempe, Ariz.) April 9, 2012 — Winners of the Institute for Supply Management™ – Michigan State University Awards for Excellence in Supply Management are officially announced this month in ISM's member publication, Inside Supply Management^®. The following four winners are featured in a special section in the April 2012 issue:

• IBM Corporation | Technology category
  IBM's award-winning entry detailed the deployment of an innovative critical parts management tool which provided real-time visibility of its multitier supply chain.
  
  
• Cisco Systems, Inc. | Process category
  Cisco's Supply Chain Risk Management team developed and implemented four key processes to embed end-to-end resiliency in the supply chain and ensure business continuity during supply disruptions, including last year's natural disasters in Japan.
  
  
• The American Red Cross | Organization/Structure category
  A new organizational structure created synergy with the business units, a simplified way to work with clients and suppliers, and saved in excess of US$40 million the first two years in operation.
  
  
• T-Mobile USA, Inc. | Sustainability category
  The award-winning project focused on inventory reduction and associated cash flow release. Among the key successes were that T-Mobile closed the ecosystem, giving it cradle-to-grave control of the handsets, which helped reduce waste and increase the bottom line.

Institute for Supply Management™ – Michigan State University Awards for Excellence in Supply Management winners will be recognized next month in Baltimore at ISM's 97th Annual International Supply Management Conference and Educational Exhibit, to be held May 6-9, 2012. Representatives from the winning organizations will detail their projects in sessions on Monday, May 7, and Tuesday, May 8, 2012.

The 8th annual Institute for Supply Management™ – Michigan State University for Excellence in Supply Management call for entries will open on July 2, 2012. Multiple entries are welcome in one or more of the following categories: Process, People, Transformation of the Organization, Technology and Sustainability. For more information, visit www.ism.ws.

Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) is the first supply management institute in the world. Founded in 1915, ISM exists to lead and serve the supply management profession and is a highly influential and respected association in the global marketplace. By executing and extending its mission through education, research, standards of excellence and information dissemination — including the renowned monthly ISM Report On Business^® — ISM maintains a strong global influence among individuals and organizations. ISM is a not-for-profit educational association that serves professionals with an interest in supply management who live and work in more than 80 countries. ISM offers the Certified Professional in Supply Management^® (CPSM^®), Certified in Supply Management™ (CSM™) and Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity^® (CPSD™) qualifications, and is a member of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM).

Media Contact
Jean McHale | jmchale@ism.ws
Manager, Public Relations
Institute for Supply Management™
(U.S. only) 800/888-6276, extension 3143
(International) +1 480/752-6276, extension 3143