In This Issue ...

• This Month in the Inside Supply Management® Magazine.  Read more.
  
• Newly Revised Professional Credentials FAQs.  Read more.
  
• Does Improved Contract Management Make A Difference?  Read more.
  
• The Power of the Services Supply Chain: Maximizing Strategic Value.  Read more.
  
• ISM's Past Conferences and Their Online Dailies.  Read more.
  
• Calendar of Events for April.  Read more.
  
• Term of the Day.  Read more.
  
• Contact Us.  Read more.
  

This Month in the Inside Supply Management® Magazine

Have you checked out this month's issue of Inside Supply Management® magazine? Here are a few highlights:

• U.S. firms are competing globally now more than ever before, and it is no longer acceptable to have large, viable segments of our economy underperforming. Learn about the challenges minority businesses face in acquiring needed capital and the changes that should be made to help minority businesses grow.
  
  
• Supply management is a strategic player when a company commits to sustainability. Learn about the challenges faced by two companies in their journey to achieving sustainability.
  
  
• On the educational front, read about the recent trends in European educational systems. As Europe begins to adopt American university standards of education, those in the supply management profession — and the companies for which they work — benefit.

To access the March Inside Supply Management® magazine's table of contents, which contains links to all this month's articles click here.

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Newly Revised Professional Credentials FAQs

The ISM Certification staff recently revised the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) area of the Professional Credentials section on the ISM Web site. The FAQs are broken down into the following categories:

• Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) Program FAQs
• C.P.M. Exam and Application FAQs
• C.P.M. Recertification FAQs
• C.P.M. and CPSM FAQs

• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) Program FAQs
• CPSM Exam and Application FAQs
• CPSM Recertification FAQs
• CPSM and C.P.M. FAQs

• Accredited Purchasing Practitioner (A.P.P.) Program FAQs
• A.P.P. Reaccreditation FAQs

To check out the updated FAQs click here.

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Does Improved Contract Management Make A Difference?

According to recent research, professionals using contract management systems achieve improved productivity, higher levels of compliance and greater responsiveness to change. But adoption rates for such systems have consistently under-performed against analyst forecasts.

ISM and the International Association for Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM) are partnering on research to understand market trends and rationale in the acquisition and use of contract management systems. Participants in our brief survey (which should take no more than 7 minutes to complete) will receive a copy of the consolidated results, showing market trends, sizing, licensing models and priorities for functionality, as well as the relative position of contract management software versus ERP or spend management solutions.

To participate in the survey click here.

Your individual input will remain confidential and the identity of neither you nor your company will be revealed.

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The Power of the Services Supply Chain: Maximizing Strategic Value

An ISM Services Program
St. John's University
Manhattan Campus
New York, NY
June 7, 2007

This year, ISM and St. John's University have teamed-up to present The Power of the Services Supply Chain: Maximizing Strategic Value.

Understand procurement's potential for capturing value from your supply chain. Learn how to apply strategic sourcing techniques to identify and implement a better workforce spend. Discover how to gain buy-in to develop incentive-based agreements with multiple ad agencies. And, explore ways to implement tracking techniques for external contractors such as IT, consultants and temporary labor.

This one-day event is filled with back-to-back sessions, including dynamic negotiation strategies for service related contracts and techniques that improve the bottomline. Leave with plenty to think about and begin implementing new processes that will make a significant difference within your organization. Minimize your time away from the office by attending this one-day event.

$495 ISM Members/$695 Nonmembers

Earn 6.25 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) when you attend this one-day event

For more information, or to register for this program click here.

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ISM's Past Conferences and Their Online Dailies

Have you ever not been able to attend a conference and wondered exactly what you missed? Ever attend a conference and wish you could have gotten a copy of the presenter's slides, handouts or a copy of his presentation?

There's an area on ISM's Web site called ISM's Past Conferences and Their Online Dailies. In this section you can find links to ISM's past programs and their associated presentations/handouts.

For a list of the past conferences and links to their presentations click here.

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Calendar of Events for April

• 4/1
  ISM Senior Research Fellowship Program Application Deadline
  Nationwide
  
  
• 4/2
  Release of the Manufacturing Report On Business®
  Nationwide
  
  
• 4/2
  Last Day for ISM Discounted Conference Hotel Room Rates
  Las Vegas, NV
  
  
• 4/2-4
  Power Negotiations: Unlock Your Powers of Influence and Persuasion
  Mesa, AZ
  
  
• 4/4
  Release of the Non-Manufacturing Report On Business®
  Nationwide
  
  
• 4/11-13
  Purchasing and the Law: The Basics You Need to Succeed
  Orlando, FL
  
  
• 4/13
  Early Registration Discount Ends for the 92nd Annual International Supply Management Conference and Educational Exhibit
  Tempe, AZ
  
  
• 4/16-17
  Contract Writing Basics: What All the Ts and Cs Mean
  Orlando, FL
  
  
• 4/16-17
  Driving Down Costs through Cost/Price Analysis
  Washington, DC
  
  
• 4/18-20
  Fundamentals of Purchasing: The Building Blocks of World-Class Professionalism
  Kansas City, MO
  
  
• 4/19
  The Business Case for Diversity in a Social Responsibility Context -- Satellite Seminar
  Nationwide
  
  
• 4/19-20
  Social Responsibility Committee Meeting
  New Orleans, LA
  
  
• 4/23-25
  Supply Management: Tools, Techniques and Strategies for Success
  Chicago, IL

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Term of the Day

Today's ISM Term of the Day is: CLASS II CARRIER.

Definition: A classification system of carriers established by regulators that is based on annual operating revenues: motor carriers of property, $3 to less than $10 million; railroads, $20.4 to less than $253.7 million.

A different Term of the Day is posted on the ISM Home Page (www.ism.ws) each day -- 7 days a week. The Term of the Day is taken from the ISM Glossary of Key Supply Management Terms.

ISM members can access the online Members Only ISM Glossary of Key Supply Management Terms which can be browsed alphabetically, or searched by keyword.

To access the online Glossary click here.

If you are not a member but would like membership information click here.

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