ISM - Publications - NewsLine

NewsLine
January 2012, Vol. 24, No. 1
for the volunteer leadership

Professional Credentials Issue

December 1, 2011

ISM Membership
34,053

November 30, 2011

	— 3, 975
	— 172

Letter From the ISM Professional Credentials Committee Chair — Karen Fedele, CPSM, C.P.M.

November 15, 2011 marked an important milestone not only for ISM, but also for supply management professionals worldwide, with the debut of the Certified in Supply Management™ (CSM™) designation. The introduction of the CSM™ marks the third new designation introduced by ISM since 2008, joining the Certified Professional in Supply Management^® (CPSM^®), and the Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity^® (CPSD™) Program. ISM now offers a complete suite of designations that reflect the diverse background of those engaged in supply management, and that reaffirm ISM's mission to lead and support the supply management profession. ISM, as an essential component of a supply management professional's ability to excel and advance in his or her career, fulfills its commitment to a greater number of supply management practitioners by offering the new CSM™. Regardless of a practitioner's formal educational background, supply management practitioners now have an option to demonstrate their knowledge of the ISM Supply Management Body of Knowledge.

Although the CSM™ Exam covers the same internationally recognized body of knowledge as the CPSM^®, the CSM™ is targeted to those who may not meet the bachelor's degree requirement of the CPSM^®, enabling a larger portion of supply management professionals to obtain a designation that reflects their knowledge and dedication to their chosen career. The decision to offer the new CSM™ is in direct response to feedback ISM received from both individuals and corporate leaders who want an internationally recognized standard for measurement of an individual's knowledge of supply management principles.

In today's environment, supply management professionals are tasked to contribute a higher level of value to the organizations and internal stakeholders they serve. Expectations of those in supply management and competition for positions in supply management have never been greater. Providing this opportunity for a greater portion of supply management practitioners to obtain a designation that demonstrates their mastery of a common body of knowledge is essential to assisting them with meeting these expectations.

I am delighted that ISM has added the CSM™ as an option for demonstrating supply management knowledge. ISM, as it meets its commitment to lead supply management, will continue to assess the body of knowledge and the designations offered to ensure ISM continues to be the leading association for those in the supply management field.

As outgoing chair of the Professional Credentials Committee, it has been an honor and a highlight of my professional career to be part of these significant changes from the very beginning of the process, working with subject matter experts in supply management to define the body of knowledge through to the introduction of each of the three designations.

Karen Fedele, CPSM, C.P.M.
Chair, ISM Professional Credentials Committee

Letter From the Professional Credentials Vice President — Andrea Waas, APR, A.P.P.

This past year saw continued growth in ISM professional credentials …. domestic and global.

In January 2011, ISM launched the new designation, Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity^® (CPSD™), which focuses on the foundation of supply management and supplier diversity. The development of the CPSD™ was in response to requests from diversity professionals who identified ISM as the most qualified supply management organization to develop a supplier diversity designation. Since then, ISM has issued more than 160 CPSD™ designations in the United States and beyond.

Then last fall, in response to requests from supply management leaders worldwide, ISM launched the Certified in Supply Management™ (CSM™) designation to provide an option for those individuals who may not meet the bachelor's degree requirement for the CPSM^®. Obtaining the CSM™ does not necessarily mean an individual does not have a degree. It does indicate the individual has mastered the same ISM supply management body of knowledge as the CPSM^®.

So, why keep the regionally accredited bachelor's degree requirement for the CPSM^®? One of the values of a professional designation is the validation that the individual has mastered a certain level of knowledge. With an increasingly global business community, a professional designation increases in value the more it is recognized globally, making the designation more mobile. Because of the CPSM^®'s global recognition, ISM is able to establish reciprocity agreements with non-U.S. supply management associations. To date, ISM has reciprocity agreements with Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply in the United Kingdom and Purchasing Management Association of Canada. Both agreements require that our designation have an educational component. And ISM continues to negotiate additional agreements worldwide. Currently, approximately 30 percent of those with a current CPSM^® designation are located outside the U.S.

In addition, ISM has joined with other international professional organizations to work on developing a global standard for supply management qualification programs around the world. The Global Standard for Professional Competence in Purchasing and Supply, as administered by International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management, will consist of the content areas recognized by the Global Standards Board as being essential to a professional supply management designation. Once the global standard is established, it will serve as a measurement of an organization's professional qualification based on the agreed criteria.

Through the development of professional designations that add value and global recognition to members' professional "packages," and working together with other supply management leaders globally, ISM continues to strengthen and lead the profession with global impact.

Andrea Waas, APR, A.P.P.
ISM Vice President — Professional Credentials