2015 an incredible year for APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional Certification in SA

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Three South Africans recently scored impressively high scores in the exam and are proud to become Certified Supply Chain Professionals. Salome Posthumus, Frances Hedding and Orestes Peristeris have all achieved their CSCP certifications with a score of 333.

"According to our records, this is the highest score anyone has achieved for CSCP in South Africa. Prior to this score we have had one candidate achieve 331 in 2010 and two candidates achieving 331 in 2014," said Jenny Froome, GM of SAPICS, the exclusive sub-Saharan Africa channel partner of US-based APICS, the provider of supply chain management education and certification programmes.

APICS uses a scaled score; the range for CSCP scaled score is 200 to 350 with the minimum passing score being 300.

A holistic view

The CSCP course provides a holistic view of the entire supply chain and the certification is internationally recognised as one of the most respected certifications coveted by the close-knit global community of supply chain professionals.

The mantra of 'putting the customer first' is a popular management expression; the CSCP certification, however, shows in detail how a true focus on the customer is critical to growing a business and its market share.

"The biggest realisation I came to is that the customer really should drive all decisions within a business," said Posthumus. "The biggest change I will make to the way I work is continually to ask what value my actions give to the customer. If an action doesn't add value, it's time to adjust the process."

Sections of the CSCP course material highlight the responsibility of supply chain professionals in helping business to work towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

"It is within the ability of supply chain professionals to drive innovative thinking and form solutions in line with sustainable development," said Hedding. "Technological developments have made available incredible tools that we can use for this purpose. Technology, applied correctly, creates opportunities for changing the way that businesses operate in ways that weren't possible before."

CSCP-certified professionals have an increased awareness of how the complexities of the supply chain are interconnected. They understand that supply chain management in the true sense is more than procurement, more than logistics, more than operations management. It is all of these and more. This awareness creates the ability to advise business leaders with confidence on ways to increase revenue, decrease costs and waste, and keep customers happy.

For more information on the CSCP certification, go to www.sapics.org.za.