Greetings!
Welcome to 2022. I sincerely hope it is better than 2020 and 2021. I also hope this message finds you happy, not to full from your month of eating and drinking, and prepared for the New Year.
As you know ASCM/APICS continues to go through changes, whether with their internal staff, their chapters and forums, or their offerings as they are spending a great deal of time and money to upgrade the educational offerings so that we/you have the very best opportunities to succeed.
I know certifications provided me the knowledge to further my career, the educational knowledge base and understanding that led to promotions and understanding of what is called Supply Chain Management (SCM). I hear about SCM every day because of the global reactions to Covid. Though, I think there is a lot more behind the SCM issues but this is not the forum for political wanderings.
Many of you, I’m sure are wading through these issues on a daily basis, with your companies staff, your suppliers and customers being out sick. These and shortages of raw materials, components, finished goods, and MRO supplies makes it more difficult to get the job done. Many of us that have fought these and similar battles in supply chain the job isn’t done until its done.
The Supply Chain is a complicated entity which requires professionals to navigate the craziness we are currently in. It is not for the faint of heart. It’s funny, not too long ago when I was asked what I did and I responded “I’m a Supply Chain Director,” folks would give me a blank stare. Now, I receive the exact opposite reaction. When I tell them I also teach SCM their eyes light up even more as they want to find out what is going on and what we can do about it. Now, at least people know that we have a SCM problem that is impacting them in ways they have not had to deal with in the past. Empty shelves, late deliveries, and at times expedites and cancelations. With all that being said, I don’t expect that many of the people I talk to have any idea what we go through but that is OK, I don’t know what a surgeon goes through on a daily basis.
I believe I am rambling a bit so let me get to the meat and potatoes of my welcoming you into 2022. We, the board of directors of the New Haven Chapter of ASCM, want to remind you we have a complete solution to your supply chain educational requirements as we have a handful of very qualified instructors that can help you attain CPIM, CSCP and/or CLTD certified status. This group has nearly 100 years of teaching experience and close to 200 years of materials, purchasing, operations and supply chain management experience.
We, along with a number of other ASCM Chapters and Forums, and our local and state chapters of American Society for Quality (ASQ), continue to offer monthly professional development meetings (PDM) with many relevant topics to help with our continued knowledge. To date, we are still doing them through Zoom and hopefully we can get back to at least a hybrid offering sometime in 2022. I know it is so much better with in person meetings. Seeing, talking and bonding with like-minded individuals is always more stimulating in person. Plus, plant tours are a great opportunity to see how others help the economy.
On last thing, there are a handful of our current Board of Directors who have decided to drift onto, let’s say, semi-retirement from chapter responsibilities. With their requested reduction of duties leaves the remaining board with many important openings. As we often request and sometimes beg for folks to join us and help our chapter manage the responsibilities of a not for profit business, we again hope that there are some who will step up and help us maintain our professional association with ASCM, our members and all those that often join us for education, professional development and networking. Please contact me or any other BOD member if you are interested in checking out what is involved and/or would like to join our BOD. I have to admit, there is some work involved, it can be fun and it does provide those involved with a sense of running their own business. My email address is: jartimmons52@gmail.com
So, in closing, good luck in 2022 and please remember, we at the New Haven Chapter of ASCM welcome any opportunity to help support your professional experience.
Keep smiling.
Jim
