The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the entire landscape of learning. With online classes being the new normal in schools and colleges, there’s no shortage of certifications you can take from the comfort of your Home. There are perhaps hundreds of institutes that offer you a certification in a specific domain. But do any of these certifications make a real difference in the job application? We’ve reached out to recruiters and HR professionals to understand their perception and preference for Certifications that are specific to the Supply Chain Industry.
We found that Certifications will definitely make a difference, but not all certifications are equivalent. Here are some of the top certifications that recruiters prefer when they look out for candidates for jobs in the supply chain industry.
Top 5 SCM certifications
- IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS)
- APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional certification (CSCP)
- ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
- SCPro Certified from Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
- CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations
IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS)
The International Institute for Procurement and Market Research (IIPMR) is a premier consortium created by former employees from IBM, Apple, Walmart, Coca-Cola, HP and US Government. Their mission is to provide world-class supply chain education with a global perspective as well as a regional focus.
Although IIPMR is based out of Texas, USA, the online certifications offered by IIPMR are widely popular across the world with members from 75+ Countries. This is due to the fact CSCS Certification is valid for life time and includes training on the latest procurement software, tools and goes beyond the bookish knowledge by providing real-time case studies on all areas within SCM such as Procurement, Logistics, Warehousing, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain Risk, Procurement Intelligence and Inventory Management.
Usage of top procurement tools in the Industry such as SAP Ariba, Coupa, Oracle SCM, Easibuy, Precuro etc are taught in the CSCS Certification.
Eligibility: Any graduate with 1 year of work experience can signup for CSCS Certification
Duration: 2 Months
Methodology: Online Self-paced learning
Course Fee: $600
Exam Fee: The online exam is free for the first two attempts. There is an exam fee of $50 from the third attempt onward
Membership Fee: Membership to IIPMR is free of cost and valid for life time
Certificate Validity: The CSCS Certificate is valid for life time. There is no requirement to renew or re-certify in future. IIPMR provides life time updates free of cost.
The CSCS Certification from IIPMR is highly respected in the European Region. With clients such as Vodafone, Volvo, SAP, BMW, John Deere, UK Government, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Smith & Nephew, Volkswagen, Government of Switzerland, Deloitte and Amazon, the CSCS is the most preferred Certification by Recruiters in Europe.
In the European Region, IIPMR members are predominantly from United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, Finland, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Since there is no membership fee or renewal fee, the CSCS Certification is a good choice for anyone who is constantly seeking to update their skills and keen on gaining a globally recognized supply chain designation.
APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional certification (CSCP)
The American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) has members from 78 Countries and was recently renamed as Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). It offers a world renowned program called Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).
According to APICS, the CSCP Certification will help you to become an industry expert with specialized skills and to master the supply chain best practices.
Monty Boyle, a deployment specialist working for BP says that the CSCP Certification teaches you to look at supply chain from a broad perspective and focuses on planning, sourcing, manufacturing and delivering.
As per Bob Ferrarri, an industry analyst who owns the “Supply Chain Matters” website says “More and more companies today are seeking generalists—people with cross-functional knowledge, experience and skills,”
Rich Sherman who is the author of the book, Supply Chain Transformation: Practical Roadmap to Best Practice Results says that
“Supply chain management is evolving into a truly end-to-end process that synchronizes cross-functional activities and includes suppliers and customers. Employers want to have managers that not only have an understanding of the function they’re responsible for, but for how their processes interact with other functional processes and organizations. This is especially important as the person’s career moves forward and their responsibilities include more functions.”
Eligibility: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent with minimum 2 years of work experience
Duration: 6 Months
Methodology: Option to choose either Online Self-paced learning or Online Instructor led
Fee: $1380
Exam Fee: $965 per attempt
Membership Fee: $180 per year
Certificate Validity: The CSCP Certification is valid for 5 years after which re-certification is essential
ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
The Institute for Supply Management is one of the reputed organization that offers certifications in Supply Chain and Supplier Diversity.
The CPSM Certification can set you apart from your peers and help you to demonstrate your knowledge and focus on supply chain.
In order to earn the CPSM Designation, one is expected to pass 3 exams.
Eligibility: A bachelor’s degree with minimum 3 years of work experience
Duration: 4 Months
Methodology: Online Self-paced learning
Fee: $3370
Exam Fee: $379 per attempt
Membership Fee: $240 per year
Certificate Validity: The CPSM Certification is valid for 3 years.
SCPro Certified from Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is another top certifying body and focuses a lot of logistics & warehousing. It offers SCPro™ Certification that consist of three levels and deals with the entire gamut of supply chain.
Eligibility: A bachelor’s degree with minimum 3 years of work experience
Duration: 3 Months
Methodology: Online Self-paced learning
Fee: $1500
Exam Fee: $650 per attempt
Membership Fee: $325 per year
Certificate Validity: 2 years
CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) is based out of UK and offers Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain and Procurement. One of the oldest institutes in the UK, CIPS Certification hold tremendous value in the job market.
Although CIPS offers 7 levels of Certification, the level 3 called Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations is the most preferred by recruiters.
Eligibility: Any graduate. Work experience is not mandatory.
Duration: 6 to 8 Months
Methodology: Online Self-paced learning
Fee: $2115
Exam Fee: $96 per attempt
Membership Fee: $254 per year
Certificate Validity: 3 years
