Today marks the official rebranding of the now former APICS to the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).

In a September 2018 Supply Chain Matters blog commentary referencing our attendance at the APICS 2018 Annual Conference, we alerted and informed our readers to the decision to rebrand the APICS professional organization to the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). 

Our discussion with APICS Executives in September indicated that the announcement should be viewed as an acknowledgement that rapidlyASME Announced changing needs among multi business settings, and in overall needs in workforce development and readiness have taken on more C-level perspectives. Since that time, our newly released 2019 Predictions for Industry and Global Supply Chains include a prediction that needs for talent recruitment, development and retention will reach alarming stages possibly impacting ongoing initiatives.

Organizations of all kinds, and in varying industry settings, are now keen to the need to meet the challenges of the digital revolution in business. It implies that workforce skills preparedness and development, including the many facets of what is today’s supply chain management umbrella need to take on a combination of both top-down and bottom-up efforts.

The rebranding officially launched today with the introduction of a new web site.

ACSM is designed to provide more innovative products and services including a powerful global network of alliances and thought leadership collaborations, along with an on-demand ASCM Supply Chain Learning Center. APICS CEO Abe Eshkenazi pointed out that the history of APICS has often reflected the bottoms-up perspective for individuals taking on self-learning initiatives to broaden skills and competencies including recognized certification. ASCM represents a transition towards a blended organizational delivery model for supporting a particular business’s organizational-wide and individual supply chain process and skills development needs across multiple business process dimensions and training channels.

A review of the news www.ascm.org web site reflects the twofold focus on both Corporate Transformation and the Supply Chain Learning Center. ASCM includes its former diverse Board of Directors consisting of multi-industry supply chain leaders to drive strategic direction. Executive staff includes Abe Eshkenazi as CEO, Peter Bolstorff as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development along with five other former APICS executives.  Visitors will still be able to access the former APICS.org web site directly from the new web site.

Our readers should take note that in early 2019, we the formal launch of ASCM, the supply chain management professional landscape takes on a more competitive dimension.

Hopefully, this will all be to the benefit of existing and future supply chain management leaders, individuals and teams in their needs for continual skills development.

The professional development landscape remains an interesting area to watch in the coming months.

 

Bob Ferrari

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