In today’s volatile global business environment, supply chain resilience has become the defining factor separating industry leaders from laggards. Recognising this, many organisations are racing to invest in advanced technologies to gain a competitive advantage while failing at the fundamentals of supply chain management, according to supply chain industry body SAPICS.

“Entry level employees are often upskilled with soft skill courses and not education that focuses on their actual job descriptions and roles within their organisation, as well as the greater supply chain. They have no idea how important their roles are and where they fit into the circular framework of the supply chain,” says Claire Ambrose, director at IRM Supply Chain Training, a SAPICS Authorised Education Partner (AEP). “Once they understand this, they feel like they are part of something bigger and that their contribution counts towards total supply chain optimisation,” she asserts.

To ensure that individuals and organisations get the supply chain basics right from the start, Ambrose recommends SAPICS short courses. These programmes also offer new entrants to the field an understanding of the diverse career opportunities and varied paths available in the supply chain sphere. SAPICS first introduced its well-rounded short courses in 1982, with the SAPICS “Basic Stores & Stock Control” (BSSC) and “Principles Of Production & Inventory Management” (PPIM). The “Basics Of Manufacturing & Operations Management” (BMOM) was later added to the line-up.

“I recommend SAPICS short courses to my clients for their entry to medium level employees over any other educational offering as the content is the most relatable and industry relevant, and applicable for all personnel – from entry level to middle range employees - who are tasked with integral supply chain functions like demand planning.

“I am very familiar with competitor programmes that are accredited by the tertiary education department but would rather recommend the SAPICS programmes as they are higher quality, offer more concise content and are not as generalised,” Ambrose states.

The SAPICS BSSC course is aimed at warehouse employees, supervisors and managers. It promotes stores efficiency and sound management practices. The BMOM is a SAPICS course that offers a basic insight into production and inventory management systems and helps develop learners’ inter-departmental understanding and communication.

“The BSSC and BMOM courses make the entry level employees feel as if the course was specifically designed for them and it really does build confidence,” Ambrose says.

SAPICS’s PPIM course provides learners with a sound understanding and base knowledge from which to advance their studies in the field of operations management. Ambrose credits it with being a powerful career booster. “The PPIM is a brilliant planning programme and many learners achieve promotions after completing the PPIM. It gives them an understanding of all methodologies and best practises behind their very important planning and inventory control roles. Controlling and planning inventory is the backbone of any organisation and the PPIM gives a solid foundation for this.”

Ambrose reports seeing noticeable changes in students’ confidence in themselves and the practical application of their roles after completing the SAPICS short courses.

Organisations that have supported the programmes and reaped the benefits over the years include Mercedes Benz South Africa, Toyota, Plessey SA, Aspen Pharmacare, Transnet Rail Division, Transnet Harbours and Eskom. Ambrose and IRM ran a successful BSSC for Transnet earlier this year, with the students achieving a 100% pass rate. “We are currently mid-way through training with another group of 30 for the BSSC and 27 for the PPIM, and the students have had high praise for the programmes,” Ambrose concludes.