Michael Murray ⋅ Saint Paul, MN U.S. Army Reserve, Captain ⋅ 11 years served

My first reaction is to hop on LinkedIn and Indeed, search the jobs you want and see which certs they're asking for. Also call some supply chain recruiters/head hunters and see what's hot right now. They're going to have the pulse of the market.

Christopher Gorham ⋅ Watertown, NY U.S. Army, Sergeant First Class ⋅ 23 years served

Hello Mike. I appreciate your response. The insight that you have provided will help me to narrow down my decision. Both certifications teach the concepts that you have mentioned but I believe the CSCP drills deeper into the specifics of end to end supply chain management. Also, thank you for your advice. As a service member I have l realized the importance of being a student of the world for a variety of reasons and that is something that I look forward to carrying over to civilian life. Becoming a "jack of all trades, master of none" has also been a life long lesson. I am sure these value-added qualities will become very useful once I employed in the near future. Thank you again for response and it has been my pleasure to serve.

Best Regards,

Christopher

Mike Cottell ⋅ Glen Head, NY Michael T Cottell Consulting ⋅ 42 years experience

Hi Christopher, while I cannot give you specific guidance on CSCP vs. CPIM, I can share with you some thoughts about what any business that brings product to market is challenged with today:
1) How to shorten the cycle from design concept through ship to consumer as tight as possible to be able to deliver trend right product that the customer wants on time, at the right cost and at the specified quality expectations.
2) How to maintain as small an inventory level as possible, often to serve a global customer base, but also not lose sales due to lack of inventory.
3) How to use technology to manage the entire process, especially the WIP ( work in process) to spot delays, demand shifts, inventory holes etc. and be able to make corrections.
4) How to accommodate large customer requests ( like major retailers) that increasingly want the manufacturer tp make the product floor ready with all ticketing and tags and to ship to many points of distribution, often individual stores.

Now, these are only 4 , high level thoughts, but you must be versed in:
a) Technology--try and learn every proven and emerging technology used to track the product cycle and inventory. You don't need to be an expert in all, just be aware of the big proven ones today and emerging concepts.
b) Whatever field you land in, learn the end to end cycle as quickly as you can. Again, you don't need to be an expert, just understand the business.
c) Learn how to quantify and focus on the " total " cost of the product. This includes any costs initially born by the customer , but ultimately passed back to the business.
d) Be a student of the world. If you are in apparel manufacturing , look to other firms like technology companies bringing phones to market. If you are in Aerospace, look to trend intensive businesses like the music industry for ideas. My point is, explore and look for ideas and opportunities in places that might not seem obvious, but could hold ideas for change.
e) Finally, reach out to the ACP advisor community and see if people are willing to talk with you in greater detail. I am a former SVP manufacturing and sourcing for a major apparel business and would be happy to talk to you over the phone.

Thank you for your service to our country Christopher, Good Luck to you!
Best Regards, Mike