In this course, you will consider the many issues surrounding the key aspects of pay policy: legal requirements, pay equity within an organization, competitive pay within the relevant industry, how and when to grant raises, and different ways payment can be structured.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Comply with relevant state and federal 'wage and hour' laws
• Determine the competitive pay level for a particular position in a particular geographic location
• Discuss and administer a variety of pay structures
• Effectively confront issues of pay equity within an organization

In this course, you will learn about the process of selecting the best candidate from a large, diverse pool of high-quality applicants. Based on D. Quinn Mills' book, Principles of Human Resource Management, the course discusses how to conduct an effective job interview, asking questions that elicit relevant information and avoiding questions that might be seen as discriminatory. You will also consider how to discover more about a candidate through the use of reference checks, background checks, and testing.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Conduct an effective job interview
• Analyze a candidate pool and identify the most qualified candidate given a job description and requirements
• Decide what additional tests - if any -- should be administered to candidates for a specific job
• Deal productively and sensitively with internal candidates for a job opening

In this course you will learn about many of the major employment laws, Equal Opportunity issues, and the anti-discriminatory regulations employers must be aware of in hiring, promoting, and firing employees.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Explain the major employment and anti-discrimination laws
• Understand the basic steps to take in dealing with discrimination complaints
• Explain and assess issues around alternative work arrangements
• Outline ways to develop and maintain a diverse work-force

Human Resource Management includes the vital tasks of recruiting, screening, interviewing, training, appraising, disciplining, rewarding, and developing the employee -- both for business and non-profit enterprises.

Since all managers (especially line managers) have HR responsibilities, it is important that they have an understanding of the key concepts of this increasingly important function, especially since many decisions they make about employees have possible legal ramifications.

The course draws on material from Harvard Business School professor D. Quinn Mills' book, Principles of Human Resource Management.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Recognize and identify the key roles and responsibilities of the human resource management function
• Assess your attitude and your organization's attitude toward human resource management
• Recognize and define HRM's strategic contribution to an organization
• Recognize and define human resources terms
• Differentiate between the day-to-day functions of the HR department and the broader concepts of human resource management
• Recognize the relationship and partnership that exist between an organization's HR Department and its line managers and identify the key responsibilities of each
• Differentiate between the structure and reporting relationships of a centralized and decentralized human resources function
• List and identify the five areas of HRM Planning
• List the three roles that an HR department must fulfill to maintain the ethical standards of an organization
• Identify the key global issues and business practices that impact HRM

This course examines how to be a successful (that is, effective) leader. Based on D. Quinn Mills' book, Leadership: How to Lead, How to Live, a text used at Harvard Business School, this course asks the crucial questions about leadership in today's organizations: What is leadership and why is it important? What does effective leadership require? What is visionary leadership? What is the role of charisma? What is the difference between managing, administering, and leading?

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Define leadership and explain its importance
• Discuss some of the better-known leadership theories (Fiedler's contingency theory; Path-goal theory; Vroom-Yetton-Jago theory)
• Distinguish leadership from management and administration
• Explain the role of ethics in leadership
• Discuss the positives and negatives surrounding charismatic leadership
• Recognize the importance of training, learning, and role-playing in leadership
• Discuss the seven bases for leadership
• Explain why formal authority alone does not guarantee leadership
• Discuss the nine key qualities for leadership
• Identify the five central skills needed for effective leadership and explain ways to strengthen or develop those skills in a leader

This course addresses the question of work-life balance, one which is of great importance to leaders in all settings. Based on D. Quinn Mills' book, Leadership: How to Lead, How to Live, a text used at Harvard Business School, this course looks at methods and techniques to reconcile work and family. You will also consider the question of personal fulfillment and the needs and demands of leadership.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Identify the major sources of work-life balance conflict
• Discuss the myths about work-life balance - including the 'make time later,' division of labor, and 'quality time' myths
• Identify strategies to achieve balance, including balancing by week, over a year, and via a short career
• Recognize ways to maintain work-life balance
• Examine what defines personal fulfillment
• Identify those significant elements that play a role in a leader's life
• Identify nine ways of viewing life's choices
• Develop and complete a Personal Work-Life Balance Plan

Whether adopting new technology or adapting to a drastic shift in an organization's core focus, managers play a fundamental role in effecting changes. Based on D. Quinn Mills' book, Leadership: How to Lead, How to Live, a text used at Harvard Business School, this course addresses the key issues managers face in a dynamic environment. By understanding the steps in effecting change and how to overcome resistance, a manager can successfully lead change at various levels of an organization.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Discuss organizational change and the forms it can take
• Describe Kotter's Eight Step Process recommended for implementing change successfully
• Outline Lewin's model of change and discuss its limitations
• Identify the factors a leader or manager can employ to promote change
• Discuss the underpinnings of resistance to change and how to overcome it
• Describe the five-step ADKAR model for change management
• Discuss the three steps of the Cisco Change Roadmap
• Understand strategic change and mastering a changing environment

This course addresses the key issues surrounding leadership in a team. Why is it important? What does it require for a team leader to lead his team effectively? Based on D. Quinn Mills' book, Leadership: How to Lead, How to Live, a text used at Harvard Business School, this course considers how team leaders must account for the special and unique circumstances of working in a team, where responsibility, accountability, communication, and leadership are shared.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• List and identify the key characteristics and types of teams
• Recognize the benefits and challenges of empowered teams that leaders need to be aware of
• Identify differences in the primary and secondary roles filled by empowered teams and team leaders
• Recognize the key sources of motivation for empowered teams
• Explain Tuckman's model of team development
• Recognize the key qualities and skills of a team leader
• State the value of using the 'checklist for team leaders'
• Recognize and apply suggested approaches for managing conflict in teams
• Discuss the different approaches needed for leading virtual teams

This course considers the fundamentals of management and how managers can be effective in organizational settings. Based on D. Quinn Mills' book, Principles of Management, a text used at Harvard Business School, this course addresses managing in the modern organization.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Define the role of management and managers in an organization
• Distinguish between management, leadership, and administration in theory and in practice
• Explain the three general management styles (authoritarian, participative, and empowerment) and their respective uses
• Identify your views on hierarchy and management
• Understand the roles of individual contributors and managers and how they differ
• Identify your own approach toward managing (including personal effectiveness and enjoyment)

To be successful and move ahead in his or her career, a manager must understand how to manage people, including motivating workers and coordinating their activities. This course will explain how the goals, empowerment, measurement system of management can be employed and how organization structures differ. The course will also cover the difficulty of discipline while trying to maintain momentum.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Understand your own attitudes toward empowering management
• Explain how a GEM (goals, empowerment, measurement) approach to managing works in practice
• Describe the major organizational structures and the differences between them
• Explain the different factors that motivate workers and how a manager can use them to improve employee performance
• Discuss the challenges of discipline and how a manager should deal with such situations
• Identify the defining characteristics, benefits, and unique challenges of empowered teams

This course considers the different elements of performance management. In its broadest sense, 'performance management' is what every good manager does every day: Makes sure employees know what they need to do to achieve the organization's goals, checks to make sure the employees are doing those things, praises employees for doing the right things, and uses constructive criticism when that is not the case. A formal performance management system simply makes sure all those management tasks get done consistently across an organization.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Explain the value of a performance management system
• Discuss the pros and cons of various types of performance management systems
• Conduct a performance management interview
• Design a performance improvement plan

The goal of this course is to provide an overview of project management, then show how project management could be used in procurement situations in the complex areas such a capital equipment, outsourcing, and services. Participants would use these examples as templates to what they are doing in the workplace.

Drawing on material from Harvard Business School professor D. Quinn Mills' book, Principles of Human Resource Management, this course covers the challenges and issues that organizations face in developing and retaining their employees.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Understand and effectively communicate the value of a career development program
• Describe the five stages in the career life cycle (Beginning, Developing, Mid-Career, Mastery and Maintenance, Retirement), and the needs an employee has at each stage of the cycle
• Explain why career management has become important to employers and employees
• Outline the tools for career development (training, education, job rotation, transfers, overseas assignments, mentoring, networking, volunteer work, formal career planning)
• Understand the issues HR departments face with career management

One of the more precious resources a manager has is his or her time. Managers can become more effective by employing time management and scheduling techniques, delegating, outsourcing key tasks, and employing technology. Effective time management helps managers achieve their goals.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• State the key outcomes and goals of effective time management
• Assess your attitudes about your relationship to time and time management
• Employ a time log in ascertaining how you spend your time
• Recognize the common causes of procrastination and identify ways to eliminate your own procrastination
• List the key attributes of effective (SMART) goals and recognize the importance of establishing personal and professional goals
• Identify the key principles of time management (organization, prioritization, and planning) and some common methods for prioritizing tasks (ABC Method and the Eisenhower Method)
• Identify the value and purpose of common time management tools, including scheduling systems (activity logs, action plans, to do lists)
• Differentiate key characteristics of Action Plans and Task Lists
• Identify the steps in the delegation process and recognize guidelines for appropriate task delegation
• Identify strategies for handling daily tasks and distractions, such as e-mail, phone calls, and other interruptions
• List the guidelines for planning effective meetings

Shift the balance of power between sourcing and supplier in your favor. This course provides a structured approach to analyzing supplier cost structures and how to apply this knowledge for tactical and strategic advantage. You will also learn elements of a Purchase Price Cost Analysis (PPCA), and how it is used to analyze supplier costs versus the selling price.

Learn to differentiate between cost and price. Recognize when to use cost analysis for assessing the reasonableness of price. Expand your understanding of the role of cost in determining price. Examine elements of the cost analysis process. Explore supplemental tools of cost analysis. Analyze and review a case study in the application of cost analysis.

This course is designed to assist new and experienced supply management professionals to perform tasks more strategically and efficiently. Topics covered in this course include: understanding financial principles, identifying process mapping opportunities, managing differences between value analysis (VA) and value engineering (VE) projects, identifying and applying forecasting methods, and seven tools for improving operations and supply or value chain efficiencies.

The goal of total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis is to develop an understanding of your true costs of doing business, so these costs can be understood, managed, and non-value costs can be reduced or eliminated. The total cost of ownership approach combines the value you want with understanding the true cost of what is being purchased. It does not necessarily advocate buying whatever is cheapest. Rather, it encourages you to clearly specify what you are looking for, and then determine the best overall value that meets your needs.

Value analysis (VA) and value engineering (VE) have a significant amount of application to supply professionals who need to remain competitive by increasing the ultimate value of the final product to the end customer. Value analysis and a companion technique called value engineering are structured processes for idea generation and evaluation that are used to identify lower-cost product and service designs. This ultimately leads to increased process efficiencies and reduced costs.

Learn the Pace© lifecycle theory of price and cost evolution. This course will give you tools to analyze the dynamics and forces driving your supply markets and provide ways to lower your total cost for purchased goods and services.

How can you tell if prices are fair, reasonable and competitive? Price Analysis is designed to help you understand and apply price analysis methodologies. These include comparative and price list analysis, and the distinction between price analysis, cost analysis and methods for assessing price competitiveness.

Learn to powerfully impact the bottom-line by selecting the best analysis - price, cost, or total cost of ownership. Then, complete the case study which will walk you through the decision-making process step-by-step.

Learn to differentiate between price and cost and when to use price analysis for determining the reasonableness of price. Expand your understanding of pricing theory and the competitive process. Learn when competitive bidding works well and when it doesn't. Explore the hierarchy and techniques of price analysis and what it means to obtain a 'fair and reasonable price.' Finally, review four supplementary tools of price analysis.

This one-hour Online Self-Study introduces concepts, terms, and procedures that provide a basic understanding of financial fundamentals. An understanding of financial information, reporting, and analysis is important because management and other stakeholders frequently use financial information to evaluate the performance of the organization, functions within the organization, and projects.

This course considers practical finance and accounting tools for decision-making within organizations. You will learn about cost benefit analysis, return on investment (ROI), fixed and variable costs, breakeven and CVP (cost-volume-profit) analysis, tracking and performance measures, and the Balanced Scorecard and its varied uses.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Explain cost benefit analysis
• Calculate return on investment and the payback period
• Explain fixed and variable costs
• Calculate breakeven and understand CVP (cost-volume-profit) analysis
• Explain tracking and performance measures
• Explain and calculate Balanced Scorecard measures

This course covers financial reports and their meaning. You will learn the fundamentals and important of the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows, and how they can be used to manage a business. You will also be exposed to financial (ratio) analysis.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Identify and describe the documents and financial statements included in an organization's financial report
• Itemize and interpret the information in the income statement, balance sheet, statement of changes in shareholders' equity, and statement of cash flows
• Correctly state the impact of specific business activities on cash flow
• Define financial (ratio) analysis and explain its objectives and limitations
• Identify the various types and categories of financial ratios
• Perform calculations using financial ratios

This course will introduce you to the importance of statistics in the business world. Statistics is the science of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data in order to make more effective decisions. Understanding statistical techniques can help any manager responsible for marketing, management, accounting, sales, or other business functions.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Differentiate between descriptive and inferential statistics
• Distinguish between the 4 different scales of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio
• Identify the appropriate graphical or tabular method for presenting your data
• Create frequency distributions
• Create meaningful presentations and graphs including:
  • frequency polygons
  • bar graphs
  • pie charts
  • line graphs
  • histograms
• Calculate probability and explain its practical application
• Compute the mode, median, and mean of a dataset
• Calculate the variance and standard deviation of a dataset
• Interpret sampling with and without replacement
• Explain the significance of the area under a curve

This course introduces the discipline of finance in an organizational setting. Among the basics covered: responsibilities of financial managers; roles of finance in a typical business organization; legal forms of businesses; agency relationships; and relevant financial markets of interest to financial managers. Further you will explore the five principles that form the foundation of financial management and you will understand the non-financial manager's impact on, and role in, the finance function.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Identify and differentiate the three most common types of business organizations and the structure of each
• State the fundamental objectives of a corporation and the differences between wealth and profit maximization
• Recognize the impact of social and ethical responsibility on business
• Identify and describe the structure and functions of the finance department within an organization
• Define the principal-agent relationship and strategies for overcoming the conflicts of interest and motivating managers
• List and define the five key principles that form the foundation of financial management
• Recognize and define the five key financial markets
• Identify the sources, rules, and life-cycle stages of corporate financing
• Describe the function of the stock market and the three trading venues it utilizes
• Recognize the factors related to interest rate determination and the impact of interest on an organization

Learn how ISM's Report on Business is created, how to read it, what all the indexes mean, where the data comes from, and how to apply the data to your supply chain plan.

Learn how to plan a supplier financial analysis including data gathering strategies. Beginning with an introduction to supplier financial analysis, the course focuses on the use of analytic strategies to identify key financial assessments, determine information needed and identify sources of information.

Understand how ratio analysis is used in a supplier financial analysis. This course will help you understand how to apply these concepts to a supplier financial statement. The course also addresses the use of relevant and key financial ratios, descriptions, calculations and their meanings.

This course provides an overview of the service profit chain and illustrates the link between employees and revenue growth. Also presented are the key components and enablers of service excellence: characteristics of service attributes�particularly reliability and responsiveness�and a discussion regarding developing a differentiating service culture.

This course covers time value of money (TVM) principles and risk and return. You will review the basic TVM techniques used in evaluating all financial decisions and their cash flow implications. For Risk and Return, you will learn how risk influences investment decisions, and how to calculate risk and rates of return. Further, you will explore the benefits of diversification and the use of the portfolio concept in investing.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Distinguish between points in time and periods of time as shown by a time line
• Define compounding and discounting
• Compute future value or present value for single payment amounts
• Distinguish between single payments and streams of payments and between uneven streams and annuities
• Solve for the interest rate or time period for simple present value and future value problems
• Define risk
• Describe how risk influences investment decisions
• Calculate risk and rates of return
• Describe how diversification can limit risk
• Explain how diversifiable risk can be lowered using a portfolio approach

This course covers budgets and how they are used in organizational settings. You will gain an understanding of the uses and functions of master budgets, operating budgets, sales, production and cost of goods sold budgets, and cash budgets. You will also learn how organizations are using different budgeting techniques to deal with operating challenges.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Recognize the uses and functions of budgeting
• Recognize the key activities, considerations, and benefits of strategic organizational planning
• Recognize the purpose and make-up of a master budget
• Identify the components and calculations used to create a master budget and recognize uses for this information
• Identify the components and purpose of an operating budget
• Recognize how sales, production, and cost of goods sold budgets are created and perform related calculations
• Recognize the purpose of cash budgets and how they are prepared
• Identify ways the budget process can be managed for optimal results and recognize the benefits and limitations of the management-by-objective system

This course provides supply professionals with a global sourcing process and various tools to guide a global sourcing initiative. Participants will focus on the Five-phase sourcing process adapted to global sourcing and elements within a global sourcing analysis.

Global sourcing comes with many different risks and challenges, yet opportunities abound. This introductory course is designed to help supply professionals understand the concepts of global sourcing, associated risks, motivations, complexities, barriers and cost drivers.

This course was developed through a partnership between the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). This first program will help participants: 1. Understand commercial procurement 'best practices' 2. Compare and contrast commercial practices with government practices 3. Share a team appreciation for how the integration of commercial procurement 'best practices' into government procurements can improve the productivity of the integrated procurement team.

This educational opportunity challenges learners to participate proactively in the planning, development, and execution of a performance-based service acquisition (PBSA). Performance-Based Service Acquisition is a major initiative of the Federal Government. This initiative is intended to bring about practical acquisition reform throughout the Federal Establishment.

This course covers the body of law that allows supply professionals to do their jobs without incurring personal liability. It discusses the basic principal-agent relationship, the rights and obligations of the parties in that relationship, and how the supply professional can best protect that relationship and thus avoid personal liability.

Antitrust law is of critical importance to those in supply management. This course describes the four antitrust laws and discusses the specific activities potentially affected by each.

This online course is designed for experienced purchasing and supply management professionals who desire to increase their skills and knowledge of how to analyze and draft various types of contracts. Participants should have fundamental knowledge of business contracts, purchasing law, and the UCC prior to attending this class. You will learn how to analyze various types of contracts, including capital equipment, services, design work, construction, etc., and how to protect your organization from common contract pitfalls. Participants in this course will broaden and strengthen their overall contract-writing capability.

The courses in this program focus on various aspects of contract law and their application to the supply management function.

#3944-1 — Basics of Contract Formation
The common law, the Uniform Commercial Code and the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) all have something to say about contract formation. This course is all about what it takes to create a legally enforceable contract — offer, acceptance, consideration, lawful purpose and competent parties.

#3944-2 — Contracting Formalities
Even after the basic requirements of contract formation have been met, the law sometimes imposes additional conditions before a contract can be enforced. This course discusses when law requires written documentation of a contract as well as several concepts related to the actual contents of a contract, both within and outside of any written documentation.

#3944-3 — Legal Ramifications of Electronic Commerce
The advent of electronic methods of communication has substantially changed the way we exchange information, and the law has lad to accommodate this change. This course discusses the legal issues that can arise from the use of electronic commerce as well as the laws adopted to address these issues.

#3944-4 — Other Contracting Considerations
This course covers various "e;defenses"e; that may arise during the formation of a contract and may be used by one party to avoid the enforcement of a contract even when it looks as though all the requirements of contracting have been met. The course also addresses two somewhat unique contracting situations — term contracts and contracts with independent contractors.

Once a legally enforceable contract has been formed, it imposes certain obligations on the contracting parties. This course explores the obligations that are established, either by law or contract language, when parties enter into a contractual relationship.

The courses in this program address what happens after a contract has been formed � each party's respective responsibilities for performance of the contract, non-performance and its right to legal remedies if the other party breaches the contract.

#3945-1 � Contract Obligations
Once a legally enforceable contract has been formed, it imposes certain obligations on the contracting parties. This course explores the obligations that are established, either by law or contract language, when parties enter into a contractual relationship.

#3945-2 � Warranties and Product Liability
Warranties may be a part of the obligations of a supplier of either goods or services as a result of law or contract language. This course addresses the concept of warranty and its legal sources. The course also covers product liability and its relationship to warranties as well as important considerations for the supply professional with regard to product liability.

#3945-3 � Termination of Contracts and Excuses for Non-Performance
This course addresses contracting parties� ability to end the contract before it is fully performed, either by law or contract language. It also covers a variety of legal defenses that may excuse a party�s non-performance of a valid contract or prevent the enforcement of such a contract through the court system.

#3945-4 � Remedies for Breach of Contract
The value of establishing a legally enforceable contract is that it allows an injured party to recover money damages or other relief if the contract is breached. This course discusses the concept of breach of contract and the remedies available to the non-breaching party, including remedies arising either by law or contract language. It also addresses the use of limitation of liability clauses and the use of indemnification clauses to protect either the purchasing organization and/or the supplier.

Even after the basic requirements of contract formation have been met, the law sometimes imposes additional conditions before a contract can be enforced. This course discusses when law requires written documentation of a contract as well as several concepts related to the actual contents of a contract, both within and outside of any written documentation.

This course covers the US legal system, including the distinctions between criminal and civil law, the relationship between federal and state law, and the concept of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). It also addresses the laws that affect supply management most directly � contract law as reflected in the common law, the Uniform Commercial Code, and the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) � as well as a number of federal laws that may come into play with some contracts.

Many transactions between contracting parties in the commercial setting involve issues surrounding intellectual property (IP). This course provides a basic tutorial of IP law, including discussion of the three types of IP and how each is protected under the law.

The courses in this program are intended to give those in supply management an overview of how the U.S. legal system and various laws and legal principles affect their day-to-day job responsibilities.

#3943-1 � How the US Legal System Affects Supply Management
This course covers the US legal system, including the distinctions between criminal and civil law, the relationship between federal and state law, and the concept of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). It also addresses the laws that affect supply management most directly � contract law as reflected in the common law, the Uniform Commercial Code, and the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) � as well as a number of federal laws that may come into play with some contracts.

#3943-2 � Agency Law
This course covers the body of law that allows supply professionals to do their jobs without incurring personal liability. It discusses the basic principal-agent relationship, the rights and obligations of the parties in that relationship, and how the supply professional can best protect that relationship and thus avoid personal liability.

#3943-3 � Intellectual Property Law
Many transactions between contracting parties in the commercial setting involve issues surrounding intellectual property (IP). This course provides a basic tutorial of IP law, including discussion of the three types of IP and how each is protected under the law.

#3943-4 � Antitrust Law
Antitrust law is of critical importance to those in supply management. This course describes the four antitrust laws and discusses the specific activities potentially affected by each.

The advent of electronic methods of communication has substantially changed the way we exchange information, and the law has lad to accommodate this change. This course discusses the legal issues that can arise from the use of electronic commerce as well as the laws adopted to address these issues.

This course covers various "e;defenses"e; that may arise during the formation of a contract and may be used by one party to avoid the enforcement of a contract even when it looks as though all the requirements of contracting have been met. The course also addresses two somewhat unique contracting situations � term contracts and contracts with independent contractors.

The value of establishing a legally enforceable contract is that it allows an injured party to recover money damages or other relief if the contract is breached. This course discusses the concept of breach of contract and the remedies available to the non-breaching party, including remedies arising either by law or contract language. It also addresses the use of limitation of liability clauses and the use of indemnification clauses to protect either the purchasing organization and/or the supplier.

This course addresses contracting parties� ability to end the contract before it is fully performed, either by law or contract language. It also covers a variety of legal defenses that may excuse a party�s non-performance of a valid contract or prevent the enforcement of such a contract through the court system.

The common law, the Uniform Commercial Code and the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) all have something to say about contract formation. This course is all about what it takes to create a legally enforceable contract � offer, acceptance, consideration, lawful purpose and competent parties.

Warranties may be a part of the obligations of a supplier of either goods or services as a result of law or contract language. This course addresses the concept of warranty and its legal sources. The course also covers product liability and its relationship to warranties as well as important considerations for the supply professional with regard to product liability.

Recent trends in economic globalization have increased the importance of global logistics capabilities. Companies that once focused on shortening the supply chain, are now seizing opportunities in global markets and producing and sourcing offshore, creating long and less flexible supply chains. Subsequently, these supply chains rely heavily upon effective global logistics processes.

This course introduces key issues and requirements in global logistics. Methods for entering foreign markets, shipping internationally, and doing business globally are presented and evaluated based on their associated risk.

By completing this course, the learner will have a better understanding of the complexity of global logistics processes.

This Expert On Demand course highlights the relationship between transportation and supply chain management, focusing on how the strategies of each relate. Discussed first in this course is supply chain and logistics management, in order to provide a proper perspective and element background for looking at how transportation strategy is integrated with supply chain strategy. The course then covers the topic of transportation management strategy – what are some of the major areas of strategic interest and concern to those managing transportation activities? Next, the training highlights the third party logistic industry. Finally, the course covers information technology capabilities, along with tips and key ideas toward the objective of leveraging transportation to supply chain success.

This bundled program includes three courses related to Logistics.

• Integrating Transportation Strategy with Supply Chain Strategy (#TRN101) EOD
• Physical Distribution Systems (#APX818) EOD
• Global Logistics Fundamentals (#TRN430) EOD

Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, security has become a focus of local, national and international governments. This course will examine foreseeable threats, security within the intermodal transportation supply chain context, and security activities that are currently underway.

This bundled program includes four courses related to Transportation (TRAN).

• Transportation Activity Based Costing (#TRN502) OSS
• Transportation Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (#TRN504) OSS
• Transportation Routing and Scheduling (#TRN410) OSS
• Transportation Scorecarding/Carrier Evaluation(#TRN501) OSS

During this two-hour Online Self-Study you will learn about activity based costing within the transportation field. You will gain valuable insights into the purpose, design, and use of ABC methods. In order to reap its benefits, you need to understand the ABC approach. The first topic of the training course will provide some general background information on ABC – its purpose, unique features, applications, and benefits.

This course covers methods of measuring performance within the area of transportation operations.

Effective transportation routing and scheduling can have a huge impact on customer satisfaction, supply chain performance, and organizational success. This Online Self-Study explains how managers can best get raw materials, production parts, and finished goods to their intended destination efficiently and effectively.

Transportation performance scorecarding is the process by which companies develop and maintain key reports on the cost and quality of the services rendered by their external carrier base. These key reports, called carrier scorecards, provide an ongoing evaluation of a transportation provider's ability to meet key customer requirements (e.g., damage rates, on-time delivery percentages, billing accuracy, etc.).

In this two-hour Online Self-Study, capacity management is discussed. Capacity management is the function of planning, establishing, measuring, monitoring, and adjusting levels of capacity so that sufficient capacity is available to permit execution of the manufacturing schedules.

Because the production plan sets the limits for the lower level processes, it must be feasible with the current and planned resources if those plans are to be feasible. The methods used to develop and validate the production plan and to measure performance must be consistent with the business choices that the firm has made. Those methods and choices are explored in this course.

Much of the Japanese success in international markets has been the result of the adoption of Just-In-Time (JIT), a concept first introduced by the Toyota Motor Corporation. JIT is a total manufacturing system encompassing product design, equipment selection, materials management, quality assurance, line layout, job design, and productivity improvement. The Toyota Production System was developed over a period of 20 years and led to higher quality, lower cost, and substantially less labor time per vehicle than was achieved by Toyota's international competitors.

This two-hour Online Self-Study explores the business conditions and requirements that led to the MRP II architecture development and the characteristics of that architecture. It also covers the components of MRP II and the linkages among them that ensure that the plans developed are consistent and attainable.

This bundled program includes three courses related to Manufacturing Sales and Operations Planning (MSOP).

• Sales and Operations Planning Concepts (#MFG107) EOD
• Sales and Operations Planning Management Considerations (#APX825) OSS
• Sales and Operations Planning Process (#MFG108) OSS

In learning the negotiation process there are studies that go beyond the basic learning of the stages and how to execute them. These topics provide the learner with additional knowledge that will allow them to advance their implementation of the process to a higher level. Subjects include negotiation styles and why they are important, how you use a BATNA to your greatest advantage, how you handle difficult situations and difficult people and how you deal with strategic relationships and cultural issues.

Negotiation is a process, not an event. It consists of many steps or stages. Each one has its own critical importance and all are relevant to the overall success of those involved. This course touches on all of them and focuses on the preparation required, the key elements in every negotiation, the management of the actual meetings and the completion phase.

The ability to write clearly and directly is highly prized in organizations. This course focuses on improving business writing. The ideas, techniques, and checklists in this course apply to all forms of business writing: memos, reports, brochures, proposals, presentations, catalogs, and websites. Other topics include formal and informal outlining techniques, how to revise for wordiness, unnecessary phrases, redundancy, and jargon, and the appropriate use of email in an organizational setting.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Recognize the difference between ineffective and effective writing
• List and define the four major factors of effective writing (clarity, tone, organization, and delivery)
• Recognize the role of the audience in effective communication and the importance of understanding an audience's needs
• Employ formal and informal outlining techniques
• List and recognize techniques for overcoming writer's block
• Recognize the importance and dangers of writing quickly
• Revise for wordiness, unnecessary phrases, redundancy, and jargon
• Write more effective emails and recognize the appropriate use of email in an organizational setting
• Employ checklists for organizing, writing, and revising

The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is increasingly important in organizational settings. This course helps learners organize, structure, and create effective presentations. Since many organizations use PowerPoint as a way of communicating information, this course offers advice and guidance on the most effective and persuasive uses of PowerPoint.

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

• Recognize what makes communication effective
• Understand the elements in the communications process
• Organize your communications and presentations
• Understand PowerPoint graphic rules of thumb
• Create an effective summary slide
• Describe and employ the four steps of purposeful communication in your presentations.
• Understand the forecast, present, and echo structure for presentations.
• Recognize key visual considerations for PowerPoint slides and presentations.
• Understand how to organize and create PowerPoint presentations.
• Revise PowerPoint slides to make them more effective.
• Understand the success factors for face-to-face presentations.

This course is an introduction to the importance of critical thinking in the business world. Critical thinking is an intellectual model for reasoning through issues to reach well-founded conclusions about them. Asking questions is at the heart of critical thinking.

This program is designed to help learners define and identify critical thinking and reasoning skills and develop those skills.

After completing this set of modules, you will be able to:

• Define critical thinking, reasoning, and logic
• Ask appropriate questions for critical thinking
• Understand the process of systemic problem-solving
• Identify and overcome barriers to critical thinking
• Articulate common reasoning fallacies
• Understand critical thinking as it pertains to the workplace

The ISM Career Center online course #3964 was developed as a precursor for individuals who want more information about the Career Center before accessing ISM's web site. The Career Center online course also offers online help and detailed explanations of how the Career Center works.

This course addresses Personal Creativity. Through tools and exercises drawn from Adrian Brown's book, Creativity & Innovation, it seeks to help unlock the creativity within individuals.

By stimulating creativity through various techniques (mind-mapping, DO-IT, SCAMPER, right and left brain thinking) participants learn to tap into their personal creativity and apply it to organizational challenges.

After completing this Course, you should be able to:

• Describe the basis of personal creativity
• Explain the uses of creative tools
• Distinguish between vertical and lateral thinking
• Employ creative tools like SCAMPER, random input, mind mapping, and DO IT
• Describe the key characteristics of personal creativity
• Assess the issues surrounding measuring creativity

This Expert On Demand provides an overview of what advanced MRO management entails, explores strategies and approaches for managing MRO and suppliers, and focuses on ways to measure effectiveness and improvements.

Inventory, in most fulfillment systems, is the second largest expense next to transportation. Not only does inventory account for significant operating expenses (such as insurance, labor, storage space, etc.), it also involves a considerable 'investment,' which could be spent in almost any other endeavor undertaken by a company. This training course investigates what inventory is, how it should be most effectively used to maintain a satisfied customer base and at the same time reduce costs/free up money for other initiatives, what the specific processes and analyses involved in inventory management are, and what the future holds for inventory management (new technology, supply chain relationships, etc.).

This course establishes a baseline for traditional MRO management while exploring the dramatic impact of technology, from the Internet to outsourcing. Learn auditing and measurement techniques from industry and government best practice examples and identify service improvement opportunities, and direct and administrative cost reduction strategies. Examine new trends resulting from the changing roles of distributors and original equipment manufacturers, and the emerging strategies of Third Party Providers. Finish the course with insight to the methods that are being used successfully by innovative enterprises to accomplish savings.

In this two-hour Online Self-Study, demand management is addressed. This course will give you an understanding of a variety of concepts and techniques associated with demand management, which is one of the most critical areas of supply chain management. Every business, regardless of size or industry, must continually attempt to understand the future demand of its customers.

This Online Self-Study covers the topic of demand forecasting. Every organization prepares multiple forecasts for many different uses from sizing the market for a totally new product to determining how many units of an item to stock at a specific location.

This Simulation will give you the opportunity to practice and apply forecasting techniques and principles. Within this forecasting simulation, you're asked to assume the role of a forecaster. Using the data provided within each of the problems in this forecasting simulation, you'll need to create one or more forecasts as specified.

This bundled program includes three courses related to Forecasting: Concepts and Techniques (FCAT).

• Forecasting Demand (#APX821) OSS
• Demand Mangement (#APX810)
• Measuring Forecast Error & Variability (#INV201) OSS

This bundled program includes three courses related to Inventory Control and Management (ICAM).

• Basic Inventory Concepts (#INV101) OSS
• Physical Inventory Control (#INV103) OSS
• Symptoms of Poor Inventory Management (#INV102) OSS

This one-hour Online Self-Study introduces concepts, terms, and procedures that provide a basic understanding of financial fundamentals. An understanding of financial information, reporting, and analysis is important because management and other stakeholders frequently use financial information to evaluate the performance of the organization, functions within the organization, and projects.

This one-hour Online Self-Study introduces users to the fundamentals of inventory. It discusses how to classify inventory, as well as how to determine the level of control necessary for inventory items.

This course covers the topics of variability and error in forecasting. In every area of the supply chain management, we face variability and uncertainty. Variability in any part of the supply chain drives up cost and erodes our ability to serve customers. To control and manage variability, it must first be able to be measured. This course examines the concept of variability and describes graphical and statistical approaches to measuring it.

In this course you learn the typical modes of contracting MRO products including annual contracts, blanket purchase orders, systems contracts and procurement cards.

This course is designed for anyone who deals with production planning or with MRP and who should be aware of potential problems and pitfalls with its use. It also serves as an introduction to MRP for those who have not been exposed to this important tool.

This two-hour Online Self-Study course is designed to introduce the key concepts in managing physical inventory in any environment.

In this two-hour Online Self-Study, reverse logistics and returns management are described. Reverse logistics can be defined as 'the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal.'

The sales and operations planning process transforms the strategic and business plans into tactical plans that serve management as a game plan to achieve competitive advantage and meet the business objectives. This game plan integrates customer-focused marketing plans for both existing and new products with management of the supply chain for those products. The processes integrate the marketing, sales, development, sourcing, manufacturing, and financial plans into the organization's game plan.

Senior management must be involved in many decisions regarding the sales and operations planning process. They also have a critical role in the ongoing execution of the processes. This course explores the management considerations in establishing and operating the sales and operations planning process. The need for individual commitment and consensus decision-making is explored. Then specific decisions related to the design and management of the process are explored.

In this class, users learn about the five primary steps in the sales and operations planning process: 1. Preparation of month-end reports, 2. Demand planning, 3. Supply planning, 4. Pre-SOP meeting, 5. Executive S&OP meeting.

Users will also learn the inputs, tasks, and outputs needed in each step to effectively implement and maintain sales and operations planning processes.

This Online Self-Study focuses on the four areas of a company where inventory management problems typically occur: Customer Service, Inventory Control, Transportation, Store/Warehouse Operations.

It discusses how to identify problems, what the root causes of those problems are, and how to begin solving inventory management problems.

This online course will discuss each of the following types of warehousing: Overflow, Distribution, Retail, Fulfillment, Bulk, Replacement parts, Reverse logistics, Temperature controlled, Hazmat, Household goods.

The distinct operating requirements of each will be considered, in terms of labor management, warehouse processes, and warehouse technology.

This course will give you the background and tools necessary to evaluate the performance of a warehouse and the functions involved within the facility.The training course will discuss how some of the answers to these questions will vary depending on the type of warehouse operation and management goals. The course will start by explaining the major functions of warehousing, such as storage and shipping. It will then discuss performance measures and how these can be used for each function of warehousing. Finally, it will describe how to evaluate these measurements and achieve better efficiency and effectiveness in each warehouse function.

In this two-hour Online Self-Study, the elements of product and process design are highlighted. This course addresses important elements of product and process design and the basic data used to support the planning and control of operations.

This course is designed as a review for current C.P.M. holders as part of their preparation for taking the Bridge Exam. It is intended to enable candidates to assess the knowledge they have acquired through education and experience against the content areas covered by the Bridge Exam. It is not intended for those planning to take the full CPSM® or CSM™ Exam. In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® and CSM™ programs and of the breadth of content covered in the CPSM® and CSM™ Exam. The course contains content for all tasks for the Bridge Exam. Content for this course includes CPSM® and CSM™ Exam Specification exam outlines, CPSM® and CSM™ study guide materials in an electronic format, question format and types and supplemental content developed by content experts. This supplemental content will provide candidates additional content for those tasks that may have more questions on the exam.

The CPSD™ Online Review Course is for candidates who are preparing for the CPSD™ Exam. This online review course is designed to help those with supplier diversity responsibilities prepare for the CPSD™ Exam with resources articles, case studies and supplemental content developed by subject-matter experts.

The CPSM® and CSM™ Exam 1 Online Course is for candidates who are preparing for the CPSM® and CSM™ Exam 1. Participants get an in-depth review and assessment of the material in the CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide by tailoring their course to their specific study needs. In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® and CSM™ programs and of the breadth of content covered in the CPSM® and CSM™ Exams.

The course includes an electronic CPSM® and CSM™ Exam Specification exam outline, CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide materials, sample test questions, case studies and bonus supplemental content developed by subject-matter experts.

The CPSM® and CSM™ Exam 2 Online Course is for candidates who are preparing for the CPSM® and CSM™ Exam 2. Participants get an in-depth review and assessment of the material in the CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide by tailoring their course to their specific study needs. In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® and CSM™ program and of the breadth of content covered in the CPSM® and CSM™ Exams.

The course includes an electronic CPSM® and CSM™ Exam Specification exam outline, CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide materials, sample test questions, case studies and bonus supplemental content developed by subject-matter experts.

The CPSM® and CSM™ Exam 3 Online Course is for candidates who are preparing for the CPSM® and CSM™ Exam 3. Participants get an in-depth review and assessment of the material in the CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide by tailoring their course to their specific study needs. In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® and CSM™ program and of the breadth of content covered in the CPSM® and CSM™ Exams.

The course includes an electronic CPSM® and CSM™ Exam Specification exam outline, CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide materials, sample test questions, case studies and bonus supplemental content developed by subject-matter experts.

Interested in teaching CPSM® and CSM™ preparation and review courses? ISM has developed CPSM® and CSM™ training materials ('courseware') for you to use in designing and teaching CPSM® and CSM™ review courses. The courseware includes all teaching preparation and materials you can copy and use as is when developing and delivering CPSM® and CSM™ review programs. This program reviews CPSM® and CSM™ Exam development, the CPSM® and CSM™ Exam specs, review questions, case studies (with questions, answers, rationale and teaching notes) and sample questions for each task. Note: The CPSM® and CSM™ Study Guide and computer are required.

Global competition makes continuous quality improvement a prime business imperative. Ignoring quality or maintaining an existing quality system can negatively affect an organization's competitive position. Not only does this mean ensuring that products and services are delivered to customers that meet their expectations, but it also means that the processes leading to their manufacture and mobilization are sound to the point of not producing output that has quality problems in the first place.

In this course you will review the components which are typically defined in a specification, the different types of specifications, and the pros and cons of each type. In addition, you learn the importance of defining the product or service specification with a focus on defining the performance characteristics. Effective ways of measuring and communicating specifications are also presented as a critical aspect of the specification process. Finally, you review how certification programs can recognize exceptional suppliers who have demonstrated a clear commitment to value-add and continuous improvement.

Conducting a supplier site visit is an excellent way for supply managers and their team to gain a better understanding of a supplier's size, capabilities, corporate goals, and management philosophies. In addition, the organization can see the supplier's operation in action and talk with key personnel from various departments who will work with the organization on a daily basis

Supply management has expanded its scope of activity in recent years by bringing the acquisition of nontraditional items under the umbrella of supply management. Nontraditional purchases include acquisitions other than those for direct goods, indirect goods, and maintenance, repair and operating supplies -- such as advertising, travel, software and systems, and facilities management. These nontraditional items tend to have a heavy emphasis on services, and each has specific features and unique supply attributes.

Services are rendered via the application of labor, often coupled with intellectual content, and some method of delivery. Unlike products, services are often performance-based rather than physical-based. This presents the challenge of defining intangibles in finite, measurable terms. In addition to appropriate supplier qualification and management strategies, successful service procurements are highly dependent upon the language of the agreement itself. Many fail to consider the uniqueness of service procurements and underestimate the importance of the actual words in service agreements.

Participate in the planning, development, and implementation of performance-based service procurement. Focusing on both non-manufacturing and manufacturing related service procurement, PBSP offers procurement professionals an opportunity to engage in best-value contracting, utilize effective partnering arrangements, establish innovative performance incentives, and work toward realizing beneficial cost reductions.Real world examples are used throughout the course.

In this course, we look at environmental issues and their impacts on the supply chain. Some of the issues bring good news: increasing populations can mean new markets and new affluence. But some of the impacts will put stress on the availability of resources, disrupt and delay supply, cause down time and rising health care costs, result in more regulation—and increase costs overall. The course also discusses the stakeholders that can influence how supply chains deal with these environmental impacts. And, the course presents reporting as a way to get started on the sustainability journey.

Becoming a sustainable business starts with reliable information about your organization�s greenhouse gas emissions. In this course, we present a process that will allow you to account for, and inventory, your entire organization�s greenhouse gas emissions. You will be introduced to this concept through the exploration of the greenhouse gas emissions inventory process and by investigating how to properly administer greenhouse gas emissions inventories.

For a company to be truly sustainable it is not good enough to only worry about what is happening within the �four walls� of their organization, they must look at all of the components of their supply chain.

Ensuring that a company�s suppliers adhere to a supplier sustainability code of conduct is a major component of a company�s overall sustainability strategy. Typically a supplier serves many customers and is under pressure from each of them to comply with their unique supplier sustainability codes of conduct. The challenge for a company is to ensure that their suppliers adhere to their sustainability code of conduct given all the competing, and sometimes conflicting, demands placed upon a given supplier. This course builds upon the other two procurement sustainability courses in our curriculum and the purpose is to enable the student to define a Supplier Sustainability Program.

This updated ethics course was developed in partnership with the ISM Ethical Standards Committee. Use this course to practice ethical decision-making skills and test your response to situations and ethical dilemmas. This self-paced course will acquaint you with ISM's updated Principles and Standards of Ethical Supply Management Conduct with Accompanying Guidelines.

Managing the end-of-life process is a critical component of sustainable development. This course discusses end of life strategies, such as remanufacturing, recycling, reuse, and disposal, and the benefits of sustainable end-of-life practices. The course discusses the importance of a Life Cycle Management plan to minimize the environmental, societal, and economic burdens associated with ending products responsibly and sustainably.

In this course, we look at the whole product life cycle—from design through to the product end of life—and explore the link to sustainability. It's a journey that covers product design, raw materials sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, transport and storage, retail activities, product use, and end of life. The course presents Life Cycle Analysis as a way to identify a product's impacts on the environment, to compare options for minimizing the impacts, and to develop an action plan.

This course discusses the impact of transportation activities and warehouse operations on sustainability. Looking at both areas in detail, the course presents ways that business can be sustainable without sacrificing the traditional definition of cost: profitability. The course also discusses the optimal logistics network, and how it can lower energy consumption and emissions while minimizing costs and maintaining high levels of customer service.

In this course, we look at sustainability in packaging as a practical matter: a sustainable package that functions as it should and appeals to consumers will have a good outcome—consumers will buy the product. Packages that are not sustainable invite government intervention, competitive pressures, and consumer rejection. This course covers the relationship between packaging decisions and the sustainability of the resulting packaging system.

In this course, the traditional definition of procurement—right materials, right quantity, right time and place, right suppliers, right service�and all at the right price—gets a sustainability refresh. The course first defines sustainable procurement, laying out typical goals and the drivers behind the push to have sustainable procurement practices. The course presents a phased framework for sustainable procurement, from incremental to transformational. The course also looks at issues to consider in implementation. Finally, the course reviews 'sustainable procurement' in practice to help you discover best practices that might apply in your business.

Sustainable companies insist on receiving goods or services from their suppliers that explicitly consider sustainability consequences. In this course, we look at how a company and its suppliers can work together to their mutual benefit to achieve sustainability goals. We look at how, driven by the company�s vision, suppliers commit to a code of conduct and to meeting performance standards. The course also explores how companies manage their suppliers� performance to ensure that only compliant suppliers make it into the supplier pool.

In this course, we look at managing complex and wide-ranging sustainability issues up and down the length of the supply chain. We examine a framework that can help business decide which sustainability issues are critical, and where tradeoffs have to be made. The course presents different ways business can respond in the short and long term. And finally, the course covers how to monitor and report progress on what is certainly a long journey for most businesses.

Companies committed to sustainability report results regularly, transparently, and with integrity. Sustainability reporting involves methods in which to declare victory when sustainability efforts meet or exceed expectations, and how to establish trust among stakeholders when reporting less-than-stellar results. Sustainability metrics are a common language: Internally, they set the bar high, and help drive new, desired behaviors. Externally, metrics permit communication and comparison.

Sustainable manufacturing requires sustainable thinking; that is, a continuous review of activities, processes, and policies that consume manufacturing capital, which includes all material resources and energy used throughout the manufacturing process. The object is to reduce the use of resources and energy as well as waste. This course describes sustainability in manufacturing, and presents best practices in sustainability.

This class provides direction to supply professionals on how their companies and suppliers can develop and integrate sustainability and social responsibility practices and strategies into the business and the supply chain. Additionally, it addresses establishing policies and procedures to incorporate monitoring, verification and publication of results to ensure management of risk, protection of the environment and business continuity.

The goal of evaluating potential suppliers is to identify sources of supply that can meet an organization's current and forecasted operational and strategic needs. The criteria on which potential suppliers are evaluated and the depth of the supplier analysis are critical components of the evaluation process. When suppliers are inadequately evaluated, the results can be costly for the buying organization in terms of total cost and risk of supply. The evaluation process can be contracted or expanded depending on the importance of the purchase to the organization and the risk associated with acquiring the purchase in the marketplace.

Throughout this course you will examine how to identify requirements in effective supply. The procurement and supply process starts with the identification of a needed requirement. The goal of identifying requirements is to describe the need in a way that will be meaningful to stakeholders and will result in the best value acquisition. Typically, about 70-80 percent of the total cost is influenced when requirements are identified. An accurate description of the requirement is critical, since this can be the greatest opportunity in the purchasing process to add value by reducing cost and improving quality.

Sourcing is the process of identifying potential suppliers that could provide needed products or services for the acquiring organization. It is a key driver in a successful purchasing and supply management process. To make the 'right' selection, the purchaser must first identify the 'right' potential sources of supply. It is important to identify potential sources because too narrow a search may overlook the best supplier and too broad a search may result in higher costs with no benefit.

The supplier selection process occurs after the buyer or sourcing team has determined the decision criteria on which to base the decision and gathered data on each potential supplier. Supplier selection is the point at which the buyer or sourcing team decides how much volume to place with each specific supplier(s). The approach to the supplier selection process is driven primarily by the value of the purchase to the organization and the risk of acquiring the purchase in the marketplace. The higher the value and risk of the purchase, the more likely that cross-functional sourcing teams will make the supplier selection decision. If the logic behind the selection process is flawed, these errors can be costly for both the buying and selling organizations in terms of unacceptable supplier performance and a negative impact on operational and/or strategic capabilities.

The RFX process includes Request for Information (RFI), Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Quote (RFQ), and Request for Proposal (RFP). Their purpose is to provide a vehicle for a purchaser to gather information from suppliers in various manners that will allow them to make educated decisions on whom to purchase from, which products or services to buy, and under what terms.

Specific topics include: Vendor/volume/spend analysis, Purchasing quadrant analysis, Efficient transaction cycle, Strategies for eProcurement solutions

Incorporate a practical methodology for analyzing spend to identify the appropriate category focus and strategy for sourcing initiatives. Portfolio Analysis (PA) is a cornerstone of effective strategic sourcing by helping professionals better understand and manage the purchase of goods and services.

Organizations must decide which activities they simply need to get done effectively, and which are the critical activities that drive value in their business. This is where the outsource decision, also known as the make-buy decision, comes into play.

This course is designed for supply management professionals to develop and maintain effective and positive relationships addressing cultural and organizational barriers within your organization. This course focuses on understanding the scope, structure, and dynamics of strategic relationships with different external and internal organizational structures. This course also discusses how to evaluate and incorporate the purchasing / supplier alliance relationships and plan to negotiate, implement, and monitor / manage alliance relationships in your organization.

While measuring supplier performance is very costly and time consuming, it can be justified by the benefits of identifying and resolving inefficiencies and performance problems. The frameworks and criteria for assessing supplier performance is presented along with actions that can drive value through your suppliers

Measurements of suppliers' performance are critical to the selection of the best suppliers and the improvement of suppliers' performance over time. Measuring and managing suppliers' performance are critical ingredients for increasing the value-add of suppliers, as well as fundamental requirements for evaluating suppliers for future work. Measurements also tell the supplier what is valued by the buying organization and, by exclusion, what is not.

Learn the methods necessary to harness the collective power of the supply base and use it as a competitive advantage. This course provides a strategic and tactical framework for managing commercial relationships with members of the supply base.

Improve your abilities to systematically identify cost savings, prioritize categories, support benefit analysis and "bottom up" savings target setting. Opportunity Analysis (OA) is a powerful technique used by supply professionals to assess category savings opportunities.

Measuring the effectiveness of demand planning is key to continuously improving the demand plan. It is used to monitor the 'health' of the supply chain. Demand planning is a critical element of safety stock calculations. This course reviews the key demand planning metrics and the acceptable average of those metrics for different industries. The goal of improving these metrics is optimized inventory levels, which eventually result in more inventory turns. The circumstances for using these measures, as well as when they are applicable, are other important concepts reviewed in this course.

This Online Self-Study focuses on how to find the right planning model for supply chain planning. It starts by explaining what a planning model is. The course then moves into describing and analyzing the two categories of planning models: fulfillment and manufacturing. The course also discusses industry and functional aspects of planning models.

Companies manage their supply chains by connecting the functions in the supply chain--Procurement, Manufacturing, and Fulfillment--via supply chain planning processes. Supply chain planning processes coordinate and share information among the other supply chain functions to create an integrated supply chain. This two-hour Online Self-Study discusses the challenges, issues and processes incumbent in the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) integrated planning process.

This course was designed to provide an overview of the entire supply chain planning process. It begins with the explanation of a supply chain and how supply chains are managed. The course exposes participants to the environment, basic concepts and terminology used in demand planning, inventory planning, master planning, detail production scheduling, material planning, distribution planning, fulfillment planning, and related components of a supply chain.

Leading edge companies are using supply chain planning (SCP) capabilities to reduce costs, enhance revenue and yields, and achieve other operational benefits. Such companies pull ahead of their competitors with significantly reduced costs and/or increased yields. Supply chain leaders put increased pressure on competitors to implement leading supply chain planning practices as well.

Planning is the ability to create a plan of record from the requirements of the demand, supply and capacity plans. Production planning (PP) encompasses the allocation and deployment of resources to optimize plant capabilities. The course shows how to use the PP process, leveraging the PP inputs, to enable the organization to understand the viability of a production schedule and to understand actual production versus planned production. Key considerations in balancing the demand, supply and capacity plans, existing customer orders, and customer service objectives are discussed.

Supply Planning (SP) is an Online Self-Study that provides an overview of the supply planning process, inputs, outputs and terminology. Supply planning is the ability to take the demand plan and, utilizing the distribution plan, inventory plan and rough-cut capacity plan, determine how to best meet the demand. Supply planning encompasses the allocation and deployment of resources, as well as facilitating order promising. The course shows how to use the supply planning process, leveraging the inputs, to enable the organization to maintain the optimal amount of inventory in order to meet customer service levels and place required capabilities in place before demand arises. Key considerations in balancing the demand plan, existing customer orders, and customer service objectives are discussed.

This bundled program includes four courses related to Supply Management: The Foundation (SMTF).

• Effective Supply: Supplier Selection (#PEX206) OSS
• Efficient Supply Systems: Development of Effective RFXs (#PEX503) OSS
• Optimum Quality: Specifications and Supplier Certification (#PEX302) EOD
• Standardization Methods (#PEX1005) OSS

The goal of transportation planning is to ensure that sufficient capacity exists to deliver goods at the lowest possible cost for a given level of service. This course explains how transportation planning achieves this goal by, 1) ensuring transportation mode availability, 2) balancing the space requirements of holding inventory at each delivery location, and 3) meeting sales force commitments to customers.

Many replenishment systems set safety stock using probability theory. Understanding some of the basic concepts of probability will take the mystery out of how this process works. Furthermore, many of the estimates of fill rates and expected inventory levels use basic probability theory. After completing this course you will have the fundamental building blocks of these techniques and it will help you understand future training modules.

Understanding the two approaches to interacting with customers and the methods which support each enables an organization to select and enact an appropriate approach with each of its customers. Strategic customer relationships support partnering for the purpose of improving products, processes, and supply chain interfaces. Tactical relationships support the ongoing supply and demand execution processes.

This course covers the basics of fulfillment, as well as the fulfillment management process and characteristics of most products that go through the fulfillment process. It also addresses strategic issues within fulfillment, such as outsourcing.

Build a foundation to help your organization achieve success through effective purchasing practices. Designed for those new to purchasing or for veteran professionals looking for a refresher course to reinforce existing skills. Find out the basics from the purchasing arena and how you can improve and impact your bottom-line. During this course, explore optimizing supplier selection, legal considerations, ethics, sourcing strategies, and electronic commerce.

The physical distribution system moves goods from the producing organization and location to the customer. It may provide additional value-added services. The physical distribution system provides a buffer between production and end consumer demand.

The course will highlight the importance of the function and the benefits that a successful procurement and sourcing function can deliver to an organization. It will also describe the overall model of procurement and sourcing that most companies use.

Contribution is increasingly defined by how well the right things are done, and less defined by how efficiently things are done. In essence, effectiveness is valued more than efficiency with the key objective being overall success of the organization. Supply managers must get the transactional issues under sufficient control, so they have time to focus on contributing more directly to the organization's strategic needs. All of this leads supply managers to seek more effective ways to leverage value.

This course discusses the relationship between supply chain excellence and financial performance: the "why," the "who," the "what" and the "how." Today's and tomorrow's leaders are invited to look more closely at the growing business-wide impact of supply chain excellence.

This course is an introduction to the supply chain concept - exploring the management of supply chains to improve your organization's overall supply efficiency. Other concepts include the definition of supply chains; an overview of methods, processes, and systems used in the operation of supply chains; and the applications of methods, processes, and systems to improve supply chain performance.

This online recorded presentation discusses the role of performance measurements within supply chain management. It covers what these measures are and how they should be implemented. It also discusses in what specific situations and in what industries the various performance measurements work most effectively.

Forecasting what supply chains of the future will look like is perhaps easier than specifying how we will achieve them. The 'totally enabled' scenario envisages supply chains of the future with close coordination between business processes so that a network of partners operates as a virtual organization. The 'federated' scenario envisages more pragmatic and more loosely connected networks.

However, it is becoming clear that supply chains of the future will have to be able to cope with increasingly turbulent and uncertain environments. Mega trends like sustainability, demographics, and advances in IT and the internet will all see to that. While such external factors will be crucial in shaping the environment in which supply chains operate, this topic focuses on the capabilities that supply chains of the future will need to develop in order to cope.

Research at Cranfield has revealed a far from futuristic set of capabilities in supply chains today. While parts of individual supply chains may be well coordinated or even well focused on the end customer, no exemplar of an overall supply chain emerged. Supply chain management is at best still emergent in terms of both theory and practice. Few practitioners were able?or seriously aspired?to extend their reach across the supply chain.

In this course, we will review four of the trends that will shape supply chains of the future. These trends will help us to create more radical solutions to the challenges of managing global supply chains.

Understanding the opportunities electronic commerce brings to your supply management function is critical in developing a customized e-business strategy when ERP and electronic commerce are introduced in your organization. This course will focus on how to select, implement and improve an e-commerce program. Topics include ongoing implementation strategy and how to expand programs in order to fully leverage your investment by evaluating key components to better streamline processes and increase ''hands-free'' purchasing.

This course will introduce participants to e-Commerce including tools, applications, standards and models. Beginning with a look at the evolution of e-Commerce, this course discusses the benefits and impacts of an e-Procurement solution. It walks the participants through the key characteristics of various e-Procurement applications and discusses both standards and legal developments affecting e-Commerce. Throughout the course, participants will find links to useful Internet and e-Commerce tools that are available for supply management professionals.