Build a better relationship with customers and clients when you learn how to increase customer value, satisfaction and loyalty.

Study the forces which mold an organization's business strategy through an analysis which measures strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Develop a basic understanding of the strategic planning process, its importance, mission statements, budgeting and contingency planning.

Bundle consisting of the following courses:

• Understanding HR: Talent Management and Personal/Career Development
• Understanding HRM: Performance Management
• Employee Selection
• Managing Equal Opportunity

Bundle consisting of the following courses:

• Connecting With Customers: Principles of Marketing
• Fundamentals of Strategy: What Is Strategy?
• The Successful Leader: Leading Teams
• The Successful Manager: Managing in the Modern Organization

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.

Become a better leader through an in-depth focus on the skills that translate into leadership, credibility and charisma.

Discover techniques to reconcile conflicts between work and family, personal fulfillment and the demands of leadership in "Leadership: Work-Life Balance."

Learn how leaders respond with innovative and flexible solutions to challenges, threats and opportunities during a time of change.

Explore the role of leadership in an empowered team where responsibility, accountability, communication and "leadership" are shared.

Find out how you can incorporate many of the fundamentals of management in order to increase your effectiveness.

Improve your people management skills by concentrating on the factors which improve employee performance and empower working teams.

Learn how to achieve your goals and become more effective by adopting time management and scheduling techniques. Plus, understand the delegation process, outsourcing key tasks and using technology.

Investigate numerous key aspects of pay policy, including legal and competitive compensation rates in industries. Also, review pay structures, federal guidelines and equity issues within organizations.

Identify high-quality applicants for key positions within your organization by focusing on principles of the employee selection and human resource management.

Expand your knowledge of key laws regarding the discrimination of age, race, gender, sexual harassment or disability and avoid damaging public relations, legal or morale problems.

Delve into the key concepts of human resource management, its organizational role, recruiting, training and other vital tasks critical for both business and nonprofit enterprises.

Investigate how performance management provides a framework to help your team develop their skills, target ineffective processes and manage their direct reports.

Examine the various types of training programs used to forward your organization's professional development efforts. Take back tools on how to determine the right training for a specific challenge.

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.

Incorporate practical tools for finance and accounting into your normal supply management operation. Investigate cost benefit analysis, ROI, fixed and variable costs, tracking and additional performance measures.

Understand how to manage critical business functions such as financial reporting, balance sheets and cash flows using key accounting business concepts.

Overview the numerous uses of statistics to improve business decision-making processes. Also, study concepts such as probability, financial reporting and ratio analysis, plus methods for presenting data.

Come to know the role of finance within organizations and how managers can make a significant impact through the five principles of financial management.

Improve your organization's financial decision-making capabilities with the implementation of techniques that help assess value, cash flow, diversification, risk and return on investment.

Gain a clear understanding of how to manage budgets for optimum results. Also learn about budgeting techniques such as zero-based budgets, Kaizen budgets, and rolling or continuous budgets.

Bundle consisting of the following courses:

• Business Essentials: How to Read a Financial Statement (ME3976)
• Business Essentials: Introduction to Finance (ME3978)
• Business Essentials: Time Value of Money and Risk (ME3974)
• Business Essentials: Understanding and Managing Budgets (ME3979)

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.

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 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 presentation describes why supply chain management is critical to the creation of shareholder value and why it is increasingly on the agenda of global Chief Executive Officers. It provides an overview of the supply chain challenges in Asia. Using China as a case study, it details some of the issues and constraints for effectively managing supply chains in this country. Following a summary of the overall implications for supply chain management in Asia, the course then provides a seven-step approach for organizations to think about improving the performance of their own supply chains.

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 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.

Topics in this course include Developing a Contract from Basic Elements of an Agreement (mutual assent, consideration, lawful purpose, and competent parties); Using Electronic Methods in the Contracting Process, When a Written Document is Needed, and Other Contracting Considerations.

The focus of this course is on Responsibilities, Obligations and Defenses to Performance (seller's and buyer's obligations; responsibilities when goods are lost, damaged, or destroyed; and difference between termination and cancellation); Warranties and Product Liability; and Remedies (breach of contract, liquidated damages clause, seller's and buyer's remedies in Article 2 of the UCC, and proper use of indemnification clauses).

This course focuses on the U.S. System of Law (civil and criminal law, sources of contract law), the Law of Agency (duties and obligations of agents, principals, and third parties; actual and apparent authority); and key laws that affect supply management, including intellectual property, environmental compliance, and laws applicable when working with federal governmental projects.

This bundled program includes three courses related to Logistics.

• Integrating Transportation Strategy with Supply Chain Strategy (#TRN101) EOD
• Logistics in the Supply Chain (#TRN105) EOD
• Overview of International Logistics: Managing Supply Chains in a Global Environment (#TRN408) EOD

This Expert On Demand course provides an introduction to logistics in the supply chain. The course starts by introducing the key elements and components of logistics, as well as the growth and development of logistics. The course then reviews the relative importance of logistics - by different sectors and countries. Next, it discusses integration and trade-offs in logistics - followed by the relationship between customer service and logistics. Finally, the course will address the different logistics channels and the implications of different competitive positions.

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.

Make an impact and become more effective with your business writing capabilities by adopting tools and techniques that improve your delivery, organization, word usage and clarity.

Learn how to structure, create and deliver PowerPoint presentations that are clear, persuasive and effective for business applications. This course also teaches you how to employ the four steps of purposeful communication.

Bring your creativity to the surface, foster new ideas and create new business opportunities by learning innovative thinking strategies to improve your team's brainstorming effectiveness.

Understand the processes involved in reaching well-founded conclusions to challenges in business through the development of critical thinking.

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.

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 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 CPSM® 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 CPSM® Bridge Exam. It is not intended for those planning to take the full CPSM® Exam. In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® program and of the breadth of content covered in the CPSM® Exam. The course contains content for all tasks for the CPSM® Bridge Exam. Content for this course includes CPSM® Exam Specification exam outlines, CPSM® 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 CPSM® Exam 1 Online Course is for candidates who are preparing for the CPSM® Exam 1. Participants get an in-depth review and assessment of the material in the CPSM® Study Guide by tailoring their course to their specific study needs. In this course, participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® program and of the breadth of content covered in the CPSM® Exam.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

This course provides an overview of basic supply chain principles and processes. It focuses on the five main components of a typical supply chain: Suppliers, Manufacturers, Distributors, Retailers, and Consumers

Historically, Supply Chain expertise has been thought of as a "nice to have" skill set, however now Supply Chain is becoming a much more strategic and competitively critical variable. The gap between leading and average players is widening. This presentation covers what these gaps are, and what the leading companies are doing to achieve Supply Chain excellence. In addition, the Six Core Capabilities that these Masters of Supply Chain focus on are explored, and well as suggestions on how those companies lagging behind can catch up.

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.

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.

Information technology has become critical for virtually every industry and organization. Learn the basics of business and management information systems and how this technology applies to your organization.