President's Message
September 1, 2009
UPCOMING SEASON
Here at the beginning of Fall 2009, news reports suggest that an improved economic outlook is anticipated for the remainder of 2009, into 2010, and beyond. Do you agree? Some thoughts for those who do...
Com*pe*tence\noun\the state or quality of being adequately or well qualified; ability (American Heritage Dictionary)
Recently released is the APICS Supply Chain Manager Competency Model, which started as a research project undertaken by the APICS 2009 Future Leaders. It follows guidelines set by the Employment and Training Administration of the United States Department of Labor, and is visually represented by a diagram for easy reference. The model is organized into tiers of competencies and includes descriptions of the activities and behaviors associated with each competency. This model may be of value to those members who are seeking employment, or motivate anyone targeting areas for improvement within their existing career. Check it out here APICS Competency Model
Fourteen students from five companies are currently improving their competency in APICS body of knowledge. They are enrolled in one of the CPIM review courses, Master Planning of Resources, which wraps up in early September.
Next up is Detailed Scheduling and Planning, beginning October 5. These three hour classes are held evenings, usually Mondays and Thursdays, for approximately five weeks, and prepare the student for the relevant CPIM test. Our chapter has a schedule for both Reno and the Carson Valley. Please contact any board member if you have questions, and you can also find schedule information on our website.
Twenty-two attendees enjoyed visiting the Food Bank of Northern NV, the location of our August plant tour. Doris Phelps and Jocelyn Lantrip were so patient in answering all of our questions! Just a short drive east of Reno, in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center off USA Parkway, the new Donald W. Reynolds Regional Food Distribution Center building was completed June 2008. It’s sized similar to a football field, with the warehouse now at 40,500 square feet – almost double the old building. With this expansion they expect to double their distribution over the next 2-3 years to ten million pounds of food! And one of the highlights is their new refrigerated space, allowing for increased donations of perishables, frozen food, produce, prepared food, and retail dairy/deli products. Our area is blessed to have such a competent group of folks, now with an improved and very able facility to support the needs of our community. Read more about this facility and view a picture of our plant tour group here: Food Bank Photos.
Among those attending our classes and plant tours are new members. I hope to see some of those new faces, as well as those of our continuing members at our September PDM. We have an exciting, and a little different, Professional Development Meeting arranged, to start off the fall season of dinner meetings. The topic is networking, which is a valuable skill for all to include in their range of competencies.
The speaker is Alice Heiman, a salesperson guru from our area, who is very engaging and has lots of tips and expertise to share on developing business relationships. If you plan to attend, bring 30 business cards – and we will provide blank cards for those who forget or don’t have them! Register for this September 8 event here: September PDM.
After that, our dinner meetings will return to technical topics relevant to Supply Chain and Operations Management. You won’t want to miss the upcoming dinner meetings!
Looking good in fall colors (blue and silver),
Linda McNeil, CPIM President