The supply chain management community of South Africa wants to highlight another critical error made in shifting the blame of the Nkandla scandal to supply chain mechanisms: the correct terminology to use would have been public procurement mechanisms.

The term supply chain describes far more than just procurement. This very specialised profession encompasses all activities needed to deliver the right product or service to the right customer, at the right time, place, and cost. Supply chain management theory delves deep into the efficiencies of sourcing, processing, manufacturing, transporting, storing, distributing, tracking, and returning anything from raw metals to household products sold in retail stores.

References to supply chain problems in the public sector as catchall term for public procurement policies that lead to fruitless and wasteful expenditure are not only inaccurate, but dangerous, as it shifts the focus away from the true problem at hand. It is also an insult to highly qualified professionals that ensure on a daily basis that South African consumers have easy access to a wide variety of local and imported products and services that make their lives possible and enjoyable.

Managing a supply chain demands an understanding of an entire value chain; all the suppliers that work seamlessly together to ensure that doctors have the necessary machinery to perform life-saving operations, that enjoying fresh seafood is possible even thousands of kilometers away from the sea, and that your online shopping order arrives at a time and place convenient for you.

The Western Cape province is an example of public sector organisations that have a solid grasp of the true meaning of supply chain. The proof is evident in an increase in clean audits, exceptional delivery of basic services to its citizens, and a number of other statistics that show that local government can serve with excellence its constituents within the framework of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) that set out public procurement – referred to as supply chain – processes.

While it can be argued that the matter at hand is one of semantics, something as small as a change in understanding that there is more to supply chain – and content citizens as a results – than just procuring goods and services within a legislative framework. The next step would be to ensure that all civil servant employed in a supply chain capacity are well trained in the theory of comprehensive supply chain management.

It would be a great feat if a year from now media reports could reflect the numbers of Certified Supply Chain Professionals ensuring service delivery to South African citizens, rather than the number of times supply chain mechanisms were blamed in error.

ENDS

Issued by: SAPICS - your supply chain community
MEDIA CONTACT: Juanita Vorster,  juanita@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za

For more information on SAPICS please visit:
Website: www.sapics.org.za
Twitter: @SAPICS01
LinkedIn: SAPICS group
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2015 was an incredible year for the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional Certification in South Africa.
 
SAPICS’ pursuit to create a skilled work force in South Africa was enhanced by the adoption of this valuable and globally recognized supply chain certification.  Since its introduction in 2006 The CSCP has evolved into a truly global certification for supply chain professionals.
 
Three South Africans recently scored impressively high scores in the exam and are proud to become Certified Supply Chain Professionals. 
 
Salome Posthumus, Frances Hedding and Orestes Peristeris have all achieved their CSCP certifications with a score of 333.
 
“According to our records this is the highest score anyone has achieved for CSCP in South Africa. Prior to this score we have had one candidate achieve 331 in 2010 and two candidates achieving 331 in 2014,” said Jenny Froome, general manager of SAPICS, the exclusive Sub Saharan Africa Channel Partner of US-based APICS, the leading provider of supply chain management education and certification programs.
 
APICS uses a scaled score; the range for CSCP scaled score is 200–350 with the minimum passing score being 300.
 
The CSCP course provides a holistic view of the entire supply chain, and the certification is internationally recognised as one of the most respected certifications coveted by the close-knit global community of supply chain professionals.
 
People are more important than processes and procedures
The mantra of ‘putting the customer first’ is a popular management expression; the CSCP certification however shows in detail how a true focus on the customer is critical to growing a business and its market share.
 
“The biggest realisation I came to is that the customer really should drive all decisions within a business,” says Posthumus. “The biggest change I will make to the way I work is to continually ask what value my actions give to the customer. If an action doesn’t add value, it’s time to adjust the process.”
 
Supply chain professionals are responsible for environmental sustainability
Sections of the CSCP course material highlight the responsibility of supply chain professionals in helping business to work towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
 
“It is within the ability of supply chain professionals to drive innovative thinking and form solutions in line with sustainable development,” says Hedding. “Technological developments have made available incredible tools that we can use for this purpose. Technology applied correctly creates opportunities for changing the way that businesses operate in ways that weren’t possible before.”
 
There are no islands in the supply chain
CSCP certified professionals have an increased awareness of how the complexities of the supply chain are interconnected.  They understand that supply chain management in the true sense is more than procurement, more than logistics, more than operations management. It is all of these and more. This awareness creates the ability to advise business leaders with confidence on ways to increase revenue, decrease costs and waste, and keep customers happy.
 
According to Peristeris, the take away that proved the most valuable was reading and learning the entire body of knowledge of supply chain management and operations in one course. “Even though I have completed a Master’s degree in Logistics Management, I found the coursework to be highly relevant and up to date. After completing the course and passing the exam, I see the value in having an international certification which recognises and certifies my knowledge and expertise in the field of supply chain.”
 
“The Certified Supply Chain Professional has a good overview of the subject matter in the overall certification material,” Froome agrees. “South African companies benefiting from the skills of their CSCPs include Sasol, Resolve, Pick n Pay, GSK Healthcare, Polyoak Packaging, Distell, Value Logistics and Industrial Logistic Systems, to name but a few.”
 
For more information on the CSCP certification please visit www.sapics.org.za

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Cathlen Fourie, 012 644 2833, cathlen@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za

For more information on SAPICS please visit:
Website: www.sapics.org.za
Twitter: @SAPICS01
LinkedIn: SAPICS group
Facebook: OperationsManagement

ABOUT SAPICS – your supply chain network
SAPICS is a professional knowledge-based association that enables individuals and organisations to improve business performance. SAPICS builds operations management excellence in individuals and enterprises through superior education and training, internationally recognised certifications, comprehensive resources and a countrywide network of accomplished industry professionals. This network is ever expanding and now includes associates in other African countries.