The national launch of the SCMP – A milestone for our profession

Keith Carruthers, SCMP, Chair, PMAC Board of Directors

June 2010

First, let me say that I am honoured and excited to be taking on the role of Chair of the PMAC Board of Directors, especially at such an important time. We have reached a major milestone for our members, our association and the profession, as we now move forward with the official national launch of our new professional designation – Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) – with an accredited base of almost 3,000 SCMPs.

For quite some time we have been involved in much more than purchasing. Rather, our members have been managing the entire supply chain. We needed a designation that was more representative of what we bring to the table, and this new designation certainly accomplishes that. Our profession has evolved. Today, we bring highly sought strategic thinking on global supply chain management to our corporations, our small businesses and our government institutions.

PMAC is not alone in seeing the profession change. Our competition is making the transition, and the market is talking supply chain as opposed to simply purchasing or logistics. If we did not make the strategic decision to change, we risked uncertainty about whether or not the market would recognize that our members provide what employers need. We would also risk that organizations might have turned to accredited professionals from other associations to fill the perceived void.

Discussion around whether or not to change as well as the process of how we roll out the “new brand” involved lengthy consultation with our Institute partners across the country. While there is still some emotional attachment to our history and the C.P.P. – which is understandable as we should be proud of our history – in the end, this was the right thing to do for our members.

Though there will be references to both C.P.P. and SCMP during this transition period, as a first step, I thought the SCMP branding at the PMAC National Conference earlier this month in Regina was outstanding. It seemed after the first hour I was there, that we had always been SCMPs. (On the subject of the National Conference, my sincere thanks and congratulations to all who attended and who worked tirelessly to make the conference another roaring success!)

In September, we will debut a new advertising campaign to let everyone know that our C.P.P.s are now SCMPs, as part of our marketing communications plan. I am greatly optimistic that both public and private enterprises will embrace the new designation as Canada’s leading supply chain accreditation.

I also know many of our SCMPs are anxious to receive their new certificates. PMAC is working in conjunction with the Institutes to develop these, and your Institutes will be advising you of the “when and how” regarding distribution. An excellent Designation Change FAQ answers a lot of other frequently asked questions. And, as always, you are encouraged to reach out to your Institutes for any further clarification.

We talk a lot about value to our members at PMAC. The real test of value, in my mind, is to make our designation a highly valued product in the marketplace. We need organizations to see the SCMP as the authority in the field of strategic supply chain management, and a requirement when employers are hiring. This will place our members in strong demand, and put them in a leadership position with an abundance of opportunity as their careers continue to unfold. Then you will really see value in your individual “bottom line” (i.e. your pay cheque).

To make this happen, we needed a world-class educational offering, our Strategic Supply Chain Management Leadership Program, which develops professionals who possess the skills to meet the market’s needs. But, in addition to that, we needed a designation that reflects what our members do, and who our members are; I can confidently say we have done that with our SCMP.

For any comments, concerns or for additional information, feel free to contact me at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it