Supply chain professionals have plenty of resources to find work, earn certifications, and meet other professionals. However, many professionals don’t know these resources exist. From niche areas of supply chain operations to general logistics, supply chain management and logistics professionals have plenty of organizations to choose from.
Benefits of supply chain management and logistics organizations include:
- Networking opportunities
- Job boards
- Professional certifications
- Conference
- Access to data
Membership may or may not be required for some benefits, and many organizations provide some services free of charge. To save you the hassle of finding the right organization for you, here’s a comprehensive list of supply chain management and logistics organizations:
Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME)
A comprehensive resource for manufacturing professionals, AME provides a platform where individuals can network and train. AME also organizes events, including summits and webinars for leaders in the manufacturing industry. Members can access a job board and achieve a Lean Certification, demonstrating their expertise in lean practices.
AME has been a resource for members for over 30 years and currently represents over 4,000 manufacturing professionals.
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Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
ASCM has combined with other well-known supply chain organizations (such as APICS) to become the largest nonprofit association for supply chain leaders and professionals. ASCM is a top resource for certifications, including APICS Certified Production and Inventory Management and APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional.
Additional resources offered by ASCM include supply chain education for businesses, a learning center for professionals, and workforce development. With over 60 years of experience influencing supply chains across the world, ASCM is no doubt a global supply chain leader.
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)
CILT was founded in 1919 and focuses on the development of supply chain workers at every level of the supply chain. As an international organization, CILT is also an excellent resource for supply chain workers who want to establish an international presence.
Supply chain employers use CILT to ensure their workforce is well-trained in select, or all, areas of supply chains.
Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS)
CIPS is one of the larger niche supply chain organizations, with a global community of over 200,000 purchasing and supply professionals. Professionals can use this resource to network, train, and learn new skills to help with procurement and supply.
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
CSCMP is one of the oldest associations created for supply chain and logistics professionals and has established itself as a leader in logistics education and training. Members enjoy conferences, access to research, and a network of 6,000 other professionals to connect with.
International Society of Six Sigma Professionals (ISSSP)
ISSSP is a proponent of Lean Six Sigma and offers certification and certificates (yes, there is a difference) on Six Sigma. A nonprofit organization, ISSSP is also accredited, guaranteeing the quality of its certificates and certifications. Members can also network and become Lean Six Sigma mentors.
Institute of Business Forecasting & Planning (IBF)
IBF has been offering professional certifications in a broad field of general forecasting and planning since 1981. Both employees and employers are encouraged to use IBF’s certification to improve training and quality of forecasting. Other benefits of IBF include events, online courses, and a job board.
Institute for Supply Management (ISM)
ISM is the original nonprofit organization for supply chain managers. Founded in 1915, ISM has expanded its reach to over 100 countries, and over 50,000 professionals are members. ISM’s Master Model is the most important resource for professionals. The Master Model combines education and training to certify professionals’ competency in all things supply chain. All of these resources are available online.
Along with their Master Model, ISM hosts an annual conference, various smaller conferences, and other events. Members can also access a career center, use study materials, and become a Certified Professional in Supply Management or a Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity.
Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)
More niche than other organizations mentioned in this list, IANA is the one and only organization for intermodal freight transporters. IANA gathers tons of data that’s available online and hosts various educational events, including the annual Intermodal EXPO.
Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI)
Founded in 1997, LEI considers itself a “do” tank, or an organization that promotes real change. Lean is the goal of their association, and LEI offers various courses, workshops, and summits on lean best practices. LEI’s website also has a community area for members to discus lean theories and practices.
Logistics Institute (CPLI)
The Logistics Institute is sure to be of interest to supply chain professionals working in Canada. It offers competency-based education courses that lead toward certification in logistics, supply chain, and leadership. The Logistics Institute also hosts events around Canada.
MHI
MHI is the largest association for logistics, supply chain, and material handling, although it only has 800 members. However, MHI’s members include entire logistics and material handling companies, as well as an array of 3PLs, manufacturers, and others. Membership benefits include expos, networking, and access to various resources. MHI also hosts an annual conference in Palm Springs — a nice getaway for supply chain professionals.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
Geared toward manufacturing, NAM’s goal isn’t to provide certification for its members. Instead, NAM trains reliable workforce talent for over 14,000 member companies and has trained nearly 13 million workers to date. Most manufacturers have probably heard of NAM by this point, and any small or medium-sized manufacturers that haven’t visited their site may want to do so.
National Industrial Transportation League (NITL)
The National Industrial Transportation League was founded in 1907 and has since grown to be the largest freight transportation organization in the U.S. NITL’s over 110 years of experience makes them uniquely qualified to be an advocate for transportation — which is exactly what it does for its members. Education and data are additional offerings, as well as an extensive network of shipping professionals to connect with.
Project Management Institute (PMI)
PMI was founded in 1969 to advance the careers of current and future project managers (including supply chain managers) with training and connections.This is an excellent resource for anyone looking to break into supply chain management, or for businesses looking to bring on newly trained supply chain managers.
International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA)
The biggest benefit for IWLA members is advocacy. IWLA advocates on behalf of its members to the U.S. government to implement changes to rules and regulations. Aside from advocacy, members also enjoy education, online certification, and plenty of events throughout the year, including the IWLA Convention and Expo. IWLA also advocates for logisticians in Canada through IWLA Canada.
Reverse Logistics Association (RLA)
RLA tackles reverse logistics and the difficulties it entails, an often overlooked part of supply chains. From events to education, RLA offers its members anything that a supply chain expert or logistician would want related to reverse logistics. Members also get access to valuable data and information collected by RLA to help their supply chains make better reverse logistics decisions.
Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA)
Canadian supply chain operations probably already know about SCMA. Currently the largest supply chain management organization in Canada, SCMA includes members from nearly every industry that utilizes supply chains. This organization provides members with valuable information regarding the supply chain industry in Canada as well as education, certification, a job board, and other resources.
Warehouse Education and Research Council (WERC)
WERC is the leader in developing warehouse leadership since its founding in 1977 and offers various online learning courses for warehousers and their employees. WERC also collects member information to determine best practices for warehouses, including benchmarking, salaries, and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs).
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