Accreditation program design: a survey of supply chain professionals

The purpose of this paper is to report results of a survey in support of re‐designing the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) professional accreditation program, the Certified Professional Purchaser (CPP).

A questionnaire was developed, embedded in e‐mail messages via hyperlink, and transmitted to the PMAC membership. The questionnaire included 54 topics, tools and techniques for supply chain management (SCM). Over 2,000 PMAC members commented on CPP program design, by returning the questionnaire electronically. Data analysis culminated with a principal components analysis of the 54 items, from which seven distinct components emerged.

The paper finds that PMAC members lack a common view of SCM. While 63 percent have adopted a broad SCM perspective; 37 percent have a more narrow perspective. However, the most important topics for supply chain professionals are robust across the perspectives. These topics pertain to general managerial skills (e.g. communication, leadership and relationship building); rather than specific functional or analytical tools and techniques.

While the current study focuses exclusively on Canadian supply chain professionals, it would be very interesting and worthwhile to expand this research to other geographic locations.

A renewed CPP program, taken out of the somewhat narrow and tactically‐oriented purchasing area – and into the broader and more strategic SCM space, seems to be in order. The survey provides valuable information to support design and development of this new program.

Based on electronic survey returns from more than 2,000 supply chain professionals, insights are gained into various perspectives on SCM, along with important knowledge (topics, tools and techniques) for effective SCM.