By 1988 advances in technology led to increases in the speed of communication that might not have been imaginable only a decade earlier. That year more than one million facsimile machines were sold in the United States, and the first transatlantic optical fiber telephone cables linked France, the United Kingdom and the United States. The world grew smaller and the lines between "domestic" and "foreign" markets became blurred. APICS always had an international orientation, and the period of the late '80s through the present has seen APICS use technology to spread its educational products and services.

APICS strengthened relations with its international associates by participating in the Third World Congress in Amsterdam in 1989. Taking steps to adapt APICS' body of knowledge to other cultures and languages, the society inked an agreement with its Montreal Chapter for a French translation of the APICS Dictionary during the 1992 International Conference and Exhibition in Montreal. At the 1993 International Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas, APICS moved even further into the international education arena by entering into an agreement with a Madrid-based organization to produce the society's educational materials in Spanish — including the APICS Dictionary, Certified in Production and Inventory Management courseware, sample tests and study materials.

The '93 conference was a special event for many reasons: About 4,800 people attended, and a separate top management program was held in conjunction with the opening day of the conference. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the conference was a keynote address by former President Ronald Reagan. In one of his last public appearances, Reagan, known as the "Great Communicator," connected closely with the audience receiving cheers and applause worthy of a rock star throughout his address. Meanwhile, the top management program included a debate with business and labor experts about the North American Free Trade Agreement and an analysis of the state of the economy by Michael Evans, Ph.D., APICS' consulting economist. The APICS Business Outlook Index, which had been unveiled by APICS and Evans in September of that year, was prominently featured during this event.

The passing decade has heralded many changes in the structure of businesses throughout the world. Terms like "downsizing," "outsourcing" and "mergers and acquisitions" have made it necessary for all industry professionals to increase their knowledge of diverse business functions in order to survive and prosper in this environment. The Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) program — with its emphasis on broad knowledge of a company's organizational and management processes and how they interact with each other — is one example of the efforts APICS has made to respond to these changes. Meanwhile, the convergence of technology and education was never more evident than in the implementation of computer-based testing for APICS certification programs and the society's exploration of long-distance learning opportunities for many of its programs. APICS also broadened its horizons with the debut of APICS—The Performance Advantage in July 1991. In just five years the magazine has become one of the industry's most highly respected trade publications and is both a literary and financial success.

APICS offerings also have been acknowledged by other professional organizations as evidenced by cooperative agreements with the National Association of Purchasing Management, the Institute of Certified Management Accountants and ASQC.

APICS celebrates its 40th birthday this October, and while the society takes pride in its past, it looks to the future by continuing to add value to existing products and services and to create new ones where needed. Consequently, over the past year, updates and revisions have been made to the certification programs. The Basics of Supply Chain Management module was added to the CPIM program, and Support Functions expanded to become the Enterprise Concepts and Fundamentals module for CIRM. New SIGs focusing on constraints management and service industries also have been incorporated into APICS educational offerings, and APICS has its own page on the World Wide Web. APICS '96, last year's international conference and exhibition in New Orleans, drew more than 5,000 attendees. APICS '97 will take place in Washington, D.C., and looks to be just as successful.

It's been a great ride, and like the title of a popular Frank Sinatra song says, "The Best is Yet to Come" for APICS.

Copyright © 2020 by APICS — The Educational Society for Resource Management. All rights reserved.

Web Site © Copyright 2020 by Lionheart Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.


Lionheart Publishing, Inc.
2555 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 299, Atlanta, GA 30339 USA
Phone: +44 23 8110 3411 | br> E-mail:
Web: www.lionheartpub.com


Web Design by Premier Web Designs
E-mail: [email protected]