CPIM Celebrates 25th Anniversary in May

The APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) program celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. Following many years of planning, the first CPIM exams were administered on May 12, 1973, covering the forecasting (now master planning) and inventory planning (now inventory management) modules. A total of 335 professionals took the exams with an 80 percent pass rate.

In the ensuing 25 years, APICS has administered more than half a million tests in 40 countries; and by the end of 1997, more than 60,000 people earned the CPIM designation. During the same period, more than 2,300 professionals have attained the Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) designation, which recognizes those who actively educate others in the industry.

Based on APICS' own research and that of independent organizations, CPIM is the recognized international standard for individual assessment in the field of production and inventory management. CPIM professionals are recognized widely for their professional competence and have enhanced credibility among employers and customers.

George W. Plossl, CFPIM, a well-known manufacturing consultant and long-time APICS member, was one of the earliest proponents of a professional certification program and the first chair of the APICS Curricula and Certification Council.

"I was a strong advocate of certification and so vocal about it that the rest of the group decided to get back at me by making me the chair," said Plossl in a recent interview. "Seriously, we realized that to be recognized as a true profession, there needed to be a measurement of expertise in the APICS body of knowledge. That was a driving force in creating the CPIM program."

George Brandenburg, CFPIM, CIRM, an APICS member since 1960, worked closely with Plossl and others in the formation of the CPIM program. Brandenburg was a charter member of the CPIM forecasting module committee and later served as chairman of the master planning committee.

"I think the CPIM program has been quite successful in providing the credentials that improved companies' operations and led to individual career advancement," he said. "It certainly helped my career. I learned a lot, not only from studying, but by being involved in the actual planning of the modules."

Now retired from his position as managing director of international materials management at Johnson & Johnson, Brandenburg is still active in APICS as a member of the Integrated Enterprise Management module committee for the Certified in Integrated Resource Management program.

Looking back over the past quarter of a century, Plossl believes that the CPIM program has "done what we hoped and better than we thought." Will the program remain viable over the next 25 years? Plossl is optimistic based on a variety of revisions to the program itself, such as the addition of the Systems and Technology and Basics of Supply Chain Management modules.

"As long as the program adapts to the needs of the industry and its professionals by upgrading the old modules, adding new ones where warranted and applying the body of knowledge to different disciplines, CPIM should be around for a long time to come," Plossl said.

APICS Considering CPIM Program Reconfiguration

In keeping with the APICS mission to be a world-class leader in resource management education, the society is looking into ways to reconfigure the Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) program. The reason for the changes is not to revamp the contents, but to adjust the general framework of the CPIM program to stay in tune with current and future business practices. The proposed structure allows for the flexibility of adding and deleting information as the body of knowledge evolves, according to Martin Waigh, CPIM, CIRM, chairman of the curricula and certification (C&C) council.

"Given the rapid changes in the business environment, it is critical for APICS to maintain the viability of CPIM with an up-to-date program that meets market needs," Waigh said.

The C&C council has outlined a program with the following goals and objectives to be achieved in the next three years:

Update the existing CPIM instructor guides and participant workbooks to correct any technical errors in the material. The update also will include converting the instructor guides and participant workbooks into one standard electronic file to enable future changes.

Develop a new structure for the CPIM program that allows flexibility. Flexibility will make it possible to add new material or revise existing material without necessarily calling for an additional learning module.

Establish a process of ongoing improvement to keep instructor guides, participant workbooks and exam content up-to-date with the current body of knowledge.

"Some might be concerned that the CPIM reconfiguration could affect the success of the program," said Waigh. "The changes are designed to actually buildupon CPIM's success and enhance the important contributions of the chapters and instructors. If you have concerns, or would like more information, please contact us."

For more information about the CPIM reconfiguration, contact Ray Ayoub, APICS

Certification Maintenance for the Practitioner

Consultants and academicians instruct, teach or write articles on resource management for trade magazines or academic journals on a regular basis. Thus, they are well-positioned by the nature of their work to accumulate the necessary points to maintain their certification. But what of the practitioner for whom these tasks are not part of their normal job duties? How can they earn enough points?

APICS built flexibility into the program to allow practitioners to design a continuing education plan that meets their educational needs and career goals, while at the same time satisfying the certification maintenance requirements. Here are a few examples:

A training program sponsored by the practitioner's company or another independent organization that relates directly to resource management. Examples include an in-house training session sponsored by a practitioner's company and word processing or spreadsheet training courses, a logistics course sponsored by the Council of Logistics Management and a management course sponsored by the American Management Association.

An APICS chapter or region meeting with an educational component. Since education is the driving force behind all APICS activities, virtually all such functions would qualify.

A course offered by a degree-granting institution of higher education, i.e., university, college, junior college, etc. It can be an extension course as well as one that grants credit toward a degree.