A few weeks ago, Bill Rezak, president of the State University of New York College of Technology at Alfred, spoke to a group of educational and industrial leaders about the "life expectancy of college education." He, like many educational leaders, has recognized the changed environment in the academic world. No longer will just a high school or college education provide the skills necessary to live and work for a 30- or 40-year career. Far too much has been written about the pace of change, but it is this pace that renders one's education obsolete in ever-smaller inwardly spiraling circles of time.

This is not to dismiss the importance of high school or college education. In fact, each becomes more important. The standards for entering into and graduating from each should be continuously raised.

Individuals entering the work force for the first time must recognize that the "life expectancy" of their education is limited. Unquestionably, their education can form a solid foundation upon which to build greater and greater understanding of one's curriculum and to increase one's value to the organization. But, to believe that the initial educational foundation will be sufficient is to limit one's self to a fixed and ever diminishing value to the business.

In the longer view, the curriculum to which one subscribes is self-limiting. Regardless of the field: business administration, engineering, accounting, or whatever, the knowledge base for an undergraduate or graduate diploma can only include what is known and taught at the time of study. Thus, whatever becomes knowledge beyond yesterday's base forms the base for tomorrow's students.

There is an additional limiting factor, though, in virtually all levels of higher education. It is the specialization that prevails with one's chosen degree. Engineers study and learn technology. Medical science focuses on biology and anatomy. Accountants learn the numbers. Others specialize in such topics as metallurgy, pediatrics, or tax law. What this specialization lacks is the broader understanding of how an entire business system, from customer inquiry, through order execution, to invoice collection, is intertwined and interdependent.

Thankfully, many colleges and universities are seeing their future tied not only to the enrollment of high school graduates, but to a new breed of non-traditional students, adults who desire to upgrade and broaden their educational base. Night and weekend classes leading to degrees are even more prevalent and accepted than in the past. Many college leaders seek alliances with industry to better prepare today's students and gauge the needs of future course curriculum requirements of the workplace.

Intern programs teach students the realities of workplace ethics and teamwork requirements. Such alliances also let educators forecast the continuing education needs of the existing work force. Today, it may be word processing skills, problem solving and group dynamics.

Tomorrow it will be something entirely different. Institutions of higher learning are adapting and developing new courses with greater flexibility and speed than was possible in the past.

One need that most colleges and universities do not fill is the practical course work that imparts a deep understanding of the entire business system. The higher education structure remains fairly embedded in the strict disciplines upon which it was built. And while experience is a good teacher, many senior managers lack broad business system knowledge. Most have progressed to their positions through the silo of their original education or chosen vocation. To succeed in today's global environment, to lead companies to continuous improvement and growth, managers need more. They need an understanding of the quotation process, the design process, the invoice collection process and, even more importantly, how each is interrelated.

It is in this arena that APICS excels. The Applied Manufacturing Education Series in which many senior managers of Dresser-Rand participated created an understanding of integrated business processes and allowed the management team to develop a consistent vision for reengineering the company, to breathe new life into a system that was steeped in the past. The Certified in Production and Inventory Management and Certified in Integrated Resource Management courses now offered to our employees provide a new foundation of understanding about business systems and the interrelationship of various departments and processes. And that foundation will be yet another base upon which their future work experience and continuing education can build a stronger company.

Some may think this an advertisement for APICS education and praise for its contribution to the continuing educational needs of manufacturing enterprises. While that is true to some degree, the real message is APICS education undoubtedly has a "life expectancy" of its own, too.

Beyond manufacturing businesses, concepts such as Just-in-Time processes, material requirements planning, and systems and technologies have application in the public sector, education, and even healthcare environments. APICS also could extend the studies and coursework into those businesses.

Back in the industrial sector, the current tools provided in the APICS arsenal help employees and managers enhance today's operational excellence. However, most organizations still struggle with understanding long-range customer requirements and with innovating new solutions to replace old products and markets when they reach the end of their life expectancy. There are innumerable consultants and gurus for strategic planning. Their processes always start with missions and visions, but fall short on the objectives and actions. Those of us chartered with the stewardship of the business lack a practical tool in this all-important, up-front process in the business system. There is an educational gap. The current tools seem difficult and impractical. We need to push the envelope of education and practical tools further upstream to include strategic planning and implementation.

APICS, with its recognition in the marketplace and its history of courses and tools that can be practically applied, is well positioned to fill that gap. With its continuing study into the evolving needs of industry and development of new courses that address those needs, the "life expectancy" of the APICS organization and its educational materials will extend well into the next century.

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

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