MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
Which credentials are the right ones for your unique role in supply chain? WERC Advisory Council President Will Sparks has the answers.
BY , EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MHI’S KNOWLEDGE VALUE CENTER AND WERCHave you ever seen a LinkedIn profile with a downright comical number of acronyms following the person’s name? Something like “John Doe, ABC, DEF, GHI, JKL, MNO….” LOL!
All jokes aside, however, there truly are a lot of supply chain and logistics certifications offered by multiple organizations. That begs the question: Which credentials are worth your time (and money) to pursue?
That’s the type of question that energizes WERC Advisory Council President Will Sparks, CSCP, CLTD, CMRP. In his day job as director of operations planning and analytics for Tractor Supply Company, Sparks does a lot of research to inform the decisions that deliver maximum strategic value for the company.
He recently applied that same inquisitiveness to the task of sifting through industry credentials. After examining the many options, he compared them across multiple criteria, including target audience, rigor, curriculum depth and breadth, cost and number of awardees.
Sparks first shared his findings at the 2024 WERC Annual Conference. He and I recently chatted more about what he calls the “acronym avalanche.” Here’s a recap, edited for length and clarity.
Michael Mikitka: This presentation was a favorite among Annual Conference attendees. Why?
Will Sparks: We’ve all seen the alphabet soup on certain LinkedIn profiles, and most of us may know what some of the acronyms represent, but probably not all. I initially thought there would be a comprehensive list comparing these supply chain certifications—but couldn’t find one. There’s no single resource to help answer questions like: What topic or specialty does each credential cover? How difficult is it to get? Will it elevate my credibility in the industry or look good on my resume? Will I learn something new if I pursue this? What does it cost? How many people have it? I wanted to understand the value of each.
MM: How did you do that?
WS: Let me first distinguish between a certification and a certificate. A certification is typically granted by a professional organization, verifying you have the skills and knowledge to perform a specific job. A certificate is usually awarded by an educational institution and documents the completion of a course or program of study. I focused solely on certifications.
As I identified different certifications, I organized them against the five process areas in the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) framework: plan, source, make, deliver and return. That is, which certifications apply to each role in supply chain.
MM: What did you find?
WS: Among planning certifications, the biggest granter worldwide is the Institute of Business Forecasting and Planning (IBF). They offer the Certified Professional Forecaster (CPF), held by 23,000 folks on LinkedIn.
For procurement professionals, two organizations offer certifications. The American Purchasing Society (APS) has five, the most popular of which is the Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP). The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) offers two certifications. Also, certifications in procurement are much more popular internationally.
Interestingly, in manufacturing, I couldn’t find a single association that dominated the certification market. The primary certifications are Six Sigma and Lean, but numerous groups grant them.
In distribution and logistics—or “deliver and return” in the SCOR model—the one I’m most excited about is WERC’s new Distribution Logistics Education Program. It’s a stackable micro‑credentialing program with six self‑paced courses, each focused on a different aspect of distribution logistics facilities. You pick and choose the courses most applicable to your needs. It starts with the fundamentals, then covers equipment, safety, operations, metrics and labor management. Completing all the courses takes around 25 hours. It’s affordably priced compared to many other industry certifications, particularly for companies who join WERC under one of its new Team Pro, Xtra or Elite Memberships.
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