APICS Update

APICS membership update
APICS membership grew for the tenth time in eleven months in August to 36,042 members. This marks the first time since March, 2008 at the organization has surpassed 36,000 members.
2011 year-to-date highlights

• APICS has suspended 408 less members than the same period last year (a 4% decrease).
• APICS added 876 new members in August, which brings the total number of new members for the year to 8,114.

This is up 20 percent from the same period in 2010. Review membership counts on C-BOX.

Don't forget: Mentor an APICS Scholar at APICS 2011
You can bring valuable insight to this learning, networking, and educational event for the future leaders of the profession.

APICS 2011 will welcome an estimated 180 students and APICS Scholars. APICS Scholar Education Program mentors will have the unique opportunity to share their knowledge and make a difference in the careers of students attending APICS 2011, while accessing special certification and event benefits.

By mentoring, you will

• influence the future of operations management
• receive 2 certification maintenance points 
• build long-term relationships and expand your personal network
• gain access to the best and brightest operations students in the country
• help shape the next generation of APICS leaders and volunteers.

Apply today.

APICS Channel Partner Development

Q: I have a meeting with a prospective member. Is there a presentation available to show the value of APICS?
A: Yes. Download the Making APICS Membership Matter PowerPoint presentation. The presentation defines who our members and customers are, what their roles and responsibilities are, and why they join and renew their memberships. Member benefits are highlighted as well as APICS certifications and publications.

Review this presentation with prospective members or use it as a guide to help you prepare for your meeting. Download it now from C-BOX.

Best practices: Learning from your peers successes at the APICS Volunteer Leadership Workshop
On Saturday, October 22, APICS leaders will come together to create an afternoon workshop geared towards helping fellow volunteers in the areas of affiliation, content, and certification. This complimentary workshop is a great way to learn from the experience of other volunteers who currently participate in effective chapter and association management strategies. This year’s sessions will highlight such topics as strategic planning, membership retention, motivating volunteers, understanding how certification tests are scored and much more. Attendees will take part in sharing knowledge, networking, and growing professionally.

Past attendees have shared challenges with fellow volunteers, which has been a great source for future topics. For instance in 2010, a lot of the participant feedback was about how to retain members. This year the committee has made membership retention a big focus with tracks dedicated towards retaining members and growing your chapter. Also highlighted as a need last year was more information about how to market APICS products, so a session will be highlighting the different ways chapters can reach out to interested companies and individuals, along with tools available to chapters. Additional tracks where a need was indicated include certification exam scoring and opportunities to discuss the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) program with subject matter experts. Both areas will be covered in depth based on the feedback given from past participants.

All APICS channel partner leaders are encouraged to attend—including chapter officers, district managers and support staff, scholars, students, international associates, and authorized education providers. This is a great opportunity to share best practices and cross train with similar volunteers who may have solutions for your challenges.

APICS Volunteer Leadership Workshop preview
The theme for 2011 is APICS volunteers: building pillars of success, with a focus on content, affiliation, and certification. Below is a snapshot of the sessions you can choose from at VLW this year.

Register for VLW now.

Saturday, October 22

11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.	Registration
12:30–1:30 p.m.	Welcome  Ione M. Dykstra, CPIM, Chair, 2011 VLW Planning Committee Eric Schaudt, CPIM, CSCP, Chair, APICS Board of Directors General Session Sharon Rice, Executive Vice President, APICS Meeting Room 301–303
1:30–1:40 p.m.	Break
1:40–2:40 p.m. Learning Sessions	Essential Tools to Grow Your Membership Carla J. Parvin, CFPIM Meeting Room 317–318 What is Your APICS Elevator Pitch? Meeting Room 310–311 Membership Retention Roundtable: Tools That Work Moderator: Patricia A Crotty, CPIM, CIRM, CSCP Panelists: Karen K. Schiebout, CPIM, CSCP | David W. Johnson, CPIM | Theresa R. Scully, CPIM, CIRM, CSCP, CPSM, C.P.M. Meeting Room 315–316 Job Interview and Résumé Tips Malaina M. Hudson, CPIM Meeting Room 304–305 APICS CSCP 2012: Introducing the New and Improved APICS CSCP Exam and Learning System Bob Collins, CFPIM, CIRM, CSCP, Director of Professional Development, APICS | Lisa Sallstrom, Director, Certification, APICS Meeting Room 301–303
2:40–2:50 p.m.	Break
2:50–3:50 p.m. Learning Sessions	Growing Your Chapter Through Strategic Planning Denise D. Gillespie, CPIM, CIRM, CSCP Meeting Room 317–318 Motivating Volunteers Carol A. Ptak, CFPIM, CIRM Meeting Room 310–311 How Are APICS Certification Exams Scored? Ann K. Gatewood, CFPIM, CIRM, CSCP | Susan A. Neff, CPIM, CIRM, CSCP, CAE Meeting Room 315–316 How to Get a Job as a Recent Graduate in a Recession Kuntal N. Trivedi, CPIM Meeting Room 304–305 New APICS CSCP Learning Systems Features and Benefits Michele Morrison, APICS CSCP Learning System and Channel Partner Support, Holmes Corporation Vicky Vander Woude, APICS CSCP Learning System and Channel Partner Support, Holmes Corporation Meeting Room 301–303
3:50–4:00 p.m.	Break
4:00–5:00 p.m. Learning Sessions	Strategic Planning and Membership Retention Celeste M. Ayers, CFPIM, CSCP Meeting Room 317–318 Media Options for Dummies Moderator: Ione M. Dykstra, CPIM Panelists: Humphrey H. Vernaus | Lisa J. Ross Meeting Room 315–316 Marketing APICS Certifications Jane Pearson, Director, Marketing and Brand Management, APICS Meeting Room 310–311 Best Practices for Student Chapters Matt Drake, PhD, CFPIM | Steve Limmex, CPIM Meeting Room 304–305 An Opportunity to Talk to APICS CSCP Courseware Subject Matter Experts Bob Collins, CFPIM, CIRM, CSCP, Director of Professional Development, APICS Meeting Room 301–303

Promote your courses through the APICS Chapter Course Listing program
Upload your courses to the APICS Chapter Course Listing program and raise the profile of your classes to the thousands of monthly visitors to apics.org, the readership of APICS Operations Management Now, and the more than 3.5 million monthly ad impressions on Google.

List a course now.

Important Reminders

APICS member benefits: Aberdeen Research Vault access
Reminder: APICS members no longer will receive access to the Aberdeen Research Vault.
APICS members who currently are signed up on the Aberdeen website will not be impacted and will have continued access to Aberdeen research through the duration of their two-year access.

Updates to Basics of Supply Chain Management and Detailed Scheduling and Planning
The APICS Basics of Supply Chain Management (BSCM) and Detailed Scheduling and Planning (DSP) modules will be updated to a new version in 2012. The changes will require purchasing new APICS Instructor Kits for these two courses in 2012. To ensure our chapters, international partners, and instructors have adequate time to plan and budget for the new materials, we are notifying you now. As we have done the last four years, we will offer these new instructor kits for $150 to those partners and instructors who already own a current version of the APICS Instructor Kit through March 31, 2012.

The new materials will be available for preorder December 1, 2011, and will ship beginning December 16, 2011. The 2012 edition of the APICS BSCM will move to version 4.0 and the 2012 edition of the DSP will move to version 5.0. The APICS upgrade kit includes the net change document, updated instructor guide pages, and updated or new PowerPoint slides will be available for download through the APICS Instructor Center on December 16, 2011.

The APICS upgrade packet includes printed copies of the detailed change document, updated instructor pages, and the complete PowerPoint visuals CD-ROM is available for preorder starting December 1, 2011, through APICS Customer Service, for shipment beginning December 16, 2011. The cost of the packet is $25. Contact APICS Customer Service at 1-800-444-2742 or +1-773-867-1777 or service@apics.org.

Returning APICS CPIM Participant Guides
APICS partners (chapters and international associates) that have unused APICS CPIM Participant workbooks that were purchased after September 1, 2011, will be able to return them for replacement until February 28, 2012. When sending a return, please include the front cover only, original purchaser’s name, address, and approximate date of purchase. A receipt is not mandatory but appreciated. Please send the covers to the following address:

Attention: APICS Customer Service
APICS The Association for Operations Management
8430 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60631 USA

NOTE: Do not send the covers to Gilmore Global. This will create additional expense for you and will delay the replacement of your books. For more information, contact APICS Customer Service at 1-800-444-2742 or +1-773-867-1777.

If you have any questions or need of further information, please contact us.

Chapters: pdadmin@apics.org
International associates: globalservices@apics.org

APICS CSCP program update
As we informed you in April, to support APICS' strategic priority to implement a process to regularly update APICS courseware and ensure APICS certification programs reflect current professional practice, the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) program will be updated for the 2012 educational year. This update will enable APICS to maintain the credibility and high quality standards of the certification.

North American chapters: Read the notice now.
International partners: Read the notice now.

APICS CSCP pricing update
The APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) program was released in late 2005, with the first exam administered in March 2006. Due to the changing nature of supply chain management, APICS conducted a job task analysis in 2010 to ensure that the body of knowledge being tested by the APICS CSCP exam matched the tasks that industry professionals are engaged in today. The job task analysis resulted in a significant update to the APICS CSCP exam for 2012. Although it was clear a considerable investment was required to fully update the APICS CSCP Learning System to match the new exam, the changes were necessary to ensure APICS core products retain their leadership position in the market.

Further review prompted APICS to review pricing of the APICS CSCP product line. In order to continue to offer members a high-quality educational experience, prices for the APICS CSCP Learning System and exam must be adjusted.

Please remember: Prices have not changed for the APICS CSCP Learning System since the program began more than five years ago, not even to keep pace with inflation.

• Because of the current economic environment, APICS will increase the price gradually to recover the investment of the updates.
• Pricing for the APICS CSCP exam has been adjusted to below the inflation rate for the last five years and does not include significant operational cost increases of the computer-based testing migration.
• The APICS CSCP Learning System pricing has been aligned to half of the inflation rate for the last five years.
• Effective January 1, 2012, APICS will have new prices for these APICS CSCP products.

APICS channel partners were notified of the price changes July 21—please see that email for an overview of the price changes.

APICS CSCP Instructor Guides, the APICS CPIM materials, and the Fundamentals/Principles program prices will not change in 2012; however, as planned updates are completed in future years, the price will be adjusted to reflect the investment in those products. APICS will review pricing on all products at regular intervals to ensure the pricing structure aligns with investment recovery objectives, inflation, and the organization's strategic priorities. The price changes ensure that APICS can continue to bring you the high-quality materials you rely on.

Questions? Contact APICS Customer Service at 1-800-444-2742 or +1-773- 867-1777 or service@apics.org.

APICS CFPIM pricing update
Please note that, beginning January 1, 2012, the APICS CFPIM application price will increase from $30 to $50.

APICS CSCP leads available to volunteer leaders
Is your chapter or international organization offering or planning to offer APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) review to your local market? If so, you can now receive contact information for potential students looking for local APICS CSCP instruction.

To receive these leads, you must indicate your readiness by listing your course offerings with APICS. If you currently do not have a course scheduled, but have the ability (instructor or resources) to offer a course, you can opt in to receive leads using the same form.

Opt-in to receive APICS CSCP leads. Questions? Contact APICS Channel Partner Services at chaprel@apics.org.