My recent post on linkedin : https://www./challenges-opportunities-scm-procurement-careers-abiodun-oke-scmp-pmp

I have been in the purchasing profession for almost 10 years now and one of my strong reason is to break the ceiling of analytical know-how and influence beyond the engineering or technical sphere.

As noble as this vision may be it has not been easy on my part given the status of procurement function within the industry at the time and having to chose procurement over engineering in which I had obtained a degree, and it's heartbreaking sometimes that veteran procurement professionals are not playing their role model responsibilities in this profession, I understand a lot of veterans play their part in supporting and guiding new entrants as part of their job function but veteran procurement professionals need to break these boundaries and reach out to any new entrant in the profession in order for this profession to reach it's deserved status amongst the choice profession within the industry.

Procurement and Supply Chain Management as an umbrella function has strong incentives for any new graduate of diverse background, the opportunity to develop strong communication skills, project management and client facing skills,the exposure to diverse industries, Manufacturing ,Public Sector, Oil and Gas, Engineering and Construction, Minning, Healthcare, Lifescience,Technology etc. The 2014 Annual salary survey conducted by CSCP,Canadian Supply Chain Professional reported average wage of $85,178 for SCM professionals.

Despite the attractiveness,the strength and incentives of supply chain and procurement career,we are still faced with the issues of recognition at the least, given we gained relevance on the back of the economy meltdown of 2008, professionals at the leadership level still struggle to gain access to the C-level hierarchy in many organisations. I know many articles have exhausted these challenges hence I will focus on the “grassroot” challenges. As a professional in the industry I have had to explain what I do to accountants,project and technical managers at network functions and if you’ve had this experience you have probably been faced with such condescending statement like “ yeah, you buy stationeries,furnitures etc”, on many occasions I had to hold my head high and explain what procurement function does in an organisation and complement this with the fact that I do capital purchases and services like remotely operated vehicles (ROV), marine vessels and offshore maintenance vessels that runs into hundred of thousands of dollars daily rent. It’s not to say that anything is wrong with the purchase of indirects and stationeries but procurement and supply chain function being misunderstood at this “grassroot level” is a bellwether for the relevance and recognition of the function at industry level and I have no doubt this “ignorance” gets escalated to formal meetings with clients on daily interactions at work. One of my clients at a meeting where we were discussing options for sourcing a capital equipment has mentioned to me in a condescending manner , “Abbey you know this is not like we are buying furniture”.

I consider all procurement and supply chain management practitioners,veterans,suppliers as key stakeholders in the industry and we all have that responsibility to elevate the supply chain management function hence my idea of SupplyProjects as a platform that will give all the mentioned stakeholders the opportunity to share and discuss with the industry what you do, you purchase what equipment ,buy product or services or you are involved in projects or you have a request for proposals,quotes etc. You will be able to share your experience with others and also connect with colleagues or potential SCM entrants that can benefit from mentorship and your guidance as a practitioner,my call is to all practitioners irrespective of your years of experience,your involvement will surely make a difference.

At this critical time for supply chain relevance we need not keep quite about the value that we contribute to organisation’s competitive advantage either through sourcing strategy,policies,technology implementation, continuous improvement or other projects you are involved with as the SCM specialist.

Do not hesitate to share your experience if my SCM story resonates with you or not,you may also share your experience if you have a different opinion,I have started supplyprojects.com and also have linkedin and facebook groups created for this purpose, at the least you can share or like my post. Do not be the weak link in the most important supply chain - the global supply chain of procurement and project management expertise.

Abiodun Oke SCMP,PMP

Founder, Cerial Projects Services

CIPS Pan African Procurement Awards 2013 http://supplyprojects.com/cips-pan-african-procurement-awards-2013/

@ wills ,good to know the thread is waxing strong,it shows Supply Chain Management is steadily gaining grounds and taking its rightful place in the scheme of things.

@gunpoint ,please shoot your questions if you don't mind as others may be benefit from the response,otherwise send a directmail as you may prefer.

I thought I should share with you guys about the supply chain event organised for Sept 4 and 5 at VI check out www.scwestafrica.com

Cheers.

Self-Leadership:

This is an inspiring rags to riches story about the author of Harry Porter books, J.K Rowling,it's about taking leadership in your own situation,it is not positive thinking but positive actions when negative situation is the reality of what surrounds you today.I hope this will speak to millions of university graduates in Nigeria that are unemployed,do something that makes you happy,engage in a hubby,volunteer for a cause,take up a project that you are passionate about,work without pay as long as passion drives what you do.


http://ezinearticles.com/?Leadership-Inspiration---Rags-to-Riches-Leadership&id=2013522

"Each of us has that right, that possibility, to invent ourselves daily. If a person does not invent herself, she will be invented. So, to be bodacious enough to invent ourselves is wise." - Maya Angelou

Where does leadership originate? What makes a good leader? There are a multitude of perspectives and definitions on the subject. What about the followers? Who are the followers of a leader? Are the followers obeying blindly out of fear or laziness when taking the easy road? Or are the followers being self-leaders within the circles in which they participate?
These questions are normally outside of mainstream conversations. The majority of people don't identify with being a leader or a follower. Regardless of status whether you are a parent, executive, professional, spouse, group member, caregiver, etc. you have unlimited leadership potential. Powerful self-leadership is when you answer your call to what is important to you and makes a difference.
Leading from within is based on your truth. It is answering the call to your vision, not someone else's future. Following a compelling passion is usually followed by mastery.
Take the rags to riches story of J. K. Rowling. J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, is an excellent example of a self-leadership story. Rather than letting circumstances define her, she took proactive steps to develop the possibility of having a book published. In 1990, while she was waiting for a train from Manchester to London, she came up with an idea for a story about a young boy attending a wizardry school. The train she was waiting for was delayed four hours, but within that span of time the characters and plots came flooding into her head. When she arrived at home she immediately began putting the story to paper.
Between 1990 and 1995, while she worked on her manuscript for Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone on an old manual typewriter, her mother passed away, she moved to Portugal, got married, gave birth to a daughter, got divorced, moved to Scotland with her daughter, was diagnosed with clinical depression, contemplated suicide, was unemployed and lived on state benefits. Rather than succumb to life altering transitions, she wrote every chance she could. Her experiences were instrumental in developing the Harry Potter characters. For example, her illness gave her the idea of the soulless creatures, Dementors.
The death of her mother influenced her writing when describing the emotions Harry Potter felt with the death of his parents. J. K. Rowling submitted her manuscript to 12 publishing houses. She received rejections from each of them. It was a small British publishing house in London that finally accepted the book due to the persuasion of the editor's eight-year old daughter. Barry Cunningham gave the first chapter to his daughter. After reading it the little girl insisted on reading the next chapter. The Philosopher's Stone was published in 1997 followed by six more Harry Potter stories.
"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - J. K. Rowling

Forbes ranked her as the 48th most powerful celebrity of 2007; the Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune in 2008 at $768 million; and she has become a prominent philanthropist. She took charge of her life in following through with an idea she was passionate in fulfilling. She took the high road in spite of what was thrown at her that could have easily swayed her to be a follower. Her self-leadership led her into leadership roles helping others develop self-leadership.
History and present day events are plentiful with persons who have made a difference in all walks of life and practices. They started out as self-leaders. Self-leaders are purposely stretching their possibility potential effecting their internal and external environments. They are visionaries and see beyond circumstances. They are creative inventors, scientists, cooks, interior designers, truck drivers, entrepreneurs, authors. In other words, they show up in all walks of life. They grow in their personal evolution by waking up their potential, daring to move toward a new possibility through self-leadership.
Questions to Ponder:
What is it that you are passionate about in becoming and doing? Where are you now professionally/personally? Is this where you want to stay? If you don't take action now, when will you? Why wait?

[flash]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6kbcERdmCw[/flash]

A video that explains leadership by inspiration using the golden circle idea.I believe this idea can influence your success at interviews if applied when preparing response to interview questions.

I find this subject interesting because of its pivotal role in personal development and success in diverse areas of human endeavor i.e education,career,business,public leadership etc. My career in the industry after graduation is now over 10 years and in my working experience and personal development I have realized that leadership skillsets is the most valuable asset that anyone can possess and have since become a student of leadership.

As you may already know,leadership is the ability to influence the successful outcome of an endeavor and as such this subject actually has no boundary in terms of human horizon,and it is my pleasure to explore the subject to its frontiers by posting on leadership inspirations around the globe and in Nigeria,the post below is on Jeff Haden linkedin wall [url]http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130219132304-20017018-5-life-altering-choices-i-wish-i-had-made?trk=eml-mktg-condig-0108-p5[/url. Some of his thoughts below are really interesting and I can relate with many of his thoughts,read for yourself in the excerpts below.

abinibi: [b]5 Life Altering Choices I Wish I Had Made At 25 - Jeff Haden

If I could go back, here are five decisions about education, work, and life that I would make differently:

1. Education.

I went to James Madison University, a four-year school. I paid my way through by working at a local manufacturing plant. I majored in communication arts mostly because I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up.

If I had it to do over again, I would:

Wait a year to start college. But not backpacking across Europe. I would work instead. I would learn a little about the real world since college is anything but, and figure out some of the things I didn't want to do.

Think about how a pre-college (instead of the typical post-graduation) reality check might have changed your approach to education.

Spend the first two years at a community college. In Virginia the state universities have formal arrangements with community colleges; for example, a student who gets a 2-year degree and at least a 3.4 GPA is guaranteed admission to the University of Virginia.

When I graduated high school UVA didn't want me; under the current system they would have been forced to want me.

In community college I could have saved money on all the classes I didn't pay attention to anyway and later I could still receive a degree from a prestigious school. (Not that there's anything wrong with JMU.)

I can't think of a good reason not to take this approach; feel free to explain why if you disagree.

Get a degree in a "profession." My comm arts degree qualified me for, well, nothing.

The same is true for lots of other degrees; unless you plan to teach, to the majority of employers an English degree is a generic, interchangeable degree.

If you're thinking business, get a finance degree rather than a business degree -- you can always be an accountant or analyst. Or get a nursing degree instead of a biology degree. A degree that confers a specific skill creates a solid backup plan.

And if, say, you don't end up working in finance, no problem; your finance degree is just as good as a liberal arts degree to the average employer.

2. First job.

I graduated college and immediately took an entry-level job at an R.R. Donnelley book manufacturing plant. I spent 17 years there, along the way breaking through the labor/management wall into leadership positions. Still, after 17 years all I "knew" was book manufacturing.

If I had it to do over again I would get a job outside my chosen field for a year or two. Say you earn an engineering degree; instead of being in a hurry to land a job calculating structural loads, work for a construction company for a year or so.

Or if you get a finance degree, work in retail. Think of yourself as a conglomerate that chooses to integrate horizontally. The skills you bring from your "outside" experience will make you better at what you choose to do and will differentiate you from your peers.

You have 40 years to calculate structural loads; there's no rush.

3. Career.

Until I left I was convinced I would spend my entire career at RRD. Why work anywhere else? Big company, good pay, good benefits, good opportunities... only when I had left did I realize there were lots of other great places to work.

If I had it to do over again, I would create a series of 10-year plans. My goal would be to "milk" the RRD experience for everything it was worth while preparing myself for my second 10-year career. Around year five I would decide what I wanted to do next and start getting the education, experience, and skills required to make the transition.

If after 10 years the grass isn't greener I would still have choices -- choices I get to make rather than choices that are basically made for me.

Think of your working life as a four- or five-act play and write your own script -- it will always be better than the one other people write for you.

4. Business.

The thought of starting my own business was... shoot, I never even thought about starting a business until I actually did.

If I had it to do over again, I would start a small side business within the first couple years of graduating college. (Or if I hadn't gone to college, within the first couple years of starting my first job.)

Start any business, preferably in a field somewhat removed from your industry or profession. It's easy; you can start a business in one day. Entrepreneurial skills benefit every career, and who knows -- your small business could turn into a full-time venture.

If you currently own a small business, great; start up something different on the side. The same principle applies.

5. Personal achievement.

For years I focused solely on working and raising a family. No regrets there... but I do look back and wish I had used some of my spare time more wisely. (Don't say it: No matter how busy we are, we all have a little spare time.)

I don't speak a second language, can't play piano, never hiked the Appalachian Trail... the list is endless.

If I had it to do over again, I would set meaningful personal goals and pursue them as actively as I pursue career and business goals. I regret hours I wasted on TV... or web surfing... or simply being lazy... that I could have spent learning something new or achieving a cool goal.

With the right kind of effort, mastering a skill is fairly easy. Say you've always wanted to write a novel; think how far along you would be if you had actually gotten started last year. Say you've always wanted to play an instrument; think how good you'd be if you'd actually gotten started a few years ago.

Starting something new is painful, but the regret of never having started is a lot more painful.

What about you? What different paths would you take?[/b]

[b]5 Life Altering Choices I Wish I Had Made At 25 - Jeff Haden

If I could go back, here are five decisions about education, work, and life that I would make differently:

1. Education.

I went to James Madison University, a four-year school. I paid my way through by working at a local manufacturing plant. I majored in communication arts mostly because I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up.

If I had it to do over again, I would:

Wait a year to start college. But not backpacking across Europe. I would work instead. I would learn a little about the real world since college is anything but, and figure out some of the things I didn't want to do.

Think about how a pre-college (instead of the typical post-graduation) reality check might have changed your approach to education.

Spend the first two years at a community college. In Virginia the state universities have formal arrangements with community colleges; for example, a student who gets a 2-year degree and at least a 3.4 GPA is guaranteed admission to the University of Virginia.

When I graduated high school UVA didn't want me; under the current system they would have been forced to want me.

In community college I could have saved money on all the classes I didn't pay attention to anyway and later I could still receive a degree from a prestigious school. (Not that there's anything wrong with JMU.)

I can't think of a good reason not to take this approach; feel free to explain why if you disagree.

Get a degree in a "profession." My comm arts degree qualified me for, well, nothing.

The same is true for lots of other degrees; unless you plan to teach, to the majority of employers an English degree is a generic, interchangeable degree.

If you're thinking business, get a finance degree rather than a business degree -- you can always be an accountant or analyst. Or get a nursing degree instead of a biology degree. A degree that confers a specific skill creates a solid backup plan.

And if, say, you don't end up working in finance, no problem; your finance degree is just as good as a liberal arts degree to the average employer.

2. First job.

I graduated college and immediately took an entry-level job at an R.R. Donnelley book manufacturing plant. I spent 17 years there, along the way breaking through the labor/management wall into leadership positions. Still, after 17 years all I "knew" was book manufacturing.

If I had it to do over again I would get a job outside my chosen field for a year or two. Say you earn an engineering degree; instead of being in a hurry to land a job calculating structural loads, work for a construction company for a year or so.

Or if you get a finance degree, work in retail. Think of yourself as a conglomerate that chooses to integrate horizontally. The skills you bring from your "outside" experience will make you better at what you choose to do and will differentiate you from your peers.

You have 40 years to calculate structural loads; there's no rush.

3. Career.

Until I left I was convinced I would spend my entire career at RRD. Why work anywhere else? Big company, good pay, good benefits, good opportunities... only when I had left did I realize there were lots of other great places to work.

If I had it to do over again, I would create a series of 10-year plans. My goal would be to "milk" the RRD experience for everything it was worth while preparing myself for my second 10-year career. Around year five I would decide what I wanted to do next and start getting the education, experience, and skills required to make the transition.

If after 10 years the grass isn't greener I would still have choices -- choices I get to make rather than choices that are basically made for me.

Think of your working life as a four- or five-act play and write your own script -- it will always be better than the one other people write for you.

4. Business.

The thought of starting my own business was... shoot, I never even thought about starting a business until I actually did.

If I had it to do over again, I would start a small side business within the first couple years of graduating college. (Or if I hadn't gone to college, within the first couple years of starting my first job.)

Start any business, preferably in a field somewhat removed from your industry or profession. It's easy; you can start a business in one day. Entrepreneurial skills benefit every career, and who knows -- your small business could turn into a full-time venture.

If you currently own a small business, great; start up something different on the side. The same principle applies.

5. Personal achievement.

For years I focused solely on working and raising a family. No regrets there... but I do look back and wish I had used some of my spare time more wisely. (Don't say it: No matter how busy we are, we all have a little spare time.)

I don't speak a second language, can't play piano, never hiked the Appalachian Trail... the list is endless.

If I had it to do over again, I would set meaningful personal goals and pursue them as actively as I pursue career and business goals. I regret hours I wasted on TV... or web surfing... or simply being lazy... that I could have spent learning something new or achieving a cool goal.

With the right kind of effort, mastering a skill is fairly easy. Say you've always wanted to write a novel; think how far along you would be if you had actually gotten started last year. Say you've always wanted to play an instrument; think how good you'd be if you'd actually gotten started a few years ago.

Starting something new is painful, but the regret of never having started is a lot more painful.

What about you? What different paths would you take?[/b]

Guys kindly help with this VIN,thanks

5NPET46FX6H033504

Viperman thanks for the VIN report on my earlier request,your service is priceless, kindly help with the VIN for this Corolla 2TIBR30E86C659924.

abinibi:
[s]Hi Inspire,kindly help with this VIN No. JTDBT923771164409.[/s]

Thanks

Hi Inspire,kindly help with this VIN No. JTDBT923771164409.

Thanks

Someone recently asked this question below,for cross-learning sake I am sharing my answer with Nairalanders

Can you enlighten me further on the fields or roles within Procurement? Are there certain procurement skills / competencies that are of more relevance to particular industries than others?


I have tried to break the roles in procurement into three categories but as I said earlier many factors influences everything about procurement,organization (project or operations focused),industry(Primary,Secondary and Tertiary),the supply value chain (Upstream,Mid-Stream and Downstream),there are other influences like technology and globalization,they actually reflect on the names given to roles in procurement as seen below.There are other emerging factors with great influence on procurement roles and skill-sets, e.g outsourcing,3PL,4PL and sustainable procurement,the skills required for this roles are greatly influenced by these factors hence some skills are more relevant than others in different industries.


I have tried to categorize the roles based on the industry of application.

Primary (Natural Resources,Oil & Gas,Mining)
--------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Sourcing Specialist/Manager
Contracts Officer/Administrator/Specialist/Engineer
Subcontracts Coordinator/Specialist/Manager
Buyer
Procurement Analyst/Specialist
Material Coordinator/ Manager
Project procurement Specialist
Project Buyer
Project Contracts specialist
Logistics officer/Engineer/Specialist/Manager
Warehouse Supervisor/Coordinator/Manager
Inventory Control Specialist/Manager
Stock Control Officer
Supplier quality assurance officer
SAP MM Technician

Secondary(Manufacturing)
---------------------------------
Production Control Analyst/Manager
MRP Planner/Analyst
Inventory Control Analyst
Category Manager
Manufacturing Buyer/Purchasing officer
Traffic coordinator
Procurement Analyst

Tertiary(Service,Retail,Distribution)
-------------
Merchandiser
Supply/Demand Analyst
Supply Chain Analyst
Shipper/Receiver/Material Handler
Retail Buyer/Purchaser
Store Manager
Global Sourcing Specialist

The list is not an exhaustive list,if you have ideas on new procurement roles,lets have them here.

@okeyz

I am obviously guilty of the same crime so I guess there is no need for apologies.

Thanks for your contribution at a time when most are busy with preparations for the CIPS November exams.

On the subject of quality,you rightly mentioned that it is the bedrock on which supply chain is built upon and know one else could attest to that statement other than Toyota as seen in the quality defects problems with sticky brake pedals that led to recalls of millions of vehicles and shutdown of U.S production,this incident happened despite Toyota's  fundamental principle and organizational wide culture in quality management.I read some articles that attributed this huge failure to the lack of focus on the Toyota management part because of a shift in its competitive strategy which ironically is quality i.e zero defect ,which they have mastered and demonstrated over and over again in all their winning models. The management dropped the ball when they focused more on the expansion strategy of operations into United States and other international operations but placed their used-to-be competitive strategy in the back burner and it was a strategic mistake that placed the organization in a very difficult situation.

The Toyota case study quite illustrate the importance of quality management as a bedrock of supply chain and I encourage more of this topical discussion with such apt case in study.

@larryboy07

Its a pleasure to have you on-board,I cant wait to have your contributions on shipping.I believe we do need leadership in every area possible on a national level and our contributions here on this forum is a step in that direction,the infrastructure provided by shipping is what created the global logistics known as of today,its role in the growth of global economy cannot be overemphasized as seen in China's economic growth.What more can I say, start shooting!!!


Remember to connect @okeabiodune and linkedin

@okeyz

Thanks for connecting on LinkedIn,it was a interesting coincidence that my last post is very relevant to your operations and I do remember some regulation as regards destination inspections,this aspect of the international trade supply chain is very critical to the quality of imported supplies.I thought it would benefit us all if you can shed some light on these operations and its relevance to my last discussion on QA/QC.

Cheers.
You can now follow me on twitter @okeabiodune and connect with my linkedin accounts(abiodun oke)

A Nairalander posed a question on QA/QC and I found the profession interesting and my personal thought is that Quality management is a sister profession to supply chain management,it features more prominently in the subjects of operations management and manufacturing,these are ally functions to supply chain management and hence of great significance,here is my response below:

[b]Quality Assurance or Quality Control are complementary sets of discipline under the quality management profession,the quality management profession itself is still a young profession in the league of management professions but has been demonstrated to contribute immensely to the operational excellence,sustainability and competitiveness of fortune 500 corporations,some of the organization that led in the area of quality management include General Electric(GE),Toyota,Motorola etc and these organization have in one way or the other contributed to the quality management innovations,buzzwords in quality management include TSP(Toyota Production System),Six Sigma, TQM(Total Quality Management),though manufacturing seems to be the cradle for the birth of advanced achievement in quality management,it has penetrated into every practice in innovation and development,Information Technology(I.T),Supply Chain Management(SCM),Project management,Health, Safety and Environment(HSE),Marketing & Customer Service.

There is no way you would talk about quality without mentioning excellence,the fundamentals of quality entails conformance to requirements and as defined by ISO, quality is the totality of characteristics of an entity that bears on its ability to satisfy its stated and implied need.

In order to bring this definition home to oil & gas sector,every product and service requirements are defined to details as to the fitness for purpose,products in this case may include Tubing,Pumps,Compressors and in some cases transportation or construction services,in the case of products they always have technical specifications that has to be met for safety,regulatory and operational compliance and same applies to services but with some level of abstractness since you may be dealing with intangibles.

To ensure the products and services meets the stated(specification) or implied(regulatory) needs,there has to be some means and process to ensuring these requirements are met either proactively or in a situational approach.This entails rudiments like measurements and statistics,in the case of engineering there are loads of tool kits that has been developed to measure physical and mechanical characteristics,the output from these measuring exercise are fed into  the quality control process to ensure compliance or instigate a corrective process.The eventual outcome of these processes are efforts towards achieving quality and operational excellence in the case of services.

Finally,what draws the line between quality assurance and quality control is the approach of this efforts,if its done or designed to be proactive then its quality assurance but if its done as an intervention to produce a corrective result then it falls into quality control,though the line between this processes has diminished as quality management advanced,this explains the twin word QA/QC most time when it is discussed.[/b]

You can now follow me on twitter @okeabiodune and connect with my linkedin accounts(abiodun oke) to get tweets about resources for SCM career developments,career opportunities,events and networking with other professional colleagues.

Quality Assurance or Quality Control are complementary sets of discipline under the quality management profession,the quality management profession itself is still a young profession in the league of management professions but has been demonstrated to contribute immensely to the operational excellence,sustainability and competitiveness of fortune 500 corporations,some of the organization that led in the area of quality management include General Electric(GE),Toyota,Motorola etc and these organization have in one way or the other contributed to the quality management innovations,buzzwords in quality management include TSP(Toyota Production System),Six Sigma, TQM(Total Quality Management),though manufacturing seems to be the cradle for the birth of advanced achievement in quality management,it has penetrated into every practice in innovation and development,Information Technology(I.T),Supply Chain Management(SCM),Project management,Health, Safety and Environment(HSE),Marketing & Customer Service.

There is no way you would talk about quality without mentioning excellence,the fundamentals of quality entails conformance to requirements and as defined by ISO, quality is the totality of characteristics of an entity that bears on its ability to satisfy its stated and implied need.

In order to bring this definition home to oil & gas sector,every product and service requirements are defined to details as to the fitness for purpose,products in this case may include Tubing,Pumps,Compressors and in some cases transportation or construction services,in the case of products they always have technical specifications that has to be met for safety,regulatory and operational compliance and same applies to services but with some level of abstractness since you may be dealing with intangibles.

To ensure the products and services meets the stated(specification) or implied(regulatory) needs,there has to be some means and process to ensuring these requirements are met either proactively or in a situational approach.This entails rudiments like measurements and statistics,in the case of engineering there are loads of tool kits that has been developed to measure physical and mechanical characteristics,the output from these measuring exercise are fed into  the quality control process to ensure compliance or instigate a corrective process.The eventual outcome of these processes are efforts towards achieving quality and operational excellence in the case of services.

Finally,what draws the line between quality assurance and quality control is the approach of this efforts,if its done or designed to be proactive then its quality assurance but if its done as an intervention to produce a corrective result then it falls into quality control,though the line between this processes has diminished as quality management advanced,this explains the twin word QA/QC most time when it is discussed.

You can follow me on the SCM and logistics thread where I regularly make contributions or on twitter @okeabiodune

@dypo

I believe we all have different inspirations in our interest for SCM and one of my inspiration has been that opportunity of exposure to various business discipline namely business law,economics,strategy management,
negotiation,accounting,leadership,operations and project management ,hence considering a Masters in SCM
is highly desirable and based on my experience it makes you a better business professional and for those with technical background,it complements your technical education and equip you with a balanced approach to problem solving.

SCM Masters education in Nigeria is out of reach and the reason most have embraced this "certification" though I would like to observe that CIPS program is not only a "certification" but you need to study up to the level of achieving an advanced diploma before you are awarded MCIPS,it takes average of 3 years for good students and that is different than "certifications" that I know or have acquired.

If you desire masters in SCM and you still want to keep your job in Nigeria,you may start the CIPS program and can convert to Masters via the university of Glamorgan as mentioned @ Okeyz but only after achieving your Advanced Diploma.If you can afford to leave Nigeria for SCM education, a lot of schools in UK offers Masters program and many that are accredited by CIPS automatically awards the MCIPS status.

http://www.procurementmasters.co.uk/

Cheers.

Hello Supply Chain Managers,

I would like to share with you about  the books I am reading at the moment and hopes to make summary on the books:

1. The Toyota Leaders:An Executive Guide

Authored by Masaaki Sato and originally written in Japanese but translated by Justin Bonsey.

This book chronicled the Toyota empire development and the origin of various SCM systems that has been adopted on a global scale.It is a presentation of  a case on Toyota's strenght,its effieciency on shop floor and why it cannot be understood or emulated outside the context of  Toyota's tradition.

Just as the title suggests its an executive guide,rather than focus on inventory management or Toyota's overall strategic vision,it approaches the company from a business management perspective.It may interest you if you are an SCM executive or would be an executive within manufacturing now or later in your career.

2. Oil:Anatomy of an Industry

Authored by Matthew Yeomans

This an informative book on the  commodity called crude oil and its importance in our everyday life but more on its influence on global politics,economy and the health of the planet.

The story focused on how America's discovery of Oil changed the way we live and led to the growth of the auto industry and how America's dependence on Oil has caused an addiction that drives global politics and maneuvers from South America to Asia and Africa,the crude oil factor drives the behavior of global economics and influence human rights and environmental conflicts on global scale.

This would a good read if you follow global politics and economics of crude oil.

Cheers.

I see that I have missed a lot since the last time I checked,its really encouraging for me to know more people finds the SCM profession appealing,even though I am lazy sometimes in responding please bear with me and be rest assured I would respond as soon as I can,more reason for my late response being that I am presently at -6 GMT from Nigeria and would like to appreciate and encourage @ okeyz and @ argentina,thumbs up.

If anyone is interested in the ISO training,  Bureau Veritas in Ikoyi  offers training while IRCA wld help with the certification.

@vkings

You can reach me on cerialprojects@gmail.com for enquiries, for BB Messaging send invitation to 273C2A00 with a brief introduction.

@ Ericalesh

Your background is fantastic and dont know why you have been waiting to launch into the SCM career,with your MBA you can actually apply for exemptions and I hope you have experience in SCM, you need to check out the procedures at www.cips.org. But do not use any excuse to delay,enrol for the August exams,with the results you can prove the MBA achievement.

@nomsoe

I hope my earlier post answered some of your questions about training without experience,if you really love your profession and desire vertical career progression you wouldn't wait till you have all the years of experience.

Cheers.

I made this contribution recently and I thought it would help folks with similar query here even though I would still answer some questions I have seen below especially @ vkings:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-698636.0.html

Sorry it took me some time to come up with my piece,I am most interested in advising you because of your background in Economics.I studied Mech Engr but I was appalled with outcomes especially concerning job prospects just before I continue there was an experience I had when I was at a point stagnated,I switched into a deep meditation mode alone in my privacy for days and I reached some level of peace within myself on what I need to do to move forward.This experience changed who I am and I have never had such opportunity again but the outcome was far reaching.

It was an opportunity to know who I am,what do people call me especially when I was young and what is my talent based on what initiative I have exhibited amongst my mates when I was at the best in my teen,this is a soul searching exercise which gave me an opportunity to know what I want and what my calling in life and purpose is in life,there is the saying that if you do not understand the purpose of a thing there is every possibility of an an abuse,that is as far as I would share this rare experience of mine with you.This is the purpose behind what I do on Nairaland.

The formula @syenite was what I had and was taught before I came to what I have above,not only did that formula failed me but at a point I was almost feeling like some NRC were on my back because I had everything there in that formula yet nothing was forthcoming.

Though I didnt really have that particular interest in Oil & Gas but I had this strong conviction after my experience that I was born to lead, it is not a far fetched knowledge everyone is born to lead, i.e innate in us is that power to be a leader,its up to you to awaken that giant in you or not.Also that my degree is really not a license to hunt for jobs,also relating this with what I was amongst my colleagues when in secondary school I realised I already had what I needed to succeed even before proceeding to the university.There and then I made up my mind to venture into the business discipline and anything related to the business discipline for that matter.

Back to Oil & Gas, I had strong interest in physics,maths hence engineering,so I had someone who is working in the industry so he helped with a contract based job,to further stress my love for anything in engineering career at the expense of a permanent job as an executive trainee with First Bank but there and then I hit my opportunity in reaching my desired career vision,I was introduced to supply chain management but disguised in the form of a clerical position,I therefore pursued strong career development in SCM pouring all my resource into this and many times sacrificing my ego and comfort,in two years I became the supervisor of my team.The rest is history,you can follow me on the SCM thread.

About two years back I also helped a schoolmate,this I did when I was resourcing for a contract involving quayside support,this is sort of a labour work for a graduate but no interviews,my guy was actually laughed at when he reported to work in suit but I encouraged him that it was just an entry for him into the industry hence I pushed him into HSE training,he actually had agriculture background hence he is a good fit for that career path,within a year with his HSE training and O & G experience he got an HSE supervisor job with an industry contractor through his network,the rest is history.

The Lesson for you is that there is an alternate formula for entry into any industry through your network,former colleague,relatives,classmates, other form of networking is joining professional organizations of interest or those with interest in oil & gas and attending events,either training or others,there are also industry events in Lagos,Abuja etc,

Secondly,focus is key even when you are a step ahead and please dont forget to drop your ego O & G actually pays well notwithstanding if its labour or manpower, I started with 150k but for five years I ddnt own anything called a car while my colleagues & subordinates drive,the obvious being that my resources were all going into my career development(, focus) or I kind of practiced delayed gratification,I earned PMP 2008,MCIPS 2010, my expenses on training & certification was going up to 1 million as at 2010.


My motivation really was not related to yours,that is why I had to share mine with you, whatever it is that motivates you is what will get you further in your adventure,I hope I have not bored you with my story,from here it is all up to you.

If you have interest in SCM,you have a great background for a career in SCM and its often one of the ignored career path which now earns great in the Oil & Gas industry.

I work in this industry,what is your background and why do you really want to work in the industry,I mean what is your motivation to work in this industry.

Even though I was not really interested in oil & gas after graduating with Mech.Engrg,I realized that Msc in SCM & logistics  is an often ignored entry opportunity into the oil & gas sector,that's the profession I embraced and it made a difference,you have a fantastic undergraduate degree to start . For further knowledge on this profession check out https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-7497.0.html

dotman_a:

Please NL,
I have been having problems booking for my July exams online.I got stocked when i was asked to chose my exams.Pleas help.URGENT

corrall:

Hello all,

Can someone put me through?

I have currently completed an M.Sc degree in purchasing and supply chain management. I know this is a 'hot' and much needed discipline in the Nigerian market, but what i want to know is, to stand at an advantage, what package can i have (training) to equip myself? Is it like a software or a management body in Nigeria?


Thanks

dotman_a:

You guys are not encouraging us at all.I asked a question about anybody writing Level 4,nobody aswered.

@dotmann,

I have also waited to know if someone was going to answer your questions but unfortunately no one offered any help,I sometimes realize this is a forum and whatever is brought forward would be discussed by whoever has interest in the topic.It was not really clear to me if you were doing online booking because the method I have used throughout my enrollment for CIPS exams is via british council ,what was confusing is the July date mentioned,registration for CIPS exams starts in February and exams takes place in May,at the time of your posting quoted above,CIPS exams was just some 5 days ahead, with this observations I was not really sure you were talking about CIPS.Sorry for the oversight and please be detailed especially when it concerns urgent issues as this,I do believe this forum does not place emphasis on any exam body,Its hard to know if this was CIPS.

Also,I would like to encourage NL with interest in SCM to contribute as often as they can,this country needs leaders in every area to make the change we are all yearning for but unfortunately this leadership vacancies are not in big positions with fat salaries hence the apathy we show sometimes when this needs are begging for attention.Please be the change that you ask for,same for you @ dotman.



@Corall

Congratulations on your MSc,can you please provide information on the university where you obtained this qualification,cause if its UK you are likely to get level 5 of CIPS waived or be awarded an MCIPS if you have a 3 years working experience in the profession.To start with visit www.cips.org to know where you stand,you can also call their customer care to discuss further +44 1 780 756777.

Hope that helps.

@ Yemmy,

I appreciate your pointing out that the definition by Harland not abinibi is old,my choice of this definition is based on its broad application and simplicity,there is a handful number of researchers that have been able to define supply chain management,I am not re-inventing the wheel here and that is the reason for the reference. I can define supply chain management to the best of my ability based on my experience as a practicing professional but none of my definition would have been put through any test as the one I quoted.

@ Okeyz

Thanks for sharing,the definition I quoted I agree is not the most detailed of all SCM definitions but it answers the basic questions of what,why,who,when & how of SCM? The processes you mentioned are all SCM activities but just that you defined SCM as a network rather than the management of a network, moreso it would help if you provide a reference to your definitions as I have done,that confirms its an outcome of a research work.

Cheers.

@ Okeyz

SUPPLY chain management is a global network that delivers products and services from raw materials to the end customer using engineered flow of the internet,physical distribution and cash.

While I would not necessarily critique your definitions,the definition below seems apt and broad enough to cover other areas of practice that forms what is called SCM;

Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers (Harland, 1996).

Let us test the two definition with a video of UPS Logistics campaign,UPS embodies a business whose core is SCM/logistics,tell me how the two definition fits.

[flash=350,300]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay1wC17xzKQ&feature=player_detailpage[/flash]

[flash=350,350]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1QBxVjZAw&feature=player_profilepage[/flash]

What is Supply Chain Management?

@obie_notes & oakland

obie_notes:

i am a graduate of biochemistry,i work as a supervisor for incoming goods,in a manufacturing company,how do i get my foot in the door,i am a fresh graduate,but i have been with the coy since my 300level

i am just joining this very enlightening tread,i am a biochemist with a food company,i work as a supervisor for incomming goods,how can i get into a certificate program?how much does it cost?and what is the duration?
i have heard of cips, is this the most valued qualification?i want only the best as regards supply chain and logistics
thanks!!

Dont know if its the same person but the question are same and so are the experience profiles.

It will be good for you to go through this thread because such questions have been asked and I guess we would have more than a response on this type of questions.

Most time our situations are different from each other and so are our depth of experience,I will advice you go through this threads but whatever decision you make concerning what certification you settle for should be based on your priorities namely finance,career goals,career challenges and also your industry.

At the time I was making my decision,I knew CIPS was defacto for my industry and even though I could not afford the training at the time I quickly embraced the conversion program of CIPSN which I leveraged to become a professional within  months.

Moreso this programs have their areas of emphasis,I know some programs emphasize operations management,some transportation and some supply chain management ,and some SCM systems and some core purchasing skills.As a matter of fact even though we can give you insight as to what to expect sometimes you just have to do your homework.So I will advise you start with past posts on this thread and other resources on the net.

As regards the cost of training,there is really no amount that is too high for your personal development from my experience but I understand we have different levels of financial commitment  based on goals and income hence the concerns on cost of training,visit the website of this programs to know the cost implications.

Another area of concerns is method of training delivery,some are online,some face-to-face delivery while some are self-study.The methods of delivery will have cost implications,time/commitment level requirement implications and here if you know your nature of job and the time you have to commit to training,you would have preference for any program that matches the nature of your job.

In summary,only you can choose the training program you prefer especially if you will sponsor the training yourself like the saying goes that it is he who wear the shoe that knows where it pinches.

Hope this helps?

I want to to appreciate everyone for their contribution in  keeping this blog on the move,like they say success is a journey and not a destination,I appreciate the fact that everyone that has contributed in one way or the other has made some level of sacrifice because you may have decided to be on another thread that is more interesting or perhaps use your time for personal concerns,I tell you,each time I want to make a contribution I experience some measure of inertia before I post ,therefore for us to have kept this thread going for the last 5 years shows a measure of consistency on the part of the founder and every blogger on this thread.

I also want to appreciate everybody for keeping the discussion in our threads positive,I have seen very popular front page threads that discuss low things on Nairaland and I think it takes only very positive minds to make contributions without those cheap comments I see on  other threads.I believe everyone that comes here have portrayed that sense of professionalism which is expected of every acclaimed professional in SCM and because we have not demonstrated such attitude here we have definitely not attracted those characters here,congratulations to every member of SCM/Logistics thread.

One of the very reasons that has kept me on this thread has to do with a vision I have of SCM/Logistics role in the economics policy of this nation and its role in the free market economy as seen practised in other climes of this world,if you appreciate the work of CIPS in UN and the policy formulation of UK,I believe you would relate with my vision.It is not that we do not have such bodies in Nigeria but we that are so called members of this bodies know that any organization in the country is a reflection or a microcosm of the country at large,hence these bodies are also afflicted by the same vices that has arrested the development of the Nigeria.

I believe I have an assignment in this arena as a change agent and we also have the same assignment on us that first as someone who hopes to make a change in his environment must himself be changed in line with the saying that goes that you cannot give what you do not possess.I have tried to apprise myself of this area of practise and one thing I remain convinced about is the fact that change is only possible in the situation described above if our awareness becomes increased at the grass-root level to a large extent where everyone know SCM as an area of practice just as accountancy has become an household profession,mind you it is not that we are in competition with this mainstream profession but that Nigerians awareness should be that high that we can raise as many change agents as possible to make the desire change that we want possible,if you like call this a revolution, of course it is and we are doing it through the media.We have started it here on Nairaland and we shall not stop now.

I have seen my contributions here on Nairaland as a seed towards this cause stated above and I discussed with Will that we need to take our cause to the next level and this Will has hinted us all on what we intend to achieve,as I give more communication on this cause,we are requesting your contributions as volunteers towards achieving the vision of this blog and we ask that you prepare your mind on what area you are led to contribute towards this vision.

Finally,I have now achieved my SCMP designation to practice procurement in Canada.All I can say for now is that YES WE CAN.