Forward motion

Next year, CSCMP will turn 45 years old. Talk about a journey!

CSCMP was born in 1963 as the National Council of Physical Distribution Management (NCPDM). The organization was formed by a visionary group of educators, consultants, and managers who foresaw the integration of transportation, warehousing, and inventory as the future of the discipline.

In the late 1970s and early '80s, major universities began to advance logistics studies and train the next generation of logisticians. Industry saw the benefits of hiring logistics professionals who could maximize cost-reduction opportunities and improve customer service.

Since then, we have continued to evolve along with the profession. We became the Council of Logistics Management (CLM) in 1985, and 20 years later, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

Our history and our mission are reflected in CSCMP's triangle-shaped logo. One side represents the professionals' community, the second side the academic and student worlds, and the third side represents research. Here are some of the newest offerings CSCMP has developed in support of these three fundamentals:

For supply chain professionals, we launched this magazine, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly, with a focus on global supply chain management and dissecting the "big picture" issues. We also developed an on-site educational program where we create a customized workshop and bring it right to your organization's facility. Earlier this year, we unveiled our online CSCMP Career Center, which offers features you won't find anywhere else.

On the academic side of the triangle, our partnerships with institutions that educate future supply chain professionals remain strong. Each year, CSCMP awards scholarships to students who have distinguished extensive research on supply chain themselves in supply chain-focused academic programs. And we have just launched a dynamic careers web site at www.careersinsupplychain.org, which was specifically designed to educate and excite people about careers in supply chain management.

CSCMP is at the forefront of supply chain research, the third side of the triangle. In addition to conducting costing, we are co-sponsoring research on RFID item-level tagging. Our partners in this effort, the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions (VICS) Association, the University of Arkansas, and several retailers and manufacturers, will investigate RFID in both a laboratory environment and from a store-level perspective.

We continue to examine the latest supply chain trends with our global publications— CSCMP Supply Chain Comment, CSCMP Explores…, and CSCMP Global Perspectives. Current topics include lack of predictability, consumer attitudes and demographics, industry regulation, automation, and sustainable supply chains.

As CSCMP looks to the future, it will focus on growing with our members and the profession; increasing our global consciousness and extending our worldwide reach; leading collaboration and consolidation efforts; listening to the "Voice of the Customer" through CSCMP's roundtables; and developing new content and delivery methods.

Refusing to change and standing still are not options for CSCMP. We hope you will join us on the journey to supply chain management excellence.