Monday, December 16, 2013

CITT Winter Semester Announcement

New research from MIT "the missing link" connecting employees’ supply chain & logistics skills and expertise to corporate KPIs, trumping all other operational factors

Toronto, Ontario – December 12, 2013 - The MIT Forum for Supply Chain Innovation recently released a landmark research study in collaboration with PwC on Supply Chain and Risk Management and Making Right Decisions to Strengthen Operations Performance.1 And it’s caught the attention of CITT.

CITT says this study, which examined 209 manufacturers operating in a number of different sectors, adds pivotal evidence to support the argument that a company’s most important metrics actually hinge on the abilities and expertise of people who are able to run flexible, uninterrupted supply chain and logistics operations—and not the host of other, less controllable factors that often get the attention of management.
 
Previously CITT has shared other research that studied hundreds of companies with global operations and linked corporate performance most closely to uninterrupted supply chain operations.2,3  CITT characterizes the new MIT research as the missing link industry needed to prove that profitability and uninterrupted supply chains are more sensitive to people’s professional abilities than anything else.

"Taken together, these studies send businesses a clear message—having the logistics expertise is the biggest factor in a resilient, uninterrupted supply chain, and a resilient supply chain is the biggest factor for profitability," says Catherine Viglas, President of CITT, who wants to tell businesses that CITT's winter semester of specialized logistics and business courses is open for registration until January 10th, with some courses starting about a week later.

Professional development puts control into the hands of businesses:

Walk the halls of any business with significant supply chain operations and chances are you'll hear familiar gripes about profitability. Commodity pricing is unpredictable. Currency rates are on a roller coaster ride. Fuel costs are soaring. Margins are razor thin and events of all kinds are causing disruptions.

Yet the MIT study shows that profitability hinges on people and what they know. The research concluded that supply chain operations were most sensitive to skill set and expertise, a factor well within the control of businesses, not fickle factors such as commodity pricing and fuel costs.

1 Further, MIT and PwC found that the 'companies with mature capabilities in supply chain and risk management do better along all survey dimensions of operational and financial performance than immature companies.'1    
"The findings should come as great news to businesses who often feel vulnerable to uncontrollable factors," says Viglas. "Supply chain and logistics is often an afterthought for top-level executives because it's relatively invisible until something goes wrong." Viglas added.

Opportunities to boost KPIs across the board:

"If there's ever been a wake-up call to invest in professional development and certification for your supply chain and logistics people, this study is it," said CITT’s Viglas, citing the study's findings that only 41% of the companies in the study had the mature expertise needed to effectively address incidents and only 9% were described as being fully prepared to manage the disruptions common in today's increasingly complex global supply chain ecosystem.1

The MIT study illustrated that companies with mature supply chain logistics capabilities in place to avoid or manage supply chain interruptions had significant impact on key operating performance indicators, such as:

* Total supply chain lead-time variability
* Total cost
* Order fulfillment lead time
* Inventory turns
* Supply chain assets utilization
* Total supply chain lead-time
* Customer service level or fill-rate
* Sales revenue
* Market-share
* Market value

"CITT’s specialized logistics courses are a proven way of setting your logistics professionals, and your business, up for better performance. The skills and expertise developed through CITT courses lead to more sustainable, invulnerable supply chain and logistics operations," Viglas said.

Registration for CITT’s winter semester of online logistics and business courses is open until January 10th.

CITT reminds logistics professionals and executives that registration is open until January 10th for the winter semester of specialized logistics and business courses offered online across Canada. Proactive professionals who want to develop, demonstrate and deepen their mastery of the business of logistics and want to be distinguished as a CITT-Certified Logistics Professional (CCLP) are encouraged to register:

* Online: Register online at www.citt.ca/register (available 24/7 'til January 10th)
* Phone: 416.363.5696 x0. Phone lines will be opened until Friday, January 10th at 5:00pm EST.
* Email: CITT at info@citt.ca (download the registration form online at www.citt.ca/register)

CITT:

CITT is a non-profit organization originally created by industry for industry to rapidly build post WW2 logistics expertise in 1958. Today CITT is industry's most experienced and valued source of supply chain logistics courses, certification and expertise. With accessible, flexible, and affordable online learning, industry-experienced course facilitators and supportive program staff, CITT has helped thousands of successful working professionals develop, demonstrate and deepen their mastery of the business of logistics and attain industry's most valued logistics designation.

CITT-Certified Logistics Professionals (CCLP): Thousands of people have looked to CITT for professional certification and many maintain their CCLP designation voluntarily year-after-year. Before they can be certified, CITT's designation holders have their proven business and logistics knowledge, have amassed nearly 10,000 hours of industry experience, agree to uphold the CITT Code of Ethics and make a commitment to regular professional development to ensure their expertise is up-to-date.

CITT’s CCLP Designation Program of Study:

Backgrounder
  
Created for industry, by industry, CITT compresses decades of real-world experience and innumerate hours of logistics experience into professional courses that are developed, updated and facilitated by successful, proven logistics practitioners. Professionals who complete the CITT course of study and have requisite work experience are given the designation CCLP (CITT-Certified Logistics Professional).

CITT offers industry's most comprehensive and practical coverage of logistics topics that supply chain logistics professionals need to survive and thrive, including: courses, webinars and premier conferences. All address the Canadian and global perspectives on supply chain logistics.
CITT's deep-level specialized logistics courses are aimed at helping organizations build more invulnerable, sustainable and profitable supply chain logistics operations. Relevant for anyone who buys, sells or manages the flow of goods and product (or is impacted by transportation logistics), they are:

* Transportation Systems
* Logistics Processes
* Logistics Decision Modeling
* Integrated Logistics
* Transportation Law
* Transportation Economics
Complete FREE GUIDE available from www.citt.ca

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Kenco Appoints Kevin Fletcher Senior Vice President of Transportation Services

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—Dec. 4, 2013—Kenco, a leading provider of integrated logistics solutions, real estate services, and material handling equipment, has announced the executive appointment of Kevin S. Fletcher to the position of senior vice president of Kenco Transportation Services.

In addition to his transportation-leadership responsibilities, Fletcher will focus on account management, business development and strategic planning.

“Kevin’s expertise encompasses each aspect of our current transportation solution—brokerage, transportation management, and asset-based fleet operations,” said David Caines, president of Kenco Transportation Services.

Fletcher brings nearly 30 years of experience to Kenco, including management positions at carrier, shipper and third party logistics companies. He was most recently with Landstar, where he was executive vice president of logistics services. Fletcher is a graduate of Auburn University.

About Kenco:

Kenco provides integrated logistics solutions that include distribution and fulfillment, comprehensive transportation management, material handling services, real estate management, and information technology—all engineered for Operational Excellence. Woman-owned and financially strong, Kenco has built lasting customer relationships for more than 60 years. Kenco’s focus is on common sense solutions that drive uncommon value. Learn more at www.kencogroup.com. Also, connect with Kenco on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the Kenco Blog.