The question I’ve been asked most often, in my 25 years as an APICS volunteer and staff person, is “Which of the APICS Certifications is right for me?” APICS is recognized by corporations around the world as the premier provider of certifications in Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, and, now, Logistics, Transportation and Distribution Management, and it can be a little confusing determining which of our certifications will most help your career.

I always answer this question with questions of my own: “Where is your focus in your current career? And, where do you want to be in in your career over the next five years?”

Is your focus inside the four walls of your company, anything to do with planning, purchasing, inventory management, or scheduling the products or services that your company provides? Then the Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) will give you the tools and techniques you need to improve the efficiency of our company’s internal processes.

Is your focus outside the four walls of your company, anything to do with supply chain optimization, supplier or customer relationship management, the flows of information, money and materials between your company, your suppliers and customers? Then the Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) designation will give you the knowledge of the end-to-end supply chain that you need to help your company make your supply chains more competitive and use your supply chains as strategic assets.

Is your focus on the storage and movement of the materials, components and finished goods that your company, or your clients, work with? Then the Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) designation will give you the tools and techniques you need to improve the efficiency of your logistics and transportation capabilities and distribution and warehouse facilities and processes.

A certification validates your mastery of the body of knowledge covered by the certification you earn, and many companies require or prefer employees with one or more of the APICS Certifications.

For more information on which APICS certification is right for you, and the individual certifications, watch our recent webinar recording, and view the Q&A document that resulted from the live webinar.