APICS CORE PURCHASING SKILLS CERTIFICATES PROGRAM

A comprehensive 15-week program covering 3 Certificate courses on Procurement,  Supplier Relationship Management, and Supply Chain Resilience. 

Course Description  

This is an integrated, foundational education experience designed to build strong,  versatile, and future-ready procurement professionals. This course combines the  essential elements of Procurement, Supplier Relationship Management, and Supply  Chain Resilience into one cohesive learning experience. Participants will develop the  skills needed to manage sourcing strategies, build and maintain high-value supplier  relationships, negotiate effectively, evaluate supplier performance, mitigate supply chain  risks, and strengthen organizational resilience. The program blends strategic,  operational, and leadership competencies to prepare buyers and procurement  personnel for today’s dynamic and disruption-prone supply chain environment. 

Audience 

This course will be of interest to: 

• Buyers, procurement specialists, sourcing analysts, supply chain coordinators • Employees in purchasing, quality engineering, materials management,  marketing, or finance 
• Individuals seeking ASCM-recognized professional development • Early-career professionals exploring procurement or supply chain roles • Experienced practitioners seeking to expand their capabilities and stand out in a  competitive job market.  

It may also be of interest to anyone who aspires to obtain a certification. ASCM  certifications are generally recognized as the gold standard in Supply Chain  Management education. This course will give the student substantial knowledge that will  be helpful to those continuing to a prep course for a Certified Supply Chain Professional  (CSCP). 

Prerequisites 

There are no formal prerequisites, however basic experience in procurement or supply  chain operations would be beneficial.

Topics and Course Content 

• Fundamentals of Procurement 
• Sourcing Strategies 
• Purchase Order Management and Performance Measurement • Contract Management and Negotiations 
• Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing 
• Procurement Evaluation Metrics and the Intelligent Supply Chain • Introduction to Supplier Relationship Management 
• Supplier Selection and Evaluation 
• Supplier Development 
• Supplier Performance Management 
• Supplier Risk Management 
• Supplier Relationship Best Practices 
• Foundations of Supply Chain Resilience 
• Risk Management in Supply Chains 
• Strategic Planning, Data-Driven Decision-Making and Collaboration • Secure and Flexible Systems 
• Leadership and Resilient Organizational Culture 
• Sustainability, Innovation and Technology in Supply Chain Resilience 

Learning Goals and Results 

At the conclusion of the course, the participants will be able to: 

• Develop a strategic sourcing strategy 
• Establish effective procurement policies 
• Conduct ethical and sustainable sourcing 
• Evaluate supplier and internal procurement organization performance  • Identify supplier relationship types, contracts, and collaboration models • Select suppliers using criteria-based evaluations 
• Identify and manage supply chain risks 
• Strengthen supplier collaboration to improve resilience 
• Build secure and flexible supply chain systems 

Time Investment 

This class is 60 hours of classroom time taken in 2-hour sessions, twice weekly, over  the course of 15 consecutive weeks.