Week 8: Higher Education and Professional Development in Purchasing and Supply Management

QUESTION

Week 8: Higher Education and Professional Development in Purchasing and Supply Management

Based on your experience or readings, discuss the role of higher education and professional development providers in the preparation of Purchasing and Supply Management professionals to meet the challenges of the profession in first quarter of this century. What, in your judgment, is the basic difference between attaining a degree or achieving certification in Purchasing and Supply Management? What, in your judgment, is the basic difference between attaining a Master’s degree in Purchasing and Supply Management as opposed to completing a Masters Certificate in Purchasing and Supply Management? In both cases, take an employer’s perspective.

ANSWER

Higher Education Impact on Purchases and Supply Professionals

Purchasing and Supply Management professionals face various challenges while performing their duties in the business world. The current trends in business, such as e-procurement and third-party logistics provision, pose very serious challenges for the Purchases and Supply team of any business organization. Higher education institutions have a crucial role in the preparation and training of potential professionals in Purchases and Supply Management, to best suit them for challenges they are likely to face in the undertaking of their profession. Proper training and exposure will ensure that all the individuals graduating from schools will be properly prepared for the business world and that they will be professional in the undertaking of their roles. Professional development providers also play a vital role in the training of business professionals. Professional business bodies offer courses that seek to streamline the training offered by higher education institutions, to guarantee that proper business market skills are instilled (Zheng, Knight, Harland, Humby, James, 2007).

Various levels of education exist in the Purchases and Supply Management training: Certificate, degree, and postgraduate levels. Attaining a degree in Purchases and Supply Management generally means that an individual has completed a course that is structured to train people on Purchases and Supply Management, and passed all the examinations during that course. A person holding a degree in Purchases and Supply requires further training and experience in actual business environment, to become a professional. Certification in Purchases and Supply Chain Management, on the other hand, means that one has developed an understanding of the Supply Chain and Purchases field, and achieved high competency in the Purchases and Supply section of a business. A certified Purchases and Supply Management professional is best suited for a job with any form of business, as he is able to adapt easily to any job requirements for such a professional.

Most employers require one to have a Bachelor’s degree in Purchases and Supply Management. However, having a Master’s degree is an advantage for any business individual, as it edges out competition (Waters, 2003). A Master’s degree in Purchases and Supply means that one has completed a development course offered after a Bachelor’s degree course, to instill higher skills in the Purchases and Supply field. A Master’s certificate in Purchases and Supply Management means that the individual has achieved an exemplary understanding of the business field, and demonstrated topnotch work competency and preparedness for the market. This professional is best suited for a Purchases and Supply Manager in a company.

References

Zheng, J., Knight, L., Harland, C., Humby, S., & James, K. (2007). An analysis of research into the future of purchasing and supply management. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 13(1), 69-83.

Waters, C. D. J. (Ed.). (2003). Global logistics and distribution planning: strategies for management. Kogan Page Publishers.