The Chartered Institute of Supply Management (CIPS)

The Chartered Institute of Supply Management is an international procurement body with the main aim of creating, educating and building procurement professionals all over the world.

CIPS uses its platform mainly to train procurement professionals. It has six main levels. For one to qualify to study CIPS, you need a high school diploma or a degree. High school graduates start with the Level one, which is the Certificate course, to train them on the various terminologies and work processes used in the procurement field.

Degree holders usually start with Level four, which is the Diploma, as they already have a clear basis on how business functions. In this level, one delves deeper into the approved procurement rules and cultures. One also gets to learn of the various legislative processes that affect the purchasing function. CIPS uses a syllabus which also helps create awareness to the international students.

Apart from the training needs, CIPS enhances the knowledge of its practicing members in many ways. They have CIPS TV, purchasing articles, magazine and an online portable where members can interact and built knowledge in the purchasing field.

Each member holds a personal account where they state their profession, their level of education if so desired, work experience and address; the member’s privacy and freedom to interact with other members is therefore maintained. Through this personal portal, members are also able to gauge their personal growth by receiving exam results and also keeping up to date on the various articles and free online classes they have taken on.

CIPS still holds awards for best practicing organizations worldwide. They judge organizations that take part in terms of procedure, clarity of work, efficiency, effectiveness, the green cause and cost reduction. These awards therefore help organizations to streamline their processes to good and international standards.

An organization therefore needs to take part in various CIPS training for effectiveness within itself. The trainings include management, team and organizational training. As CIPS understands that organisations are the people, they take time educating people within the organization on ISO standards and creating organizational culture. By doing so, employees will understand their work better and how each integrative part works together for the greater good of the organization.

CIPS also holds annual dinners in London where members interact and get to meet the who’s who of the procurement field. The dinner is usually combined with a three-day training which borders on grounds of ethics to best practice. These dinners not only help with interaction, but it is also a learning ground with an opportunity for growth.

CIPS also helps its members meet potential bosses. They advertise jobs in their monthly magazine, with first priority given to members.