august 2012 newsletter - amazon s3 · scheduled for july, august and september. ... dates have been...

ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER

Message from the President

Dear Affiliate Members and Associates,

Our new year is kicking off! On August 21, Jan Miller, Vice-President of Affiliate

Support, from ISM headquarters in Tempe, AZ, will be our guest speaker. Jan brings

to us a wealth of information about ISM and what it does for you. Feel free to bring

a guest with you that may be interested in joining ISM-Kansas City. Reservations can

be made on our website for them as well.

“What Is The Diagnosis?” Sounds like something you would ask your doctor.

Actually, it is the title of the presentation for our September 2012 meeting. The topic

of understanding financial statements from a supply-chain perspective will be

addressed by Jerome Forte, Manager of Network Sourcing and Contracting, Sprint

Nextel, CPA/CPM/ CPSM/ MBA. He has been with Sprint for 27-years and has vast

experience in negotiating multi-billion dollar contracts for Sprint. Watch for the

event to be posted on our website.

Check it out! www.ISM.ws . The ISM website has a new look with easy to find and

navigate tabs and drop boxes. There is a wealth of supply-chain information at your

fingertips!

One of our objectives this year is to expand our outreach and team up with other

organizations that are a part of the supply chain. Walt Strobel, C.P.M., Director of

Marketing, has our monthly meetings posted on the Kansas City Business Journal

website. Our Director of Diversity, Maggie Riley, with MAMBDC, is featuring our

meeting announcements in their newsletter. Let us know if you belong to another

group or organization that would be interested in partnering with us for meetings.

You may contact any Board member with the information.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Kriss Pearson

President

ISM-Kansas City

Inside This Issue

1 Message from the President

2 CPSM Certification Study &

Review Sessions

2 Recertification Points

3 Calling All Members

4 Monthly Meetings

5 Monthly Meetings Schedule

6 Job Postings

7 Diversity Corner

8-9 “How to Write the Perfect

Cover Letter”

10-11 Mid-America Leading

Economic Indicators

12 ISM-KC Board of Directors

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Institute for Supply Management – Kansas City, Inc.

AUGUST 2012


CPSM Certification

CPSM/CSM Study Review Sessions

Unfortunately, we were not able to attract the minimum

number of students to attend the CPSM/CSM training that was

scheduled for July, August and September.

We will re-schedule the classes for January, February and

March next year. Stay tuned for new dates and locations

Plan Ahead to Earn Re-Certification Points

Now that you have your CPSM/CSM, it’s not too early to start thinking about the 60 credits that you will need to renew your certification in three years. That is 20 credits per year. Here are some ways to help you earn those recertification credits

• Attend monthly dinner meetings for 1 point per month - Earn up to 10 points per year

• Present at dinner meetings – 1 point per presentation • Volunteer on board or committee - Earn up to 12 points per year • Attend free monthly on line seminars

http://www.ism.ws/education/content.cfm?ItemNumber=21535&navItemNumber=5591 - earn one point per completed seminar up to 12 points per year

• ISM Training & Education http://www.ism.ws/Education/?navItemNumber=22261

o Face to Face Training o On-Line Training

• Attend annual conference - Points earned vary depending on the classes completed

Please take advantage of these opportunities and plan ahead now.


Calling All Members:

The new Board of ISM-KC, INC. for the 2012-2013

year is in place and ready to go. Our May

board meeting and June planning meeting was

lively with new ideas from the new board

members. Get ready to see a lot of new

changes with the new board of directors.

You can also be part of this transformation by

working with the new directors to help

implement the many new changes they have in

mind. Please contact the board members

about volunteering on their committees. This is

your organization, help make it the most

beneficial to you while making some friends,

gaining some experience and networking with

Supply Chain Leaders in Kansas City along the

way.

Please reference the last page of this newsletter

for the contact information of

ISM-KC Board Members.


Monthly Meetings

August 2012 Dinner Meeting

Join us for a great dinner with friends and our speaker, Jan Miller from ISM National. Bring your appetite and your questions regarding ISM.

Jan Miller's Bio and Responsibilities:

Jan Miller is ISM’s Vice President for Affiliate, Group and Forum Support. Her area has principle responsibility for all assistance provided to, organizational training tools provided for, and serving as the primary liaison between affiliates, Groups and Forums. Jan serves as staff contact for the Affiliate, Groups and Forums Relationship Committee, and three Leadership Training Workshop Planning Committees. Jan is responsible for coordinating all aspects of ISM’s Leadership Training Programs annually, including planning training content with each of the Leadership Training Committees. Jan’s responsibilities also include member benefits, corporate relationships and oversight of the Journal of Supply Chain Management.

Topic: ISM - What we are; where we’re headed

ISM exists to lead and serve the supply management profession.

Discover the ongoing initiatives as well as those scheduled for implementation to create an awareness of and elevate the perception of supply management and supply management professionals in the business community. Members of the Institute for Supply Management, with their busy schedules, often aren’t aware of resources available to assist them in their professional lives. Please join us to take a closer look at how you can take full advantage of the benefits of your membership in ISM, details of the Certified Professional in Supply Management

® (CPSM

®),

Certified in Supply Management™ (CSM™) and Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) programs and opportunities for being involved.

Click the link to register https://www.ism-kansascity.org

When:

August 21, 2012

5:30 - 8:00 PM

Where:

Hereford House

17244 Midland Drive

Shawnee –Kansas

913-268-8000

http://www.herefordhouse.com/shawnee-hereford-hosue.html


2012-2013

Monthly Meeting Schedule (Note: Dates Have Been Corrected From June Newsletter)

August 21, 2012 – Jan Miller, ISM National Affiliate Support Location: Hereford House

17244 Midland Drive

Shawnee –Kansas

913-268-8000

http://www.herefordhouse.com/shawnee-hereford-hosue.html

September 18, 2012 – What is the Diagnosis? Jerome Forte (Location TBD)

October 16, 2012 – TBD

November 20, 2012 – Annual Economic Panel (Location TBD)

December – Happy Holidays!

January 15, 2013 – TBD

February 19, 2013 – TBD

March 19, 2013 – TBD

April 16, 2013 – TBD

May 21, 2013 - TBD


Job Posting

New Job Opportunities Posted on ISM-KC Web

Site, go to:

• http://www.ism-kansascity.org/default.asp

• Log In

• Select Members

• Select Job Postings

• Click on each job for details

Please view the job postings regularly as new jobs are posted throughout

the month.

Current Postings

None Posted -


MID AMERICA MINORITY SUPPLIER

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

(MAMSDC)

DIVERSITY CORNER

MAMSDC can help you and your company take advantage of the

products and services offered by diverse businesses.

Let MAMSDC help you to:

• Develop a Diversity Program for your company

• Locate diverse companies in the local area to meet your product

and service needs

• Locate diverse companies outside the area as well

In a time where most large companies only offer cookie cutter products

and services, diverse businesses can offer custom solutions to meet your

needs.

So get started, click here www.mambdc.org

Upcoming Events:

• August 29th

MidAmerica Minority Supplier Development Council (MAMSDC)

How To Do Business With Honeywell FM&T.

• September 18th

is the 22nd

Annual Golf Outing at Deer Creek Golf Course

Register at www.mambdc.org


How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter

Your cover letter has only one job. It is meant to entice the reader to open and read your

resume. Sounds simple, but job seekers often stress as much over their cover letter as

they do the resume. If this sounds like you, relax, there is a simple approach to cover

letters that will streamline your application process and give you confidence every time

you send out your resume. Just keep these three cover letter tips in mind and you'll never

stress over writing them again.

1. Keep it short.

More often than not you'll send your cover letter via email or some other electronic

system. Your reader won't be looking at a piece of paper, but at their computer screen.

Ever notice how short your reading attention span is when you're reading text on your

computer? That's why online articles are typically shorter than print articles. The same

holds true for email messages. If you've got 60 messages in your inbox you don't have the

patience for lengthy text. Now imagine you're a recruiter or resume screener and you

must get through a couple hundred resumes in a day. If you want your cover letter read

keep it short, concise and to the point.

2. Focus on qualifications.

Most job seekers freeze up when writing cover letter because they don't know what

information recruiters want to see. The first person in an organization to read your

resume is a recruiter or HR professional who acts as a screener. They are interested only

in identifying candidates who match their set of qualifications. The better the match the

higher the interest. Don't worry about explaining why you are interested in the position,

the screener probably doesn't care. He/she only want to know if you qualify as a viable

candidate. Use the job posting as a guide to know exactly what qualifications to mention

in your cover letter.

3. Don't try to get fancy.

Job seekers get frustrated writing cover letters because they try to make it into a creative

writing exercise. That's not necessary. It's much more important that you keep your ideas

clear and easily understood. When writing about your qualifications do use the same

verbiage to describe your skills as the job posting. You'll make the resume screener's

work much easier and they will recognize you as a perfect candidate match much

quicker.

Using this simple approach will allow you to take a customized approach with each cover

letter you send. Generic cover letters usually sound canned no matter how much time was

spent writing them. Worse, one-size-fits all cover letter looks like it was borrowed off the

page of a sample cover letter book. Would you take the time to read a mass-produced

letter?


I'm often asked if cover letters are still relevant in today's fast-paced job market. While

the form has changed from paper to electronic they are still a vital part of your job-search

marketing materials. Cover letters provide your first opportunity to make a good

impression on your potential new employer. It pays to write them with clarity and

simplicity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach

Read more career tips and see sample resumes at:

www.AlphaAdvantage.com

email: [email protected]

360-260-4965

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DebWalkerCCMC


Mid-American States Mid-America Indicators Sink to Recession Lows: Drought Weighs on Region YouTube interview with Dr. Goss can be seen here.

July survey results at a glance:

• Leading economic indicator fell below growth neutral forthe first time since 2009.

• New export orders drop to lowest level since August 2009.

• Business confidence takes biggest one-month plunge since 1994.

• Drought impacting ethanol and food processing plants.

For Immediate Release: August 1, 2012

OMAHA, Neb. – Drought conditions across a nine-state region pushed the Mid-America monthly Business

Conditions Index below growth neutral for the first time since 2009. The index, a leading economic

indicator from a monthly survey of supply managers, declined for a third straight month indicating a rising

likelihood of a recession.

Overall index: The index, which ranges between 0 and 100, fell to 48.7 from 57.2 in June. “As a result of

deteriorating global and national economic conditions as well as drought conditions, the index took its

biggest decline since the recession in November 2008. Over the past several years, the region has benefited

from very healthy exports and robust farm income. These two economic drivers are clearly moving in the

negative direction. Recent gains in the dollar have made U.S. goods less competitively priced abroad.

Combine that with drought conditions and we will see farm income take a hit and that will spill over into

other industries in the region,” said Ernie Goss, director of Creighton University’s Economic Forecasting

Group and the Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics.

This month supply managers were asked how the drought was impacting the costs of inputs purchased and

the sales of output sold by their companies. Only 14 percent reported negative impacts on sales while 19

percent reported increasing costs due to the drought. Over the next six months, supply managers expect the

cost of inputs that they purchase to rise by 2.1 percent. “This is slightly higher than expected price

increases from April of this year when we asked the same question,” said Goss.

The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group has conducted the monthly survey of supply managers in nine

states since 1994 to produce leading economic indicators of the Mid-America economy. States included in

the survey are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and

South Dakota.

“Drought conditions are already negatively affecting ethanol and food processors in the region. In an

earlier survey conducted in rural areas of the region, almost two-thirds of ethanol producers either

temporarily closed or cut back operations due to lower oil prices and to a lack of corn and/or higher corn

prices resulting from the drought,” said Goss.

The forecasting group’s overall index, referred to as the Business Conditions Index, ranges between 0 and

100. An index greater than 50 indicates an expansionary economy over the course of the next three to six

months. The Business Conditions Index is a mathematical average of indices for new orders, production or


sales, employment, inventories and delivery lead time. This is the same methodology used by the National

Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, since 1931.

Employment: The economic slowdown took its toll on the employment index. While the index remained

above growth neutral for the seventh month in a row, it declined sharply to 51.1 from June’s much stronger

61.8. “While government data on state job growth for July will be positive but tepid, I expect the numbers

to move negative in the months ahead. Very weak new orders and production for July will mean job losses

for firms in August,” said Goss.

Wholesale Prices: The prices-paid index, which tracks the cost of raw materials and supplies, was

unchanged from June’s51.1.“These low readings for our inflation gauge are consistent with weakening

economic conditions. However, I do expect drought conditions in the region to push the index higher in the

months ahead even as the economy continues to slow,” said Goss.

Confidence: Looking ahead six months, economic optimism, as captured by the July business confidence

index, fell to its lowest level since the recession at 38.0, down from June’s 56.7. “This is the largest one

month decline that we have recorded since we initiated the survey in 1994. European economic turmoil,

the impending fiscal cliff, the national economic slowdown and the drought all combined to push the

confidence index to recession levels,” said Goss.

Inventories: The July inventory index sank to 45.7 from 53.9in June. “This is another signal of economic

pessimism as supply managers cut the inventory levels for July in anticipation of slower production in the

months ahead,” said Goss.

Trade: July’s export reading for the Mid-America region declined to 45.2, its lowest level since August

2009, and down from June’s weak 48.4. At the same time, July imports decreased to 46.5 from 51.5 in

June. “Weaker global growth and the rising value of the dollar making U.S. goods less competitive abroad

pushed the export reading lower. At the same time, slower regional growth restrained the demand for

imported supplies and materials. I expect trade numbers to weaken even more in the months ahead for the

nine-state region,” said Goss.

Other components: Other components of the July Business Conditions Index were new orders at 44.0,

down from 57.3 in June; production or sales at 46.7, down from 56.7; and delivery lead time at 55.9, down

from June’s 56.2.

Survey results for August will be released Sept. 4.

Follow Goss on twitter at http://twitter.com/erniegoss

For historical data and forecasts visit our website at:

http://www2.creighton.edu/business/economicoutlook/


ISM Kansas City Board of Directors

President

Kriss Pearson

Laird Plastics [email protected]

1st Vice President

Manuel Gutierrez, C.P.M.

CenturyLink

[email protected]

Director National Affairs & Past President

LaMar Wilson, Jr.

NAIC

[email protected]

Treasurer

Joel Johnson, CPSM

[email protected]

Secretary

JoAnn Harper, CPSM, C.P.M.

Sprint

[email protected]

Director - Diversity

Maggie Riley MidAmerica Minority Business Development Council – KC

[email protected]

Director – Marketing

Walter D. Strobel

[email protected]

Director – Programs

Esmeralda Phillips

Sprint

[email protected]

Director - Membership

Penelope Wilson

Kansas City Power & Light

[email protected]

Director - Communications

Jim Marinakis, CPSM, C.P.M.

CenturyLink

[email protected]

Director – Education

Joe Steve, CPSM, C.P.M.

Kansas City Power & Light

[email protected]

august 2012 newsletter - amazon s3 · scheduled for july, august and september. ... dates have been...

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