materials manager career pack - apics

APICS MATERIALS MANAGERS CAREER PACK1

2014 REPORT FOR APICS

MATERIALS MANAGERCAREER PACK

© APICS 2014 All Righ

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APICS MATERIALS MANAGER CAREER PACK INTRODUCTION

Materials managers lead teams to implement supply chain strategies. They possess tactical knowledge of purchasing, distribution, logistics, transportation and production scheduling functions, and they coordinate the activities and drive the performance in each of these areas. The materials manager role is not limited to tactical responsibilities but includes strategic planning to manage multiple departments

The APICS Materials Manager Career Pack provides industry professionals and practitioners, hiring managers, human resource professionals, and job seekers with information they need, including:

The skills, knowledge, and experience materials managers must possess Typical career paths for materials managers Responsibilities and tasks required of materials managers


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

APICS MATERIALS MANAGERS CAREER PACK


How to Use the APICS Material Managers Career Pack 4

Materials Managers Career Paths 6

Materials Managers Job Description 8 Material Managers Overview 8

Keywords for Materials Managers 10

Building a Materials Manager Job Description 13

Materials Manager Job Description Example 16

Job Seekers: Reviewing Job Descriptions 18

APICS Materials Managers Competency Model 22

APPENDIX: Understanding Job Descriptions 45


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HOW TO USE THE APICS MATERIALS MANAGER CAREER PACKFind the information you need if you are a materials manager, hiring manager, human resources professional, or job seeker:

I’M A MATERIALS MANAGER Compare your skills, knowledge, and qualifications to the APICS Materials Managers Competency Model to identify the core responsibilities and skills associated with your position.

Map your milestones and career development with the Materials Managers Career Paths — find out where you are in your professional development and what your next professional step will be.

Refer to the Materials Managers Job Description to find responsibilities and skills that can be used to revise your résumé or create job descriptions of your role.

I’M A HIRING MANAGER Use the Materials Managers Job Description to identify which of the master scheduling manager responsibilities you are seeking in a new hire and the qualifications candidates must possess.

Review Keywords for Materials Managers to select the keywords that will maximize the number of qualified candidates who will find your job posting.

Use the Building a Materials Manager Job Description and the Materials Manager Job Description Example to help write your job posting or share the information with your organization’s human resources staff.

For additional job description information, refer to the Appendix: Understanding Job Descriptions.

I’M A HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONAL Understand the specific responsibilities and skills that your hiring manager is seeking in a materials manager by referring to the APICS Materials Managers Competency Model.

Encourage the hiring manager to review the Materials Managers Job Description and the APICS Materials Managers Competency Model to identify the key technical, academic, leadership, and management competencies, and knowledge areas to include in the job posting.

Refer to the Materials Managers Job Description to build successful and specific job posts that will attract leading industry professionals. © APICS 2014 All R

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I’M A JOB SEEKER If you are seeking a materials manager position, use the Materials Managers Job Description to identify the responsibilities and skills you need to qualify for your desired position.

Refer to the APICS Materials Managers Competency Model to understand the specific requirements and skill competencies you need to develop.

Map your career development with the Materials Managers Career Paths. Use Keywords for Materials Managers to aid in your search for the right job posting match.

Look through Job Seekers: Reviewing Job Descriptions to find ways you can use the job description information to your advantage.

Find job seekers tips in the Appendix: Understanding Job Descriptions.

APICS would like to acknowledge the work of Gary Capone, President of Palladian International, LLC, in developing the APICS Materials Managers Career Pack. APICS also would like to thank the Materials Managers who responded to surveys that resulted in the APICS Materials Managers Competency Model.


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MATERIALS MANAGERS CAREER PATHSIn 2011 and 2010, APICS invited members and customers to complete a survey about their operations and supply chain management careers. Over half of the respondents identified “developing personal career goals” as one of the most valuable career steps.

Developing career plans or goals was the most valuable to respondents less than 15 years into their operations and supply chain management careers. Among respondents with more experience — training, certification, and networking gained more value. Specifically, respondents with more than 35 years of experience in operations management identified training and certification, networking, and professional mentors as the most valued.

The dataset revealed that there are no set career paths for operations and supply chain management professionals. Factors such as organization size, opportunity to cross-train in multiple roles, and formal education complicate the identification of the starting and advancement positions of operations and supply chain management careers.

WHEN PLANNING YOUR CAREER, CONSIDER COMPLETING THE FOLLOWING TASKS

Draw your career path to date. What accomplishments have supported your path? Reflect on your motivations. What aspects of your job do you like and dislike and what do you need and want from a job?

Identify your transferable skills. What competencies do you posses that are applicable in other roles?

Determine the additional training or education required. What knowledge do you need for your next promotion or to take the next step?

Set goals and milestones. Plan your career regularly. Set time aside to reassess your career path (annual, biannually or on another schedule).


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The job title specific results below reflect trends found in the survey and serve as jumping-off points as you develop your career path.

PROMOTIONS OR CHANGE OF EMPLOYERMaterials managers reported promotions every one to two years between their first and second job and between their second and third job. As their careers progressed, promotions occurred every three to five years.

Top five skills, traits and accomplishments responsible for promotion General level of experience Track record of performance or accomplishments Demonstrated proficiency in a specific area Maintaining high professional standards in all work areas Commitment to the organization and the customer

Most valuable career tools, steps, or resources Training and certification Professional mentors Developing personal career goals

Advice from materials Managers Be flexible and open to learning many tasks. Earn a certification early in your career to solidify base knowledge. Learn from the bottom up and perform the job roles you eventually

will manage.

Career paths can take many different directions. Evaluate your career now to create the path that is best for you.


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MATERIALS MANAGERSJOB DESCRIPTION

MATERIALS MANAGERS OVERVIEWThe materials manager role provides leadership for the purchasing, distribution, logistics, transportation, and production scheduling functions. This role must coordinate these activities and drive performance ofeach area. In some organizations, the role is focused on tactical operations of the materials function, while in others, it can have a variety of strategic elements. Most materials manager job descriptions focus on thetactical elements of the job — the implementation and execution of the supply chain strategy. The implication of this is that supply chain strategy development occurs at a level higher than the materials manager.

Although this is a natural conclusion based on the job descriptions studied, all materials manager positions must include some supply chain strategic planning functions. It is impossible to successfully lead andcoordinate the different materials departments without a cohesive strategy. Despite this, the materials management role, as described in the typical job posting, is more of a support role responding to the needs of production.

To write a materials manager job description, the emphasis is placed on the tactical requirements of the position. These focus on sourcing, transporting, and inventorying materials. As a result, the role oversees purchasing, scheduling, inventory management, distribution, logistics, and transportation. These individual functions can be organized into separate departments, or combined into a few departments covering one or more areas. In some organizations, the materials manager will have direct responsibility for a function. For example, the materials manager can also be the purchasing manager.

One common point of confusion about the materials manager role is how it relates to the supply chain manager role. Both materials managers and supply chain managers have similar tactical requirements. These positions can appear interchangeable. However, the materials manager and supply chain manager roles have some distinct characteristics. In the vast majority of job descriptions, the materials manager role is a tactically driven role that implements a strategy, and the supply chain manager role is a strategically driven role that creates the supply chain strategy. This is typically a reflection of the complexity of the supply chain and the organizational structure of the company.


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In materials manager job descriptions, the responsibilities emphasize the focus on tactical leadership. Many of the responsibilities are similar to the responsibilities of the roles the position manages. This can quicklylead to a long set of responsibilities. A good approach is to limit the list to the responsibilities that address key challenges or summarize functional areas. For example, instead of listing all of the individual scheduling activities the production scheduling department does, a simple bullet of responsibility for developing production plans and schedules may be sufficient.

Below is a list of responsibilities for the materials manager position. The list summarizes functional areas into broad categories that reflect the oversight of these roles. For example, the materials manager oversees distribution, logistics, and transportation activities. This is a broad range of activities and responsibilities, but is listed as a single bullet point. If any of these functional areas are a great concern or require more hands-on leadership, a company may choose to break out the individual responsibilities.

Lead inventory control and planning, including coordination of physical inventories. Manage the disposition of obsolete and excess inventory. Manage inventory forecasting and report on variances. Establish and monitor key KPIs for the materials department. Lead distribution, logistics, and transportation functions. Support and lead ERP updates, conversions, and implementations. Drive ERP usage and process consistency across the organization. Lead scheduling activities, including development of the master production schedule.

Monitor and report on the accuracy of production plans and schedules. Manage capacity requirements planning. Manage the supplier certification and audit program. Establish supplier selection criteria. Develop and maintain supplier scorecards. Manage the sourcing, evaluation, and selection of new suppliers. Facilitate the S&OP process.


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KEYWORDS FOR MATERIALS MANAGERSMaterials manager job descriptions typically incorporate a wide range to functional areas. This can create a diverse set of keywords. Any term from purchasing, inventory management, distribution, logistics, transportation, or scheduling can show up in a materials management job description. This poses a challenge for both companies and job seekers. The job must be easily found by job seekers who have a depth of experience in the individual functional areas, while making it clear the job requires a breadth of experience.

The first method is to ensure the breadth of the role is captured in the job title. The phrases “materials manager” and “materials management” are widely recognized as representing this role. This makes it important to use a title with one of these phrases. Failing to do so will make it difficult for job seekers to findthe position. Using these phrases within the job description, but not the job title, will make it difficult for job seekers to find the position.

Keyword Anywhere in the job description Within the title

“materials” 251,967 3,113

“materials manager” 903 391

“materials management” 8,325 333

All searches were conducted on Indeed.com. Indeed is a job aggregator, and pulls jobs from thousands of other websites. In July 2011, Indeed had nearly three million jobs listed and is one of the broadest sources of job posting statistics. It is also a great site for job seekers trying to search as wide a pool of jobs as possible. With these three keywords, the number of job listings is cut dramatically by limiting the search to the job title.

Combining the two keywords “materials manager” and “materials management” together, 724 jobs were found to have one of these phrases in the job title. From this pool, additional terms were searched. Each searchcombined the two titles searches with the additional keyword.To create a complex search combining a title search with a job description search, list the keywords for the job description search first, followed by the title search. For example, the search string listed below will return anyjobs with either “materials manager” or “materials management” in the title, and with purchasing somewhere in the job posting.© APICS 2014 All R

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“Purchasing” AND (title: “materials manager” OR title: “materials management”)Using this type of complex search string, searches were conducted for jobs with either “materials manager” or “materials management” in the job title and a variety of keywords in the job posting. The results are listed below.

Words in title Number of Jobs

Purchasing 383

Distribution 190

Logistics 133

Transportation 66

Scheduling 149

S&OP 8

SIOP 13

Inventory 538

ERP 124

MRP 111

Supplier 214

Vendor 220

Warehouse 107


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Interestingly, purchasing and inventory are the only terms that appear in more than half the job descriptions. This highlights the wide range of descriptions of materials manager job postings. Although each of these terms is important to the materials roles, the descriptions and priorities of each position are far from consistent.

This variation provides an opportunity to both companies and job seekers. By including or excluding terms, a company can easily signal the key priorities for the position. This can help attract candidates with specializations in key areas. It can also help job seekers tailor applications to the role. Instead of creating a broad-based sales pitch hitting every aspect of materials management, a job seeker can focus on key priorities. This helps the job seeker get noticed, and helps the company recognize candidates with exceptional skill in a critical functional area.

The materials management role falls right in the heart of the APICS body of knowledge. Both the APICS CPIM and CSCP are excellent programs to develop knowledge and expertise in this field. Companies widely recognize these credentials and seek job seekers who possess them. Despite this, the inclusion of the APICS CPIM and CSCP in job descriptions on applications is unexpectedly low. Many of the same companies that pay for certification classes and support employees pursuing certification fail to include the credentials in job descriptions. This gives the companies that include these credentials in the job descriptions an edge at attracting top talent. Individuals who possess these credentials are likely to search for jobs mentioning the credentials. This creates a great opportunity for companies to reach the most dedicated and qualified job seekers.

Certification Materials manager Job mentioning certification

CPIM 53

CSCP 2


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BUILDING A MATERIALS MANAGERJOB DESCRIPTIONBuilding a job description requires pulling together all the aspects of a job that a job seeker needs to find the job and persuade the job seeker to apply. The sample job description for the Materials Manager role is designed to cover the full range of this position. The exact scope of this role will vary based on the design of the supply chain, the industry and the company structure.

JOB TITLEProvide the job title of the position.Materials Manager

COMPANY AND LOCATIONProvide the company name and location.Widget, Inc. – city, state.

COMPANY OVERVIEWInsert company description. Widget, Inc. is a world-class manufacturer of high performance widgets. Founded in 1970, the company has grown from a three person custom fabrication organization into a global leader in the industry with more 4,000 employees. Our growth has not changed the value we offer. We still produce complex, custom widgets made to the exact specifications of our customers. Our success has been driven by our employees. We empower our employees to drive change and improve our operation in order to provide our customers with the greatest possible service. This has led to a culture where our employees take personal responsibility for exceeding the expectations of our customers, and this culture extends from our founders to our newest employees.

Widget, Inc. offers an exceptional benefit plan, including flexible schedules and a generous vacation plan. We believe in providing an environment where each employee can find the right work-life balance. Some weeks, this means putting in extra time to make sure we hit a customer order due date, other weeks it provides extra personal time. Bottom line, we work together to succeed for ourselves, our company, and our customers.


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OVERVIEW OF THE POSITIONProvide an overview of the position, and highlight critical priorities for the position to attract specialists in those areas. For example, if improving supplier quality is a key objective, emphasizing supplier certification programs, supplier audits and supplier scorecards would be a good way to help candidates with specialties in those areas find the position. This emphasis will also make the position more enticing to individuals with those specialties.

The materials manager will lead and coordinate the purchasing, logistics and production scheduling functions. The role will drive continuous improvements through the company, and particularly in regard to lead-time reductions, customer service improvements and quality improvements. The materials manager will lead the supplier certification program.

RESPONSIBILITIESInclude specific responsibilities related to the job. In this section, breaking theresponsibilities into categories is a great strategy to make the job description easier to read. Another strategy is to provide titles for each bullet point. Either way works. The key is to make it easy to read and attractive to job seekers. The list of responsibilities does not need to have every detail of the position listed. This is a role that touches on virtually every aspect of a company. Choose responsibilities to give an indication of the range of the position and to highlight key priority areas.

Inventory management Lead inventory control and planning, including coordination of physical inventories.

Manage the disposition of obsolete and excess inventory. Manage inventory forecasting and report on variances.

Systems and reporting Establish and monitor the KPIs for the materials department. Support and lead ERP updates, conversions, and implementations. Drive ERP usage and process consistency across the organization.

Scheduling and planning Lead scheduling activities, including development of the master production schedule.

Monitor and report on the accuracy of production plans and schedules. Manage capacity requirements planning. Facilitate the S&OP process.© APICS 2014 All R

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Purchasing Manage the supplier certification and audit program. Establish supplier selection criteria. Develop and maintain supplier scorecards. Manage the sourcing, evaluating, and selection of new suppliers.

Distribution and logistics Lead distribution, logistics, and transportation functions.

QUALIFICATIONSProvide detailed qualifications that are required or preferred.

EducationDetermine the education level required and preferred.

Bachelor’s degree required. Supply chain or business degrees preferred. MBA preferred.

CertificationsList the certifications required or preferred for the position. Candidates often search for jobs that mention the certifications they possess, so consider adding every certification that relates to the job.

APICS CPIM, CSCP, or C.P.M. certification preferred

ExperienceList the number of years of experience required for the position. Consider specifying specific experiences required:

Ten or more years of experience in materials management Additional experience: Include experience and skills that are preferred. Incorporate many of the keywords you want to include in the job description.

Preferred experience and skills Experience managing supplier certification programs Experience with inventory forecasting, developing master production schedules, and reducing scheduling variances

Extensive experience with MRP and ERP systems, and establishing and maintaining scheduling parameters.


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MATERIALS MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE

MATERIALS MANAGERWidget, Inc. - City, State

COMPANY OVERVIEWWidget, Inc. is a world-class manufacturer of high performance widgets. Founded in 1970, the company has grown from a three person custom fabrication organization into a global leader in the industry with more 4,000 employees. Our growth has not changed the value we offer. We still produce complex, custom widgets made to the exact specifications of our customers. Our success has been driven by our employees. We empower our employees to drive change and improve our operation in order to provide our customerswith the greatest possible service. This has led to a culture where our employees take personal responsibility for exceeding the expectations of our customers, and this culture extends from our founders to our newest employees.

Widget, Inc. offers an exceptional benefit plan, including flexible schedules and a generous vacation plan. We believe in providing an environment where each employee can find the right work-life balance. Some weeks, this means putting in extra time to make sure we hit a customer order due date, other weeks it provides extra personal time. Bottom line, we work together to succeed for ourselves, our company, and our customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Inventory management Lead inventory control and planning, including coordination of physical inventories.

Manage the disposition of obsolete and excess inventory. Manage inventory forecasting and report on variances.

Systems and reporting Establish and monitor the KPIs for the materials department. Support or lead ERP updates, conversions, and implementations. Drive ERP usage and process consistency across the organization.© APICS 2014 All R

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Scheduling and planning Lead scheduling activities, including development of the master production schedule.

Monitor and report on the accuracy of production plans and schedules. Manage capacity requirements planning. Facilitate the S&OP process.

Purchasing Manage the supplier certification and audit program. Establish supplier selection criteria. Develop and maintain supplier scorecards. Manage the sourcing, evaluating, and selection of new suppliers. Although the role is the same, the scope is determined by the organization of the supply chain. Each job will have variations that need to be identified.

Distribution and logistics Lead distribution, logistics, and transportation functions.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education Bachelor’s degree required. Supply chain or business degrees preferred. MBA preferred.

Certifications CPIM, CSCP, or C.P.M. certification preferred

Experience Ten or more years of experience in materials management

Preferred experience and skills Experience managing supplier certification programs Experience with inventory forecasting, developing master production schedules, and reducing scheduling variances

Extensive experience with MRP and ERP systems and establishing and maintaining scheduling parameters


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JOB SEEKERS: REVIEWING JOB DESCRIPTIONSAs a job seeker, it is essential that you identify the right jobs to pursue. Although the job market may be tough, there are a lot of open positions. Prioritizing the right jobs to pursue is an important decision. You need todetermine which jobs are most likely to be a good fit for you, and which jobs are long shots. You can then allocate your time accordingly, focusing on applying for the best fits.

This prioritization is critical for you to customize your résumé properly. Some job seekers send the same résumé to every employer for every job. The résumé is written to be generic and covers every skill, experience, and accomplishment the job seeker has. The result is a presentation of a generalist. Although a wide range of skills and experiences is advantageous, the company and hiring manager have one role in mind when screening your résumé. The specialists that best fit that role will generate the most interest, and the generalists will be passed over.

This requires a résumé written with a targeted sales pitch for each job. It can take hours to customize a résumé to fit a position, but this time and effort is worth it. Sending out the same résumé to hundreds of jobs may be easy, but it is far from effective. Sending a few targeted résumés for jobs you are best suited for will have a much higher rate of success.

Tailoring your résumé to a specific position requires a deep understanding of the role. You need to identify the skills and experiences that will be most impressive to the hiring manager. These are skills and experiences that are essential to meet the biggest challenges of the job. Once you identify those elements, you can start tailoring your résumé to the job.

SCOPE OF THE POSITIONStart by trying to understand the scope of the position. You need to understand the range of responsibilities so you can prioritize them. This is important for jobs with unusual titles. Some industries and companies have specialized job titles that can be confusing to people who are not familiar with them. Even if the job title sounds familiar, you still cannot assume you understand the position. Each role will have a different set of responsibilities.

The overview of the position and the required responsibilities and the qualifications will all give an indication of the scope of the role. If you have researched a number of similar roles, you should have an idea of the types ofresponsibilities that could be present. For example, with a buyer/planner role, understanding how much of the role is purchasing and supplier development, and how much is related to scheduling and logistics is important. For a supply chain manager, is important to understand the supply chain and the types of


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issues the supply chain manager will encounter. For example, some roles may have complex international trade arrangements, while others may have a large network of domestic contract manufacturers. Although the role is the same, the scope is determined by the organization of the supply chain. Each job will have variations that need to be identified.

PRIMARY FOCUSAfter identifying the scope of the position, look for the primary focus area of the role. You can often identify this by the order of the job description and the number of times a specific area is mentioned. For example, consider a buyer/planner role that mentions supplier certifications, purchasing, and planning. The scope of the role is straightforward and most people familiar with purchasing will have a general idea of the position.

Now, consider the order and content of the job description. The overview section of the job description focuses on supplier management, issuing purchase orders, and negotiating prices. Within the list of responsibilities, more than half of the bullet points focus on requesting, evaluating, and selecting quotes from suppliers. Only one bullet mentions planning and supplier certifications, and it is at the end of the bulleted list. This would imply that the planning and supplier certification responsibilities are a lower priority to the company, and a traditional purchasing agent would be a good match for the role.

You cannot determine with certainty the priorities of a hiring manager from a job posting. The posting may not be an accurate picture of the job. If possible, try to network with a current or former employee to find out firsthand what the role entails. If you do not have a contact inside the company, analyze the job posting to make the best guess of what the priorities are for the role.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREDAfter you start to understand the focus areas of the position, review the qualifications for the position. Look for specific requirements that indicate the key elements of the job. Again, in this section, the first items listed are usually the most important. The qualifications required in a job description may not create the same impression as the list of responsibilities. There are certain skills that are only used to perform one or a few tasks.

Look for requirements that indicate technical aspects of the job. Fewer candidates are likely to meet the more technically challenging requirements. As a job seeker, you can use this information to tailor your résumé and give yourself an edge over the competition. Look for skills that are rare and difficult to master, and that you have a depth of expertise with.


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PRIORITIZINGIt is essential that you can differentiate the run-of-the-mill activities in a job from the requirements and responsibilities that are important differentiators. This is the difference between the tasks that anyone can perform, and the ones that only the top candidates do well. For example, many job descriptions include standard requirements such as the ability to travel, physical requirements, or basic skills such as math, writing, or business software. These are basic expectations. You need to have them, but possessing them will not impress a hiring manager. For example, in today’s job market, if you are not familiar with Microsoft Word, you are going to be at a disadvantage.

Just about any office role requires experience with Word. You may mention your skill with Word in a skills section probably at the end of your résumé, but focusing on this is unlikely to impress a hiring manager. The requirement is too basic. Focus on skills that are specific to your industry and skills that fewer job seekers possess.

In addition to the basic requirements that are likely to apply to most jobs at a company, there will be job specific requirements that are also basic requirements. For example, a buyer/planner with responsibility for managing inventory levels needs to understand how to calculate inventory turns. This is a basic calculation, and one everyone in an inventory management role should be able to do. Some job descriptions will include the ability to calculate inventory metrics such as inventory turns as a requirement for the position. Despite this, the requirement for calculating inventory turns is a low priority and something every candidate is expected to be able to do.

To be successful at customizing a résumé, you need to prioritize the critical requirements from the basic expectations. Look for aspects of the job that are most challenging. A good way to identify these is to look for the responsibilities performed by the role but not by subordinate positions. For example, a purchasing manager will lead a team of buyers. For both buyers and purchasing managers, understanding how to negotiate with a vendor is important. For a buyer, this might be a critical responsibility. For a purchasing manager, this is a basic expectation. It’s still important, but every purchasing manager is expected to have some mastery of this skill. For the purchasing manager, leading a team of buyers, setting purchasing strategy, and managing the performance of the purchasing department are skills that are unique to the role.

Look for responsibilities that define the position. These are likely to be the most critical to a hiring manager, and are the elements of your background that you should emphasize.


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TAILORING YOUR RÉSUMÉOnce you understand the scope of the role and prioritize the most important skills and experiences required, you can start tailoring your résumé. Every aspect of your résumé can be changed. Start with the introduction to your résumé. Most job seekers start with summary section that provides an overview of their skills, experiences, and accomplishments. This section can provide the strongest sales pitch for you. Make sure it is tailored to the role. Focus on the primary elements of the job.

After the introductory section, make changes to your work experience section to emphasize different experiences and accomplishments in each job. You can show how a job, that may appear unrelated to the position you are pursuing, actually had a number of elements that prepared you for the role.

Once you have customized your résumé, from top-to-bottom, it will provide the best sales pitch for the job. This maximized your chances of landing an interview. With the high-level of competition, you need to gain every advantage you can, and this style of customization is a critical tool.


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MATERIALS MANAGERSCOMPETENCY MODEL


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INTRODUCTION

Materials managers support the complete cycle of material flow—from the purchase and control of materials to the planning and control of work in process and the finished product. In short, these professionals ensurethat an organization’s available goods can satisfy the demands of customers. Organizations depend on effective materials managers to minimize waste, manage inventory levels, and ensure that output is in line with the company’s balance sheet.

APICS The Association for Operations Management is the premier membership organization providing education, certification, and career development opportunities to supply chain professionals worldwide. TheAPICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management coursework and corresponding certification gives professionals the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. Knowledge and skills combined withwork experience create the competencies required for individuals to excel in their careers and distinguish themselves in their field. In recognition of this, APICS developed the Materials Manager Competency Model to guide individuals considering careers in materials management, materials management professionals seeking to advance their positions, and human resource managers who are hiring in this field. management professionals seeking to advance their positions, and human resource managers who are hiring in this field.


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ABOUT THE MODELThe structure of the APICS Materials Manager Competency Model follows guidelines set by the Employment and Training Administration of the United States Department of Labor. The model is visually represented in a diagram for easy reference, as seen on the following page. The model is organized into tiers of competencies and includes descriptions of the activities and behaviors associated with each competency. The Competency Model Clearinghouse defines competency as “the capability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills,and abilities required to successfully perform ‘critical work functions’ or tasks in a defined work setting.” In many cases, the competencies outlined in this model are adapted from the APICS Operations Management Body of Knowledge (OMBOK) Framework.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe APICS Materials Manager Competency Model was a research project undertaken by staff in the professional development division of APICS. They were supported by the APICS 2009 Future Leaders. In addition, APICS staff and leaders used public domain information obtained from the Competency Model Clearinghouse (www.Careeronestop.org) in the model’s creation.


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MATERIALS MANAGER DIAGRAM

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Materials Manager Specific Requirementsincludes requirements such as certification, licensure, and specialized educational degrees, or physical and training requirements for materials managers.

Bachelors or equivalent degree Supply chain industry association membership Supply chain-specific certifications

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Materials Manager Knowledge Areas and Technical Competenciesrepresent the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by materials managers.

Transportation, distribution, logistics Warehousing Inventory management Production planning Queuing and simulation Planning processes Risk management Enterprise resources planning and Manufacturing resource planning

Sales and operations planning Demand management and forecasting Master planning Warehouse management systems Security and hazardous materials regulations Supply chain synchronization Strategic sourcing and purchasing Vendor managed inventory

Operations Management Knowledge Areas and Technical Competenciesrepresent the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by all occupations within operations management, including materials managers.

Operations strategy Manufacturing process environments Standards (time measurement) Supply chain management Process improvement and six sigma

Execution, planning, scheduling control Lean management Sustainability Enabling technology application

Foun

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Workplace and Leadership Competenciesrepresent those skills and abilities that allow individuals to function in an organizational setting.

Problem solving and decision making Teamwork and collaboration Accountability and responsibility Customer focus (internal and external)

Planning and organizing Conflict management Supporting and training staff

Academic Competenciesare primarily learned in an academic setting, and include cognitive functions and thinking styles.

Math, statistics, and analytical thinking Reading and writing for comprehension Applied science and technology Supply chain fundamentals

Foundations of business management Materials management fundamentals Operations and enterprise economics

Personal Effectiveness Competenciesrepresent motives and traits as well as interpersonal and self-management styles and generally are applicable to a number of industries at a national level.

Awareness of the needs of others Integrity Continuous learning

Effective communication Interpersonal skills Creativity


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FOUNDATIONAL COMPETENCIES

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS COMPETENCIES Personal effectiveness competencies represent motives, traits, and interpersonal and self management styles, and are applicable in any number of industries.

Awareness of the needs of others Understand other business needs and goals. Have perspective into other points of view. Build rapport and credibility with colleagues. Anticipate needs and respond to concerns and conflicts.

Integrity Demonstrate trustworthiness and professionalism with clients, peers, and team members.

Respond with consistency in situations that require honesty and candor. Avoid conflicts between work and personal interests or activities.

Continuous learning Demonstrate an interest in personal learning and development; seek feedback from multiple sources about how to improve and develop; modify behavior based on feedback or self-analysis of past mistakes.

Take steps to develop and maintain the knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary to achieve positive results; participate fully in relevant training programs and actively pursue other opportunities to develop knowledge and skills.

Anticipate changes in work demands and participate in assignments or training that address these changing demands; treat unexpected circumstances as opportunities to learn.

Engage in career development by identifying occupational interests, strengths, options, and opportunities; make insightful career planning decisions based on integration and feedback; seek out additional training to pursue career goals.


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Effective communication Express information to individuals or groups considering the audience and the nature of the information (e.g., technical or controversial); speak clearly and confidently; organize information in a logical manner; speak using common English conventions including proper grammar, tone and pace; track audience responses and react appropriately to those responses; effectively use eye contact and nonverbal expression.

Receive, attend to, interpret, understand, and respond to verbal messages and other cues; pick out important information in verbal messages; understand complex instructions; appreciate feelings and concerns of verbal messages.

Practice meaningful two-way communication by speaking clearly, paying close attention and seeking to understand others, listening attentively and clarifying information and attending to nonverbal cues and respond appropriately.

Influence others; persuasively present thoughts and ideas; gain commitment and ensure support for proposed ideas.

Interpersonal skills Relate well to clients, colleagues, and team members. Maintain a positive, supportive, and appreciative attitude. Actively listen to others and demonstrate an understanding of their point of view. Create and open environment that encourages people to work together to solve problems and improve practices and services.

Explore and resolve conflicts as they arise. Communicate clearly to avoid misunderstanding.

Creativity Demonstrate intellectual curiosity about why things are the way they are. Challenge the status quo. Change, elaborate, adapt, and improve own ideas or those of others. Demonstrate a bias towards action; materialize thoughts into products or services.


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ACADEMIC COMPETENCIESAcademic competencies are primarily achieved in an academic setting and include cognitive functions and thought processes.

Math, statistics, and analytical thinking Practice applied mathematics in collecting and interpreting quantitative data. Demonstrate the ability to scrutinize and break down facts and thoughts into their strengths and weaknesses.

Develop the capacity to think in a careful and discerning way, to solve problems, to analyze data, and to recall and apply information.

Reading and writing for comprehension Understand what has been read; gather information from a text. Demonstrate an understanding of material read by forming opinions and sharing personal experiences.

Apply the strategies of self-questioning, retelling, writing, summarizing, predicting and verifying, story mapping, role play and responsiveness.

Applied science and technology Demonstrate an understanding of the factors that are considered important to the branch of knowledge or technology.

Understand the use of technology and the interaction with life, society, and the environment, in conjunction with such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.

Develop knowledge of specific tools and how they affect the ability to adapt to and control the environment.

Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge or understanding to meet a specific, recognized need.

Possess knowledge that is sufficiently general, clearly conceptualized, carefully reasoned, systematically organized, critically examined, and empirically tested with regard to the specific science or technology.

Supply chain fundamentals Understand that supply and logistics is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer.

Possess basic knowledge of supply chain activities, including transformation of natural resources, raw materials, and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer.

Recognize the ways that supply chains link value chains.© APICS 2014 All Righ

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Foundations of business management Understand all management activities carried out in the course of running an organization, including controlling, leading, monitoring, adjusting, organizing, and planning.

Analyze financial statements and explain the implications of standard financial ratios and all components of the balance sheet and income statement.

Create interactive decision support models that demonstrate the sensitivity of outcome to multiple independent variables.

Calculate project and organizational cash flow forecasts; present value investment comparisons and risk-adjusted return calculations.

Demonstrate knowledge of visual presentation techniques including charting, histograms, and flow sheets, and oral and written presentation techniques.

Practice basic business communications. Understand fundamental organizational behavior.

Materials management fundamentals Demonstrate knowledge of the operations management structure of the modern manufacturing and distribution company.

Convert and communicate demand requirements for products and service into detailed plans and schedules for inventory acquisition.

Calculate key inventory performance metrics such as turnover ratios, cost-benefit trade offs, days of inventory on hand, labor productivity, and inventory valuation.

Calculate and apply the various costing and valuation methods to inventory management.

Have detailed knowledge of manufacturing planning, master production scheduling, product definition, inventory control, materials requirements planning, capacity requirements planning shop floor control, warehousing, transportation, and purchasing business functions.

Understand standard enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) system technologies.

Incorporate methods and techniques involved in lean and Just-in-Time (JIT) management.

Implement new technologies. Be capable of performing human resource management functions. Participate in strategic planning and control development with senior management. Understand basic principles of sustainability, including reverse logistics, reworking product lines, and cutting operational energy costs.© APICS 2014 All R

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Operations and enterprise economics Understand the importance of and demonstrate the ability to take raw materials or knowledge and convert it into a product or service that has more value to the customer than the original material or data.

Determine the success or failure rate of a business using financial accounting, incorporating terms and techniques including income, expense, cost of goods sold, gross margin, balance sheet, return on assets, inventory turns, capital asset management, and cash management.

Employ the technique of break-even analysis, which finds the break-even point, the volume at which revenues exceed total costs.

Find the best operating level (BOL), the level of capacity a process was designed for. This is also the volume of output at which average unit cost is minimized. Use cost accounting systems to keep track of all costs of building products, labor, material, overhead, and variances. These systems include activity-based costing (ABC) and cost analysis and control.

WORKPLACE AND LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIESWorkplace competencies represent those skills and abilities that allow individuals to function in an organizational setting.

Problem solving and decision making Practice goal-directed thinking and action in situations for which no routine solutions exist.

Understand a problem situation and its step-by-step transformation based on planning and reasoning.

Demonstrate ability to choose between alternative courses of action using cognitive processes such as memory and evaluation.

Demonstrate ability to map processes of possible consequences of decisions, to work out the importance of individual factors, and to choose the best course of action.

Teamwork and collaboration Demonstrate a commitment to the mission and motivation to combine the team’s energy and expertise to achieve a common objective.

Understand the dynamics of effective teamwork in order to attain higher levels of performance.

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Accountability and responsibility Demonstrate a willingness to accept responsibility and accountability for one’s actions.

Exhibit a moral, legal, or mental accountability in areas of responsibility. Understand that these two workplace competencies are intertwined, and that both abilities must be present in order to succeed.

Customer focus (internal and external) Understand this is an organizational orientation toward satisfying the needs of potential and actual customers.

Ensure that the whole organization, not just frontline service staff, puts customers first.

Ensure all activities, from the planning of a new product to production, marketing, and after-sales care, are built around the customer

Understand that every department and every employee should share the same customer-focused vision.

Practice good customer relations management and maintain a customer relations program.

Demonstrate ability to balance the needs of the organization and the needs of the customer.

Planning and organizing Effectively plan what is to be achieved and involve all relevant staff members. Anticipate important or critical events, identifying resource requirements and assigning responsibility for specific work, including deadlines and performance expectations.

Demonstrate the use of information-gathering techniques, analyzing situation and identifying implications in order to make correct decisions.

Demonstrate ability to monitor progress and to make changes as required. Ensure that staff is aware they will be accountable for achieving the desired results through planned program evaluation and individual performance appraisal.

Ensure that staff is provided with the necessary tools to succeed.


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Conflict management Demonstrate ability to manage conflict by identifying and handling conflicts in a sensible, fair, and efficient manner.

Demonstrate skill in effective communicating, problem solving, and negotiating with a focus on party interests.

Supporting and training staff Understand the importance of facilitating on-going professional development opportunities for staff.

Assess training needs and identify means (for example, classes, mentoring, written materials) to fill skill gaps.

Provide opportunities for staff to demonstrate leadership skills. Provide clear and meaningful performance evaluation. Encourage the development of skills that increase personal and departmental productivities.


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PROFESSION-RELATED COMPETENCIESOPERATIONS MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE AREAS AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCIESOperations management knowledge areas and technical competencies represent the knowledge, skills and abilities needed by all occupations within operations management, including materials managers.

Operations strategy Ensure the alignment of the materials management strategy with the business strategies driving sales, marketing, finance, and manufacturing.

Develop inventory and plant asset management strategy supportive of company investment and capital management plans.

Demonstrate ability to consistently deliver products and services to meet customer needs.

Develop strategic objectives that focus on areas of quality, cost, flexibility, productivity, and speed.

Consistently search for methods to develop an agile and committed departmental workforce.

Manufacturing process environments Close understanding and practical knowledge of a company’s manufacturing processes and equipment capabilities.

Encourage a close working relationship between manufacturing and materials management personnel.

Develop materials storage and delivery processes supportive of manufacturing operations.

Assist manufacturing with process improvement and lean initiatives. Assist manufacturing management in the development of meaningful productivity and performance measurements.

Understand the influence of demand on manufacturing process design. Ensure processes conform to both the needs of the customer base and the characteristic of the product.

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Standards (time measurement) Assist manufacturing engineering in the development of process productivity standards.

Understand calculations for efficiency, utilization, and productivity. Demonstrate ability to calculate nominal and demonstrated productive capacities.

Supply chain management Demonstrate ability to manage the network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers.

Understand that supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, working process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption.

Process improvement and six sigma Understand the systematic approach to closing of process or system performance gaps through streamlining and cycle time reduction, and identify and eliminate causes of quality below specifications, process variation, and non-value-adding activities.

Maintain company processes that afford optimum operation and enhance the company’s quality management system.

Demonstrate ability to visualize the total process and aid in locating problem areas using process mapping, quality improvement, and visualization tools to locate, quantify, and correct root causes of problems.

Perform periodic evaluations to maintain processes by gathering pertinent information such as problem symptoms from knowledgeable sources and carrying these through to the problems, potential causes, and root causes of the problem.

Hold gains in process improvements by establishing key performance measurements, benchmarking metrics, and continuous process improvement initiatives to improve process quality on a continual basis.


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Execution, planning, scheduling, and control Determine the need for material and capacity to address expected demand, execute the resulting plans, and update planning and financial information to reflect the results.

Plan the management function by defining goals and the tasks and resources needed to attain those goals.

Schedule a timetable of events and decide when and where certain events will occur.

Control and check errors, taking any corrective action so that deviations from standards are minimized and stated goals of the organization are achieved in a desired manner.

Lean management Identify and reduce or eliminate waste in all areas of a supply chain. Calculate the total system cost of delivering a product or service to the customer. Develop systems that allow employees to produce results by:• Educating suppliers to create value for customers by streamlining

processes in the value chain.• Using suppliers whose methods and core competencies will align with

lean requirements and developing long-term relationships with them.• Reducing or entirely eliminating the cost of changing from one product

or service to another.

Sustainability Understand current industry and government regulations governing sustainability.

Be able to calculate carbon footprint of business processes. Develop processes that strive to eliminate waste. Incorporate renewable raw materials. Assemble an effective reverse logistics program. Pursue transportation alternative to reduce energy and emissions. Utilize safe and reusable containerization. Pursue paperless documentation. Coordinate shipping and freight to use full truckloads. Convert outputs to inputs; recycle end-products and components when possible.


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Enabling technology education Recognize that continuous process improvement is an accepted way of life in business and that few companies lack a continuing quality or process improvement effort.

Implement improvement methods such as business process re-engineering, total quality management (TQM), six sigma, lean manufacturing, and theory of constraints (TOC).

Understand that technology and process functionality has an interconnected relationship and that each helps transform the other.

Initiate process improvements that are enabled and supported by technology.

MATERIALS MANAGERS KNOWLEDGE AREAS AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCIESMaterials manager knowledge areas and technical competencies represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by materials managers.

Transportation, distribution, and logistics Manage transportation operations. Maximize freight loads while minimizing freight costs. Ensure efficient use of transportation resources while meeting the needs of the customer.

Move material, usually one organization’s finished goods or service parts, from the manufacturer or distributor downstream to the customer.

Transfer goods and services from the raw materials suppliers and producers to the end users or consumers.

Apply the cross-docking technique when bringing items into a distribution center for immediate dispatch.

Divide truckloads of homogeneous items into smaller, more appropriate quantities for use by break-bulk handling.

Consolidate several items into larger units for fewer handlings; for example, placing items in boxes loaded and wrapped as a pallet by unitization packaging.

Apply logistics with the movement of personnel, and the design and development, acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of material.

Develop and implement a formal logistics strategy. Develop and implement a reverse logistics plan.


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Warehousing Receive, store, and ship materials to and from production or distribution locations by incorporating warehousing activities.

Configure warehouses to have formal storage locations that identify the row, rack section, level, and shelf location, typically with an alphanumeric location bar code or label.

Place high-turn items close to packing and shipping areas, which will reduce picking, put-away times, and transportation within the warehouse.

Select random locations when travel distances are not an important consideration and when overall utilization of warehouse space is important.

Inventory management Be capable of determining departmental inventory management strategies and objectives.

Know how to set up an effective inventory control department. Know how to apply trade-off analysis to balance requirements of demand and supply. Understand the different classes of inventory (raw materials, WIP, finished goods, MRO, service parts, damaged, and obsolete).

Understand the difference between independent and dependent demand inventory. Know how to define the five functions of inventory: cycle inventory, safety inventory, anticipation inventory, transportation inventory, and hedge inventory.

Know how to determine the elements of inventory decision costs such as fixed, variable, direct, overhead, and costs

Know how to calculate inventory carrying costs. Know how to calculate manufacturing and purchasing costs. Effectively manage surplus and obsolete inventories. Understand the methods of valuing inventory: standard; first in, first out (FIFO); last in, first out (LIFO); average; and actual cost.

Understand the difference between continuous and period review systems of inventory control.

Effectively calculate the inventory required to restock products or parts with inventory models including inventory audits, annual physical inventory, and cycle counting.

Effectively calculate safety stock for independent demand items. Be able to calculate the order quantity through the economic order quantity (EOQ). Maintain high inventory accuracy through various techniques including inventory audits, annual physical inventory, and cycle counting.

Generate reporting detailing inventory financial statements, turnover ratios, activity based cost (ABC) analysis, and inventory performance.

Be aware of the latest electronic data collection technologies. Understand lean and JIT concepts and practices. Be able to set up and run a pull system of inventory control. Effectively calculate kanban card requirements. Develop kaizen event teams to remove inventory and process wastes and speed inventory throughput.


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Production planning Demonstrate ability to establish a manufacturing planning department consisting of master scheduling, production planning, and open-manufacturing order management.

Understand the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process. Understand the relationships between the production plan, sales plan, and overall business plan.

Identify current planned level of demand and create tactical production plans to meet the identified customer demand.

Demonstrate knowledge of the various methods to establish and work with bills of material (BOMs).

Calculate production lead times. Understand scheduling techniques using forward scheduling and backward scheduling.

Demonstrate knowledge of techniques to manage infinite loading and finite loading. Understand how to manage load leveling and bottleneck scheduling. Demonstrate knowledge of theory of constraints (TOC) and drum-buffer-rope scheduling methods.

Analyze production floor status through input/output control reporting. Effectively analyze if inventories need to be maintained, raised or lowered. Coordinate information with other functional staff, including, sales, engineering, accounting, finance, marketing, and human resources.

Establish reporting to determine labor and productivity performance statistics.

Queuing and simulation Initiate simulations to evaluate planned operational changes. Analyze impacts of varying queue lengths with queuing models and simulation software.

Effectively analyze simulation output to determine the best operational rules and structural changes to enact.

Planning process Demonstrate detailed knowledge of integrating production and materials planning with the business plan.

Fully understand modern planning concepts and practices. Demonstrate ability to use spreadsheet and enterprise resources planning software in managing the planning process.

Understand the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

Demonstrate ability to define an effective project plan. Define the project resources, such as money, people, materials, and space, the milestones, and specific outcomes.


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Risk management Accurately identify risks affecting supply, transformation, delivery, and customer demand.

Develop strategies such as dual sourcing, buffering, and forward buying that minimize financial impact uncertainties such as yields, timing, pricing, and catastrophic events.

Effectively analyze the probability, control, and impact of risks identified.

Enterprise resources planning (ERP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), material requirements planning (MRP)

Demonstrate ability to define ERP/MRP II software systems. Demonstrate ability to explain the components of a modern ERP system. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of ERP systems. Understand the basic principles and operations of ERP systems. Understand the integration of company functions provided by an ERP system. Establish ERP planning procedures. Understand load versus capacity output reporting.

Collaborate with functional departments to discuss and react to changes in demand. Explain MRP time-phased planning logic. Understand the role of the bill of material in ERP. Describe how safety stock is managed in MRP. Understand the various types of order policies available in MRP order generation. Apply the application of independent and dependent demand to ERP. Calculate scrap and shrinkage factors into the MRP generation. Understand the MRP gross-to-net explosion process. Evaluate the contents and calculations on the MRP grid display/report. Demonstrate knowledge of planning utilizing action messaging. Demonstrate knowledge of planning time fences in MRP. Understand the types of replenishment orders found in the MRP grid. Demonstrate ability to work with pegged requirements in MRP. Understand how to perform order rescheduling in MRP. Understand the various MRP output reports. Establish when MRP is to be generated. Demonstrate knowledge of capacity requirements planning (CRP). Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the components necessary to run CRP: work centers, labor/machines, routings, setup times, run, standards, and move times.

Demonstrate knowledge of increasing and decreasing capacity. Demonstrate ability to use CRP to reschedule open and MRP-generated orders. Understand load versus capacity output reporting. Collaborate with functional departments to discuss and react to changes in demand. Understand ERP support for advanced planning systems.© APICS 2014 All R

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Distribution requirements planning (DRP) Understand the definition of DRP. Establish DRP planning procedures. Understanding of the components of the DRP planning system. Build a bill of distribution (BOD) for the DRP explosion. Demonstrate knowledge of the links between MRP and DRP. Understand the sources of distribution demand in a DRP system. Describe DRP order policies for planned order generation. Describe how safety stock is used in DRP planning. Understand the DRP gross-to-net calculation. Use the DRP output grid to describe planning requirements. Use exception reporting to determine order action. Describe the types of planned orders generated by DRP. Describe the meaning of DRP action messages Use pegged requirements for DRP scheduling and rescheduling actions. Demonstrate knowledge of DRP for financial estimating, transportation planning, warehousing, and labor and equipment capacity planning.

Understand the integration of DRP with supply chain management and supply chain event-management software suites.

Sales and operations planning (S&OP) Understand the definition of S&OP. Effectively communicate the operational perspective in cross-functional meetings. Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and logic of the S&OP process. Understand the components of the S&OP process. Demonstrate ability to establish an S&OP program, define operating procedures, and establish a S&OP planning team from the different parts of an organization.

Demonstrate ability to work effectively with other members of the S&OP team. Demonstrate ability to assemble the data necessary to run the S&OP process. Understand how to calculate the S&OP plan output. Evaluate output and propose changes to the S&OP plan. Demonstrate ability to work with S&OP in different manufacturing environments. Integrate S&OP with financial output. Communicate plan changes to production and inventory planning.


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Demand management and forecasting Understand the principles and applications of demand forecasting. Demonstrate knowledge of the critical requirements for effective forecasting: establishing time horizons, determining the level of forecasting detail, and determining the forecastable database.

Demonstrate ability to establish policies and procedures to ensure forecast control.

Demonstrate knowledge of the three forecasting techniques: judgmental (qualitative) forecasts, quantitative (time-series) forecasts, and causal (extrinsic) forecasting.

Demonstrate ability to discuss and work with time-series analysis in forecast data preparation.

Demonstrate ability to apply time-series methods to work with horizontal, random, seasonal, trend, and cyclical demand.

Understand subjective, causal, and time-series forecasting methods, including:• Averages• Time series (exponential smoothing)• Trend• Seasonality• Regression models• Focus forecasting• Establish key performance indicators of forecast accuracy.• Define the purpose of the forecast.• Prepare the statistical components of a forecast.• Demonstrate ability to determine forecast error.• Ensure the interaction of the firm’s functional managers, and track and

maintain the forecast through timely and accurate feedback.

Master planning Demonstrate ability to translate the production plan into a time-phased build schedule.

Understand how to work with planning bills of material. Understand the planning requirements for managing make-to-stock, make-to-order, assemble-to-order, and engineer-to-order manufacturing environments.

Understand the concept of forecast consumption by actual sales orders. Establish the demand and planning time fences. Establish policies for time fence management. Demonstrate knowledge of performing cumulative lead time analysis. Understand the mechanics of the master schedule calculation logic. Understand the tasks in managing the available-to-promise and capable-to-promise portion of the master schedule.

Demonstrate ability to schedule demand based on the product mix.


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Understand the role of managing safety stock in the master schedule. Manage schedule changes through system generated action messages Demonstrate ability to use the rough-cut capacity plan. Assemble master schedule reporting regarding performance to the business plan, the shipment plan, the inventory plan, and the production plan.

Warehouse management systems (WMS) Demonstrate knowledge of the applications available in a WMS. Demonstrate knowledge of the necessary steps to integrate WMS and ERP systems. Develop standardized processes, instructions, rules, and parameters for warehouse management in the initial software implementation.

Demonstrate knowledge of performing warehousing planning in a WMS. Input receiving, storing, bin selecting, picking, and shipping tasks offered by WMS application functionality. distribution centers, warehouses, and customers through a logistics network.

Security and hazardous materials regulations Comply with security regulations established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Demonstrate knowledge of various trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and those of the European Union.

Demonstrate knowledge of the key hazardous materials handling laws established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Identify and implement proper packing and labeling methods for transportation of hazardous materials.

Ensure all staff handling hazardous materials receives training on safety and compliance regulations.

Create lean and green programs for energy and materials use reduction. Establish efficient reverse logistics and recycling programs. Determine most effective ways of disposing of hazardous wastes. Work with purchasing and manufacturing to target waste and hazardous materials reduction.


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Supply chain synchronization Analyze the company’s external and internal environments to identify promising strategic options for the company.

Analyze the principle competing pressures in your market. Develop reliable estimates of competitor resources and strategic plans in order to anticipate next moves and to avoid being surprised.

Determine an enterprise’s key success factors (those things a company needs to “get right” to be successful).

Assess your company’s current strategy by examining your competitive approach using quantitative and other performance measures.

Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)

Strategic sourcing and purchasing Strategic sourcing and purchasing Effectively locate and source key materials suppliers, while analyzing the total cost associated with procuring an item or service.

Focus on developing and maintaining long-term relationships with trading partners who can help the purchaser meet profitability and customer satisfaction goals.

Integrate automation of request for quote (RFQ), request for proposal (RFP), electronic auctioning, business-to-business commerce (B2B), and contract management processes when using a strategic sourcing approach

Establish methods of meeting customer satisfaction goals.

Vendor-managed Inventory (VMI) Demonstrate knowledge of establishing an onsite customer inventory management program.

Establish objectives of the VMI program. Establish performance reporting to ensure quality and profitability. Integrate the customer requirements into the business planning system. Demonstrate ability to manage remote staff.


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OCCUPATION-RELATED COMPETENCIESMATERIALS MANAGER SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTSMaterials manager specific requirements such as certification, licensure, and specialized educational degrees, or physical and training requirements for materials managers.

Post-secondary education The majority of materials management professionals hold post secondary degrees — a bachelor’s or equivalent.

While a number of materials management professionals have degrees related to supply chain or operations management, the majority hold degrees in other fields including but not limited to, business, economics, engineering, or liberal arts studies.

Association membershipProfessional association membership ensures that materials management professional can link into a network of practitioners to share best practices, develop their careers, and continue their professional educations. There are a number of supply chain associations related to specific industries, including but not limited to:

APICS The Association for Operations Management (APICS) Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Supply Chain Council (SCC) Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)

CertificationsOnce the professional is in the workplace, it is desirable to obtain a materials management specific certification. While there are a number of materials management certifications related to specific industries, general certifications include:

APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)

A quick scan of a job board will identify a wide range of job descriptions. Almost every job posting is unique. The organization, structure, content, format, and writing style change from company to company and position to position. These variations become even greater when comparing job postings to the job descriptions used internally at companies.


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APPENDIX:

UNDERSTANDING

JOB DESCRIPTIONS


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UNDERSTANDING JOB DESCRIPTIONSJob descriptions are designed with a balance of detail and ambiguity. This can be frustrating for job seekers, but is necessary. If a job description is too vague, then it will not establish clear expectations to make a hiring decision or to assess the performance of someone in the role. This can open a company up to discrimination charges if a candidate is rejected based on criteria notnoted in the job description.

If a job description is too detailed, it may restrict the hiring process and result in qualified job seekers being rejected. In addition, it is likely to fail to capture every essential function of the job. It is impossible to list every single task that could be required in a job. Even the most mundane role requires some adaptability, and the challenges in an organization are constantly changing. A job description must incorporate these variations.

Good job descriptions provide a level of detail and specificity while still capturing the flexibility and adaptability required in a position.

PURPOSE OF A JOB DESCRIPTIONThe purpose of a job description also affects how it is written. A job description can serve a wide range of purposes. This often means that a job description that works well in one situation may not adequately meet the needs of another situation.

Job descriptions are mostly viewed as job postings to attract candidates. They are essentially advertisements. Companies want to attract a large candidate pool to ensure they can select the best candidate. Some job postings are focused on selling the position and company as much as possible. These job descriptions have a lengthy section detailing the background and successof the company, and highlight the growth potential of the position. Job descriptions written with job seekers as the primary audience work to highlight the reasons a job seeker should apply for a position.

Although job advertisements are what most people picture when thinking about a job description, they are only one type of job description. Job descriptions are important in a number of other situations, and take a number of other forms.

Each role in a company should have a written job description detailing the requirements and expectations of the job. The job description serves as a written summary of the performance level required in a role, and is an essential management tool. Without clearly defined roles and expectations, it can be difficult to manage performance, and difficult for employees to gauge


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what they need to do to be successful. Often, these job descriptions vary from person to person and year to year, reflecting the specific challenges in an organization and the developmental opportunities for the employee. Job descriptions written for a person currently in a role work to set clear expectations for the scope of the role and the performance level required.

Job descriptions are also used to determine the compensation levels for positions. Companies have standard compensation guidelines for positions. This makes it easier to determine what to pay a new hire, and to ensure consistency in compensation across the organization. The first step in developing a compensation plan is to understand the position. A job description is an important element in this process, but the job descriptions for compensation purposes are typically much more general thanother job descriptions. This allows similar positions to be grouped together. For example, the engineering manager, production manager, and accounting manager may all be at the same level in a company and have a similar compensation plan. They essentially have the same job description for compensation purposes, and yet their roles are different.

Companies also need to organize employees for data security purposes. With large organizations, it is important for each employee to have access to the systems and data needed for their job. At the same time, there is a lot of data that needs to be kept confidential. For example, a limited number of people should have access to employment records. Job descriptions help establish what information technology (IT) access a person has in a specific role.

Ideally, a company would have a job description that covers all of these topics. Often though, companies take short cuts. Instead of detailing the exact functions, responsibilities, and challenges in a position, the description is generalized. This generalization is essential for the job description to be useful for longer periods of time. Companies and jobs are continuously changing, and a job description either has to change with the role, or be broad enough to still be applicable in the future.


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ELEMENTS OF A JOB DESCRIPTIONJob descriptions show the scope of a role within a company and how the role fits into the organization. The job description also needs to answer key questions about the job. To do this, there are a number of elements that make up a job description.

Position within the organization• Job title• Department• Title of supervisor• Location

Compensation• Pay grade• Schedule (full-time or part-time)• Exempt or nonexempt status

Company overview: A description of the company culture, goals, market position, and history.

Overview of the position: A brief description of the role with highlights of key responsibilities.

Potential of the position: A description of the career path the position may lead to. Responsibilities: The typical day-to-day activities that a person must perform in the role should be listed.

Performance expectations: The specific expectations for a person in the role that must be met to be considered successful. Most job descriptions generalize the expectations. For annual review purposes, these expectations need to be detailed and specific.

Job qualifications: The requirements for a person to be qualified to perform a job should be listed. This includes specialized education or training, experience, or skills that are necessary to the job.

Resources essential to perform the job: A profile of equipment, software, and user rights that a person in the role needs to do the job position, and history.

Each of these elements describes an aspect of a position. Depending on the use of the job description, some of these elements may or may not be important. For example, the company overview is an important element of a job description that is posted as a recruiting advertisement, but the overview is likely to be unimportant to a person in a payroll department trying to set up a new employee in the payroll system.


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JOB POSTING BEST PRACTICESWhen writing a job description for a recruitment campaign, you need to create an exciting, attractive job description with enough sizzle to get candidates to apply. You also need to write a description that is going to help candidates present the right information to you. Candidates will use the job description to tailor their résumés and cover letter to the position, and will focus on the elements of their backgrounds that tie to the most significant elements of the job posting. Most importantly, you want to attract the right candidates. The goal is to generate a large number of submissions from candidates who meet your requirements, and fewer submissions from candidates that don’t meet the requirements.

Five best practices were identified from the job descriptions studied for this report.

Be specific Focus on what’s in it for them (WIIFT) Include a company overview Use relevant keywords Write with short blocks of text

Each of these best practices is detailed below.

BE SPECIFICIt is important for a job description to be specific. Job seekers are looking for a role where they are going to work for years, dedicating a significant portion of their lives to the role and company. Vague descriptions make it difficult to imagine working for the company. Providing a clear picture of what the role entails can make a job seeker more comfortable with applying.

Specific job descriptions can also discourage individuals who are unqualified from applying. If the job description clearly shows a requirement the job seeker does not possess, and it is clear the requirement is essential to being hired, individuals without the qualification are less likely to apply. Be careful with this though. If you make too many requirements essential for the position, it will be difficult to find candidates that meet all the requirements.

A good way to be specific without being overly restrictive is to provide a great deal of detail of the responsibilities of a position. This provides a job seeker with a clear picture of the role© APICS 2014 All R

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Example: Materials managers position, list of responsibilities Creates purchase orders, including schedule line agreements and blanket orders, usually for complex purchase requests. Clearly defines all requirements, pricing, terms and conditions, and expectations.

Manages exception messages by expediting, delaying, or canceling orders as required. Supports internal customers by providing information on purchasing processes, products, and suppliers. Mitigates problems by applying a broad view of situational implications and total cost impacts. Provides value in resolving supplier and purchased product related issues.

Administers bid processes including preparation of request for quotation (RFQ) packages, and comprehensively assesses supplier proposals for price, requirement satisfaction, terms and conditions, schedule, risk, supplier performance, and best value.

Negotiates complex contracts with suppliers and supports other buyer negotiations by developing negotiation strategies based on the proposal analysis including price and cost factors, terms and conditions, and technical issues.

Documents, authorizes, and maintains contractual agreements that address all elements.

Manages supplier performance by addressing day-to-day issues such as rejections and quality issues and supplier requested schedule changes, ensuring the system application programming (SAP) is accurate, and leading supplier performance review meetings.

Identifies potential suppliers through superior knowledge of the supplier marketplace and existing supplier capabilities, and has the ability to search broadly and internationally for new sources to ensure supplier qualifications meet requirements. Performs comprehensive onsite supplier assessments.

Provides advanced knowledge and insight to support strategic sourcing, including assessments of the current situation (for example, internal direction, suppliers, pricing trends). Develops future purchase strategies and actions to proactively reduce total costs and optimize performance.

Maintains information in the SAP system and material requirements planning (MRP) system settings to optimize inventory, varying from MRP recommendations based on established variance guidelines and resolves system reconciliation issues such as invoice and receiving discrepancies.

Job seeker tipTailor your résumé. There are candidates who apply to anything and everything. Some send hundreds of résumés and are not discouraged by the requirements of a position, and many do not read the requirements. This leads to a large number of unqualified applications for every job posting. You can stand out and get more attention with your application by customizing it to the job and writing a custom cover letter for the position. This takes time, but most recruiters will look closer at a résumé if they know the candidate spent time on the application.


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FOCUS ON WIIFTMost job descriptions focus on the responsibilities and requirements of the position. This is important, and can have a significant impact on the candidates who apply. Just as important is creating a posting that is attractive to a job seeker. Job postings are ads and should give the job seeker a reason to apply. The solution is simple. Make sure the posting shows what’s in it for them (WIIFT). Identity the key attributes that make the job attractive. This can include exciting challenges, the corporate culture, stability and growth of the company, benefits, or any other feature that offers something unique to the job seeker.

Example: Materials manager position, list of benefits Benefits 401(k) Company paid life insurance Business casual dress code Health, dental, and flexible spending insurance plans A positive work environment with all team players A stake in the company with an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

Job seeker tipThe goal of your job search is to find a position that meets your needs and wants. You should assess jobs based on how they appeal to you. Despite this, focus on what you can contribute to the organization in your application. When you submit a résumé and cover letter, focus on WIIFT. Persuade the company and hiring manager to want to interview you. Avoid lengthy objective statements. Some job seekers are more detailed about what they want than what they can do. Focus on the value you offer to an employer.

INCLUDE A COMPANY OVERVIEWProviding background on the company is important in a job posting. There are over 20 million businesses In the United States, and job seekers will only know a few of them. Even if the job seeker has heard of a company, they are unlikely to know much about it. A job posting can create an impression of the company’s culture, values, and track record. This impression goes a long way toward selling a candidate on a position.


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Example: Materials Manager position, company overviewBaking Company is not a conventional company, and we don’t intend to become one. True, we share a focus on innovation and smart business practices, but even as we continue to grow, we’re committed to retaining a small company feel where every employee is valued and is an integral part of our success. Our goal is to be the most innovative and sustainable global provider of all natural food products. We’re making history and the good news is that we’ve only just begun. Are you ready to join the pastry revolution?

Job seeker tipDo research on the companies you interview with. Study the company. Learn as much as you can about the company’s culture, values, strategy, performance, and hiring process. Many hiring managers will ask questions designed to test whether you have done your homework. If you haven’t, it will hurt your chances.

USE RELEVANT KEYWORDSAn effective job posting makes it easy for the right job seekers to find. Although unemployment is still high, and the job market is far from strong, there is a lot of competition for talent. In May 2011, there were 2,973,171 job postings on Indeed.com. With so many, it is easy for a job posting to get lost. Companies need to make it easy to find the job posting. Choosing the right keywords is important. Some keywords will attract a lot of candidates such as “supervisor” or “manager.” Others will have a much more narrow focus such as “master production scheduler.”

The best keywords will be phrases that an ideal candidate will use as a search term. Often, important skills and certifications are good at attracting top candidates. This makes it important to have both requirements and preferred qualities. A company may want someone with a Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), but not make it a requirement. Including the CPIM as a preferred qualification, you are more likely to get candidates to apply who have that credential.

Example: Materials manager position, system and certification preferenceFull knowledge of materials planning systems such as MRP or enterprise resources planning (ERP) requirements and order generation process. CPIM or Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) certification is preferred.

Job seeker tip Identify a number of specific keyword phrases that relate directly to your ideal job and set up email alerts on a site like Indeed.com. This will help you focus on your search on the jobs that are closest to your goals. A good keyword phrase for an email alert will only generate a few job postings per day or per week.If you are getting more than that, make the search more specific.


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WRITE WITH SHORT BLOCKS OF TEXTPeople do not want to read long blocks of text. Writing with short blocks increases the amount of the job posting that is read. Despite this, there are companies that write one giant paragraph and use it as a job posting. In the age of Twitter and Facebook, a posting like that will not be read. To be more effective, put each idea in a separate paragraph and make sure each paragraph is one to three lines long. If it is longer than a few lines, break it up. A lot of candidates are used to reading blocks of text that are less than 140 characters.

To make a job posting easier to read and more inviting to a job seeker, add titles to each paragraph. Start a paragraph with a word or phrase describing what is in the paragraph. This gives someone the ability to scan the posting and read the elements that are most important to them.

Example: Materials manager managers, list of preferred competenciesTo perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Analytical: collects and researches data; uses intuition and experience to complement data.

Problem solving: identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, works well in group problem solving situations, and uses reason when dealing with emotional topics.

Technical skills: pursues training and development opportunities, and strives to continuously build knowledge and skills.

Written communication: writes clearly and informatively, and is able to read and interpret written information.

Teamwork: balances team and individual responsibilities Quality management: looks for ways to improve and promote quality and demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.

Job seeker tipThis strategy is great on a résumé. Use short blocks of text and add keyword titles to major bullet points. It provides a more professional look and makes it easier for a hiring manager to find the most important elements of your résumé.


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FOCUS ON WHAT IS IMPORTANTIt is important to focus a job description on what is important. To create a complete picture of a job, a lot of information is needed. However, a complete picture is not necessary when posting a job description. For example, the pay grade of a position may be important to a company, but it is not necessary to publish the pay grade with the job description advertisement. One reason is that the pay grade information is unlikely to be important to a candidate. Would knowing that a position had a pay grade of seven tell you anything? Unless the company publishes the entire compensation plan, the specific pay grade doesn’t help.

There are other details that are also not valuable to a job seeker, and these can be omitted from a job posting. Omitting the details allows the posting to be more focused. Some details only become important for certainjobs. For example, exempt or nonexempt status for a purchasing manager is likely to be understood without stating it. For other positions, the difference is tougher. For example, a production team lead could be a salaried role or an hourly role depending on the company. Disclosing the overtime status of the position is valuable information.

The important thing is to focus on the important details that will help a job seeker understand what the role entails.

Job seeker tipThis is another great strategy for your résumé and cover letter. If you add information that is not relevant to your ability to do a job, you will distract the reader from the reasons they should interview you. Unfortunately, most candidates have a lot of detail in their résumés about unimportant elements of their background. Make every word on your résumé count. Weeding out nonessential information will produce a much more effective résumé.


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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORGary W. Capone is President of Palladian International, LLC, a career coaching firm in Waynesboro, Virginia that offers résumé assessment, résumé writing, and interview coaching services. He has authored two books:

Résumé Writing for Manufacturing Careers Power Up Your Job Search: A Modern Approach to Interview Preparation

Mr. Capone is a graduate of the Management and Technology Program at the University of Pennsylvania, where he concurrently earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business. Mr. Capone has experience in manufacturing, distribution, accounting, finance, recruiting, and human resources, gained from positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Newell Rubbermaid, Kforce, Raymond James, and the Target Corporation.

In 2006, he joined the board of directors of the Blue Ridge Chapter of APICS and in 2009, was elected chapter president. Mr. Capone spoke at the 2009 and 2010 APICS International Conferences. In 2010, he became the career coach for the APICS “Ask the Coach” in the APICS Career Center at apicscareercenter.org.

APICS MATERIAL MANAGERS CAREER PACK

APICS Corporate Office 8430 West Bryn Mawr, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60631 USAPhone +1-773-867-1778 Toll Free 800-444-2742 Fax +1-773-636-3008 apics.org


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ABOUT APICS

APICS is the leading professional association for supply chain and operations management and the premier provider of research, education and certification programs that elevate end-to-end supply chain excellence, innovation and resilience. APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) designations set the industry standard. With over 37,000 members and more than 250 international partners, APICS is transforming the way people do business, drive growth and reach global customers.

© 2014 APICS


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