Message from the President
Dear Affiliate Members and Associates,
Someone recently asked me how I plan to incorporate Valentine’s Day with SCM. Let’s see…..
A hearty “Thank You” goes out to Mary Lewis, for her outstanding presentation, “Strategies to
Effectively Source & Manage Telecom Services” at Rockhurst University last month and to Esmeralda
Phillips for coordinating the great venue. Mary’s presentation is featured on our website. Go to File
Archives, sign in, and it is the first selection under Meeting Material.
Also within the File Archives is our Scholarship Application for 2013. This is a great opportunity for
assistance in advanced education for you or your immediate college-bound family members. Take a
look to see if you are eligible. The application deadline is March 1.
On February 19, we will host a luncheon meeting at the Hereford House, in Shawnee, KS. Our
speaker will be Gina Montgomery, Strategic Account Manager for Softmart. Her presentation,
”Demystifying Cloud Computing within Microsoft Office 365-From Licensing to Readiness”, is sure to
be revealing. Please submit your reservation soon so we have adequate space for all.
Are you headed to Dallas? ISM’s 98th
Annual International Supply Management Conference is April
28 – May 1. Some of our Board members will be going. Give us a shout if you are attending. We
would love to meet up with you there and present a large delegation from ISM-Kansas City!
At the risk of sounding corny, I omitted any overt mention of valentines, Cupid, roses and
chocolates, but did manage to get in a couple of vague references. Let me know if you find them.
We look forward to seeing everyone the 19th!
Kriss Pearson
President
ISM-Kansas City
Inside This Issue
1 Message from the President
2 CPSM Certification Study &
Review Sessions
3-4 Monthly Meetings Schedule
5-6 Job Postings
7 Diversity Corner
8-9 Mid-America Leading
Economic Indicators
10 ISM-KC Board of Directors
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Institute for Supply Management – Kansas City, Inc.
February 2013
PAGE 2 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
CPSM/CSM Certification
We recently cancelled the CPSM Study and Review Classes because we could not get the minimum
break even number of students to attend the sessions. We had advertised the sessions since early
November for classes to be held in January, February and March so there was plenty of time for
folks to decide and schedule in the classes.
We then went to ISM National and looked at how many Kansas City members had received their
CPSM or CSM certification and found that none of the members had received any certifications in the
recent months.
As I have been talking with members, I am getting the impression that many are unsatisfied with
ISM’s new certification program because of the phasing out of the C.P.M. Certification. Perhaps an
understanding of the development and reasoning for the new certification program is in order.
First and foremost, the C.P.M. certifications are still good per the guidelines of ISM and I still see
companies looking for C.P.M. certifications. NAPM/ISM began reaching out to their members’
companies and asking how ISM was meeting their needs. The answer was clear that NAPM, at the
time, was not and your SCM leaders’ message was that the then current C.P.M. certification was too
focused on purchasing.
NAPM/ISM then hired consulting group specializing in this area and gathered some of the leaders
(including Sprint and Aquila from the Kansas City area) within your companies to develop the areas
that these leaders wanted to see included in the new certification program. It was clear that your
leaders wanted training in the full array of knowledge from Sales Forecasting, Strategic Sourcing,
ERP systems, Warehousing, Logistics, Quality Control, Project Management, Finance, Accounting,
SCM Employee Management and Motivation, New Product Development, Managing Budgets and
International Sourcing just to mention a few.
After taking the final exam in 2009, I was really impressed by all the theories covered and how well
they all fit with my experiences in SCM over the past 33 years. As a manager in SCM, I would
definitely interview anyone with a CPSM, CSM or C.P.M. because it shows that you care enough to
invest in yourself and secondly, if you were able to earn these certifications, you know all the basics
and also know where and how to expand your knowledge in more detail on any of the theories in
these certification programs.
I hope that you find this information helpful and those of you with C.P.M. certifications, expand your
knowledge by earning your CPSM or CSM. So take a deep breath, develop that goal and make it
happen.
I recently spoke to a group of SCM students at the Louisiana Tech about ISM and the importance of
the certification. Their main concern was, what skills are hiring companies looking for? My advice to
anyone, no matter what age, continue investing in yourself. Speaking to many folks that were
caught in the downsizing in recent years due to the economy, they all had one message in common,
those who have taken steps recently to improve themselves by attained degrees, certificates and
training were getting the jobs. Employers are not just looking at past degrees but also what you
have done recently.
I hope this has given you some insight as to why ISM implemented the new certification program
and what your employers are looking for.
Jim Marinakis, MBA, CPSM, C.P.M., Six Sigma Blackbelt
PAGE 3 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
2012-2013
Monthly Meeting Schedule (Note: Dates Have Been Corrected From June Newsletter)
February 2013 Lunch Meeting
Tue, Feb 19, 2013
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Hereford House
17244 Midland Drive herefordhouse.com
Shawnee, Kansas 66217
Fees for this event:
MEMBERS (1.0000 POINTS): $25.00
NON-MEMBERS: $25.00
TOPIC: Demystifying Cloud Computing within Microsoft Office 365 – From Licensing to Readiness
Summary: Everyone has their head in the cloud these days. Join us for an hour in learning
about Microsoft’s Office 365 solution. When any new product or service releases to
market, we tend to focus on the cost benefits versus their existing product. However,
there are many other determinants to consider since business cloud-based solutions such
as O365 have become more attractive due to; various compliance regulations and
burdensome security issues, cheaper bandwidth costs, as well as the ease and
widespread availability online. So come find out if this solution makes economic sense for
your organization as well as some important implementation considerations.
SPEAKER: Gina Montgomery
BIOGRAPHY: Gina Montgomery is a Strategic Account Manager for Softmart. A frequent speaker
at Information Technology events, SharePoint conferences, Microsoft focused events, and User
Group meetings, she has a passion for helping organizations maximize their I.T. investments.
Her focus has been on strategy, project planning, analysis, best practices in software licensing
and implementing business solutions. Gina has years of experience in I.T. as a SharePoint
Architect, Applications Specialist, and Business Intelligence Consultant.
Cost:
ISM-KC Members: $25 ($30 after February 18)
Note: LOG INTO THE WEB PAGE TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OR YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE YOUR
CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS
Non ISM-KC Members: $25 ($30 after February 18)
Reservations must be received by noon, Monday, February 18, 2013.
PAGE 5 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
Job Posting
New Job Opportunities Posted on ISM-KC Web
Site, go to:
• http://www.ism-kansascity.org/default.asp
• Log In
• Select Members
• Select Job Postings
• Click on each job for details
Please view the job postings regularly as new jobs are posted throughout
the month.
Buyer/Planner Posted January 28, 2013
Employer: Jet Midwest
Summary: Jet Midwest has immediate openings for Buyer /Planners. We are looking for
individuals to build our existing business and help us develop new business.
Hungry, driven, motivated and ambitious candidates only need apply.
Please E-mail resume’ to: [email protected]
Key Responsibilities:
Read drawings and documents to determine requirements
Maintain supplier files
Implement cost savings
Develop and maintain stock levels for specific inventories
Assist sales and marketing as needed
Understand quality assurance and implement quality procedures
Benefits for a Full Time and Permanent Employee
Base salary
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Supplemental Insurance
Long-term career opportunity
PAGE 6 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
Qualified Applicants must meet the minimum requirements:
High School diploma
Effective communication skills
Familiarity with the PC type hardware
Technically skilled
Prior aviation background is desired, but not required
Closing Date: February 28, 2013
Contact: Terry Cain
PAGE 7 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
MID AMERICA MINORITY SUPPLIER
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
(MAMSDC)
DIVERSITY CORNER
MAMSDC can help you and your company take advantage of the
products and services offered by diverse businesses.
Let MAMSDC help you to:
• Develop a Diversity Program for your company
• Locate diverse companies in the local area to meet your product
and service needs
• Locate diverse companies outside the area as well
In a time where most large companies only offer cookie cutter products
and services, diverse businesses can offer custom solutions to meet your
needs.
So get started, click here www.mambdc.org
Upcoming Events:
February 13-KC How To Do Business With.... February 26-Wichita Spotlight Luncheon
March 5 – Wichita Public Schools Service Center Tour & Matchmaker
Register at www.mambdc.org
PAGE 8 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
Mid-American States
Mid-America Economy Lackluster for January: New Export Orders Tumble
• January survey results at a glance:
• For only the second time in the past five months, the leading economic indicator climbed above
growth neutral.
• Declines in new export orders helped push the employment gauge into negative territory.
• Supply managers anticipate a 1.6 percent raise in wage rates for 2013.
• Supply managers expect wholesale prices to expand by 3 percent in the next six months or 6
percent on an annualized basis.
For Immediate Release: Feb, 1, 2013 OMAHA, Neb. – For only the second time in the past five months, the monthly Mid-America Business
Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for a nine-state region, rose above growth neutral. The
index continues to point to slow growth for the region in the next three to six months, but still no
recession.
Overall index: The Business Conditions Index, which ranges between 0 and 100, increased to a tepid 53.2
for January, up from 49.5 in December.
“Much like the national economy, the regional economy’s manufacturing sector moved sideways to slightly
down with firms dependent on sales abroad reporting pullbacks in orders. On the other hand, growth
among durable-goods producers, especially manufacturers linked to automobile production, was a definite
plus for January,” said Ernie Goss, director of Creighton University’s Economic Forecasting Group and the
Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics.
Employment: The region’s employment gauge once again fell below growth neutral. However, the index
inched higher to 48.9 for January from December’s 48.0. “Recent surveys point to overall job growth
hovering close to zero with slight negative manufacturing job growth. This lack of job growth translated
into supply managers expecting only a 1.6 percent wage increase for 2013,” said Goss.
Wholesale Prices: The prices-paid index, which tracks the cost of purchased raw materials and supplies,
advanced to 71.8 from December’s 63.5 and November’s 64.4.
“Never in the Federal Reserve’s 100 year existence has it been this aggressive in terms of ultra low interest
rates and in expanding the nation’s money supply. However, this policy has yet to ignite inflationary
pressures, or significant job growth. Even so, our wholesale inflation gauge points to rising inflationary
pressures. The bond yields on U.S. Treasury bonds has begun to rise as investors require higher interest
rates to cover an increase in expected inflation,” said Goss.
This month supply managers were asked how much they expected prices for inputs they purchase to
increase in the next six months. On average an annualized six percent growth in wholesale prices is
expected. This increase is only up slightly from July of 2012 when we asked this same question.
Confidence: Looking ahead six months, economic optimism, as captured by the January business
confidence index, rose to 56.6 from 50.0 in December. “Improvements in the housing and automobile
sectors along with avoiding falling off the ‘fiscal cliff’ pushed the economic outlook higher,” said Goss.
Inventories: Regional inventory levels increased for the month. The January inventory index climbed to
55.0 from 51.5 in December. “After reducing inventories for five straight months, supply managers have
now expanded inventory levels for December and January. This has been an important factor pushing the
overall index higher and is consistent with rising business confidence,” said Goss.
Trade: New export orders remain very weak for the region. The new export orders index slumped to 45.3
from December’s tepid 50.0. Once again, imports were soft with a reading of 50.7 for January up from 48.7
PAGE 9 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
in December. “Global economic weakness pushed new export orders lower while the lack of any
significant regional growth restrained imports,” said Goss.
Other components: Other components of the January Business Conditions Index were new orders at 52.3,
up from 46.4 in December; production or sales at 53.9, up from December’s 48.0; and delivery lead time at
56.1, up from 53.5 in December.
Survey results for February will be released on the month’s first business day, March 1.
Follow Goss on twitter at http://twitter.com/erniegoss
For historical data and forecasts visit our website at:
http://www2.creighton.edu/business/economicoutlook/
PAGE 10 ISM-KANSAS CITY NEWSLETTER
ISM Kansas City Board of Directors
President
Kriss Pearson Laird Plastics [email protected]
1st Vice President
Manuel Gutierrez, C.P.M.
CenturyLink
Director National Affairs & Past President
LaMar Wilson, Jr.
NAIC
Treasurer
Joel Johnson, CPSM
Secretary
JoAnn Harper, CPSM, C.P.M.
Sprint
Director - Diversity
Asya Evans MidAmerica Minority Business Development Council – KC
Director – Marketing
Walter D. Strobel, CPSM, C.P.M.
Director – Programs
Esmeralda Phillips, C.P.M.
Sprint
Director - Membership
Penelope Wilson
Kansas City Power & Light
Director - Communications
Jim Marinakis, CPSM, C.P.M.
CenturyLink
Director – Education
Joe Steve, CPSM, C.P.M.
Kansas City Power & Light