
The Supply Chain Industry is on a roll and thanks to global trade, one cannot imagine the flow of goods, products or services without sourcing, procurement, purchase, operations, logistics and delivery. All these put together comprise what we call The Supply Chain. At any given point in time, in most of the countries across the world, there are plenty of jobs in the Supply Chain Industry starting with an entry level Purchase Executive to a high level Strategic Sourcing Consultant. Not to mention about the other areas within Supply Chain such as the logistics, warehousing, inventory management, order management and spend management. The list just goes on. Here we take a look on what makes the Certified Individuals stand out from their peers. First of all do these certifications add value to your Curriculum Vitae (CV)? Which Certifications do employers consider when having to sift through piles of CVs to shortlist the ones they are looking for?

To understand which Certifications employers preferred, we conducted a survey comprising of over 2358 respondents that included Human Resource (HR) Heads, HR Managers, HR Executives and HR Consulting Firms. The Respondents included a mix of large fortune 500 companies, mid-size firms and start-up enterprises as well.
The Results are of the survey and findings are tabulated below:
Institute | Certifications Offered | Delivery Structure | Fee Pricing starts from | Global Recognition | Employer Preference | Employer Rating
(on a scale of 1 – 10) |
International Institute for Procurement and Market Research (IIPMR) | IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Associate (CSCA) | E-learning comprising of Lectures from Industry Honchos + online exam. It include web based self-paced learning |
$500 | High | High | 9 |
IIPMR Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS) | ||||||
IIPMR Certified Procurement Professional (CPP) | ||||||
American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) | APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) | Web based Interactive learning or Instructor Led Study + online exam | $1380 | High | High | 9 |
APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) | ||||||
APICS Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) | ||||||
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) | SCPro | Online Interactive Learning + Online exam | $2334 | Medium | Medium | 7 |
Institute for Supply Management (ISM) | Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) | Study Guide + Online exam | $1600 – $3370 | High | Medium | 8 |
Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) | ||||||
International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA) | Certified Supply Chain Analyst (CSCA) | Conducts only Workshops | $1200 | Low | Low | 6 |
Certified Supply Chain Manager (CSCM) | ||||||
Next Level Purchasing Association | Senior Professional in Supply Management (SPSM) | Online Classes | $1150 – $2000 | High | Medium | 8 |
“Which Certifications do employers consider when having to sift through piles of CVs to shortlist the ones they are looking for?”
Top 5 Certifications in Supply Chain:
Certification | Offered by |
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Name | Institute |
Certified Supply Chain Associate (CSCA) | International Institute for Procurement and Market Research (IIPMR) |
Certified Supply Chain Specialist (CSCS) | |
Certified Procurement Professional (CPP) | |
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) | American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) is now part of the Association for Supply Management (ASCM) |
Senior Professional in Supply Management (SPSM) | Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA) |

Brand Recall of Institutes offering Supply Chain Certifications:
Institute | Overall Rating on a scale of 1 – 10 |
International Institute for Procurement and Market Research (IIPMR) | 9 |
American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) | 9 |
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) | 7 |
Institute for Supply Management (ISM) | 8 |
Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA) | 8 |
International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA) | 6 |
i am a working professional in Supply chain. i want to do certifications. i need to know certification details and procedures . i am posting my email id for sharing teh above course and contact details.
Share the course details as soon as possible.
Regards
R G Ranjith
Serah is a pharmacist by profession, she is very much interested in getting the certification cause right now, she works with a logistics company, please guide her on how to go about IIPMR with CSCS certification
please guide me on IIPMR certified as CSCS
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I am a Senior Procurement Manager with 18 years experience working in a leading alco-bev company.
I would like to know which is the best certification for professionals like me.
I am Logistics specialist in an Oil drilling servicing company. Which course will be the best for me to opt.