January 2008
Volume 8, Issue 1

http://www.apics-tucson.org

P.O. Box 26269, Tucson, AZ 85726-6269

Newsletter Update - Scholarship Info

APICS Tucson Chapter Scholarship for 2008

Scholarship for
Operations Management Student Practitioners
for 2008

• AMOUNT: $1,000
• Award may be applied to the costs of tuition, registration, or acquisition of special materials related to the proposed activity. Costs met by other sources or incurred prior to the period of the award are ineligible.
• FOR:
• Courses and programs leading to an academic degree granted by an accredited college or university in the field of, or related to, operations management, purchasing/procurement, materials management, inventory control, specification development , production control and resource management.
• CLOSING DATE: Applications must be received no later than March 14th, 2008
• Document containing information and application.
• Applications are to be sent to
  Wayne Heckman,
  Tucson APICS VP Administration
  PO Box 26269
  Tucson, AZ 85726
• AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT: On or before May 16, 2008
• PERIOD OF AWARD: January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008

Additional Info, if any, available at http://www.apics-tucson.org

January Event

Professional Development Meeting - Top Management Night

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Pitfalls of Project Management

Speaker

Ray Harwood

Project Manager
Computer Sciences Corporation
and
Carondelet Health Network

More on this month's speaker below

On

Ray will discuss things to look out for as a member of a project team, from “scope creep” to “poor communication,” and more. How you should be an active participant in the project management process, whether you are directly accountable for project management deliverables or a contributing team member.

Location

El Parador Restaurant

2744 East Broadway
Tucson, Arizona 85716

The restaurant is on the south side of Broadway Blvd.,
east of Campbell Ave. and west of Country Club Rd.
Plan on Attending this Super Meeting

Schedule

Network - 5:30 pm
Dinner - 6:00 pm
Presentation - 7:00 pm

Dinner will be a choice of the following with roll, butter, and coffee or tea.

• Chicken Arizona (Charbroiled Chicken Breast with Avocado, Green Chile, Tomato, Melted Cheese), Spanish Rice, Salad Greens, Dessert
• Green Corn Tamale, Cheese Enchilada, Refried Beans, Spanish Rice, Salad Greens, Dessert

Cost: $16

RSVP with your menu choice to Yasmi Fitch, Yasmi.Fitch@murata-ps.com

by 12 p.m., Friday January 11, 2008.

Speaker - Ray Harwood

About the Speaker

Ray's previous employers include the United States Air Force, large and small Department of Defense systems and software contracting companies, and a university hospital system. He also spent 6 years in software consulting, over 12 years teaching part-time at community colleges, and was an Internet Service Provider back when domain names were free for the asking. Ray spoke last year on his new self-help career guidance book entitled “I Hate My Damn Job! 13 Positive, Practical Ways to Change, Cope With, or Escape Your Personal Situation,” and returns this year to speak with a more project management focus. Ray joined Computer Science Corporation at Carondelet Health Network as Project Manager, and is building the organization's local Program Management Office, with oversight of project intake and assessment. Ray's leadership style provides an openly communicative atmosphere that fosters good staff morale, and he enjoys helping others by sharing experiences from throughout his career.

The chapter will be giving away 2 copies of Ray's book as attendance prizes, and Ray will have more copies available for $10 (tax included). If you are unable to attend, his book is available at the Barnes & Noble on Broadway, and on www.BarnesAndNoble.com.

Job Announcement

IFS is looking for a Business Analyst - Manufacturing.

The Business Analysts with manufacturing industry experience play a key role in implementation of IFS Applications by providing the necessary business process consulting, training, documentation, and applications consulting to ensure the customer’s success in using IFS Applications as a tool to improve overall business performance. Please click on the Job Announcements link for additional details and contact information.

10th Annual Career Workshop, March 6. 2008

The Metropolitan Education Commission in conjunction with the University of Arizona and the Pima and Santa Cruz Tech Prep Consortium is hosting the 10th annual “Employment Workshop, Expo and Resource Fair” for high school students in the Pima and Santa Cruz school districts. This initiative is designed to inspire students to pursue a course of study that will prepare them for college with high tech and high paying careers. This career workshop will allow 1000 students to access 150 – 200 exhibits as well as 11 theaters displaying information for a host of high tech careers from various industries. This will cover technology areas such as: Optics, eLearning, Media Arts, Aerospace, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Environmental Technology, New Age Materials, Information Technology, Hospitality and Tourism, Health Care and Architecture & Construction.

This event will be held on March 6, 2008 at the Pima Air and Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia, Tucson from 8:30 am - 2:00 pm. Organizations that are already committed to this event are Raytheon, IBM, Texas Instruments, University of Arizona and many others.

If your organization would like to be involved in this event and have a chance to influence high school students to move towards a technology discipline that is essential for the future than consider hosting an exhibit for this event. Contact Steve Peters, Project Coordinator Ph # 520-321-1309, or e-mail stevepeters@tucsonlink.org. Also Metropolitan Education Commission, Dr. June Web Vignery Ph # 520-670-0055, metcom@theriver.com.

Check out their web links at Tucson Link.

Membership

Welcome to New Members and September Renewals
None for December, don't forget to renew or invite someone from your office to join!

CPIM Benefits

A CPIM education can help you to:

• Increase your functional knowledge of production and inventory management

• Improve efficiency across the processes of your organization's supply chain
• Streamline operations through accurate forecasting
• Predict outcomes more accurately
• Maximize customer satisfaction by delivering products and services Just-in-Time
• Increase profitability by optimizing your organization's inventory investment
• Enhance your credibility among peers, employers, and customers

Who should earn the CPIM Designation

A CPIM education is essential for professionals involved in:

• Production and inventory management
• Operations
• Supply chain management
• Procurement
• Materials management
• Purchasing

CPIM Modules

Candidates must pass all exams for the following modules:

Basics of Supply Chain Management
Master Planning of Resources
Detailed Scheduling and Planning
Execution and Control of Operations
Strategic Management of Resources

CPIM Exam Preparation

Prepare for your next CPIM exam through APICS Chapter Review Courses, APICS Certification Review Workshops, online APICS CPIM review courses, APICS CPIM primary references, or APICS CPIM self-study. Our local Tucson chapter offers Chapter Review Courses year round for your convenience.

Links to Member Benefits:

APICS Dictionary: APICS Dictionary
Send an email to service@apics.org and request their free CD of the 2007 APICS Conference Proceedings

Coming Events

Teaming up to feed the Homeless

ASQ TOPS and APICS are teaming up to feed the homeless. We will undertake to work together to assist the “Giving Tree” organization in feeding 200 + homeless people on Sunday, February 24, 2008. Working together we will figure out a menu for this event a then each individual will select and prepare their item of choice. We will meet at 4:30 PM on the assigned day at the Giving Tree lot (22nd & Columbus next to the Palm Tree Court) and serve up hot food to disadvantaged people who desperately need our help.

This is a wonderful opportunity to not only work with others in making a difference but a real chance for ASQ TOPS – APICS to demonstrate their ability to collaborate on an important project.

If you think you would be interested, please e-mail Dwight Comer from APICS at dlcomer3@yahoo.com and we will firm this up as we get closer to the project event. Don’t miss out on a chance to make a difference in our community.

February PDM

Laurinda MacKinnon, Plant Mgr Alcoa who was a very wonderful host for our plant tour at the Alcoa plant here in Tucson last year will be joining us again to speak concerning "Championing a Safety First Organization.”

March PDM

Steve Novak CPIM, CIRM, CQMgr, CSSBB, President of PPR Management Services, LLC Will be coming all the way from Hawaii to speak on “Your Business Toolkit: Selecting the Right Tools for the Job”. Steve will talk about the fact that You have many tools in your Business Toolkit, but how do you decide which ones to use? Join Steve Novak, author of “The Small Manufacturer’s Toolkit”, who will lead us through a workshop that will help you answer this question. Steve is also the presenter for our “Lean Manufacturing” seminar that will be held on March 19, 2008.

Want to join? Use this membership and renewal form.

Chapter News

I guess I’m something of an old fashioned guy because I love the old movies. Now one of my favorite scenes from the one of those movies is the one from “The Longest Day” where Robert Mitchum is playing the part of Brig Gen Norman D. Cota, Commander of the 28th Infantry Division whose men were floundering on Omaha Beach in June of 1944 when he says, “There only two types of people who are going to remain on this beach, those who are dead and those who are gonna be dead!” The key thing is that this was a leader who recognized the need for change. They couldn’t stay were they were, they must move on. Unfortunately a similar statement could be applied to business today. There are only two types of businesses that won’t be changing, those that are out of business and those that will soon be going out of business. All other organizations must change.

The obvious thing is that recognizing the need for change is the simple part, the hard part is figuring out which direction to go and what to do about it. The first thing is building a vision to change. That means having an understanding of roughly where the organization needs to go. From that is the need to create a case for change. “Why must we change!” Also, what steps must be taken in order to undertake change and establishing the roles and finding the right people to undertake those roles.

There are three types of change that virtually every organization must deal with. The first is “Developmental Change” which is the kind of every day change that we all experience. The second is “Transitional Change” which involves consolidating and reorganizing. However, the most devastating is “Transformational Change” which is a radical change in both mindset and behavior. This generally comes about because the need for change was ignored too long and now the forces of nature have set in against your company. From here on out it will require an all hands effort to try and save the store.

When you reach the level of transformational change there is no longer the luxury of carrying those people who are unable or perhaps unwilling to pull in the same direction that the organization needs to go. So as a result, their services will no longer be needed. This is especially true with those in a leadership position. It is unfortunate that people who believe they are a key part of management can’t see what the future demands.

Resourcefulness becomes ever so necessary, one key to pulling through this critical time is to make use of what is known as the informal change network. These are key players who exist at various levels and key areas in the organization. They are enlisted because of their enthusiasm and ability to see the value in the change vision. They can communicate support for change and bring back information helpful for directing the change. This is an aspect that must not be overlooked.

At the more formal level are the cross functional teams who become the very heart and soul of the change management process. These are the nuts and bolts people who have the know-how to link to the new behaviors and cultures that will be required for the competitive advantage that all organizations need.

Now this brings us to a very important point. Where does a company get people capable of making these types of contributions. People who have a passion for things like: lean manufacturing, six sigma and supply chain management. This question is especially relevant when many colleges are not really focusing on these all so critical skills. Well, there just happens to be a low cost and very readily available solution. It’s professional organizations like APICS and ASQ who focus on equipping today’s work force with a whole host of training and certifications that today’s changing market place requires. As members of these organizations you and I are that rare commodity that businesses need to succeed. So it’s up to us as company coordinators and just plain members to make mention of what we offer and make sure decision makers don’t overlook a key element to getting off the beach. There are a host of services that professional organizations offer. Let's make sure that we get that message out.

Class Schedule

All of our CPIM & Fundamentals courses are accredited for APICS Certification.

1. Minimum of 5 students participating in the Fundamental series to guarantee the classes.
2. Minimum of 5 students participating in the CPIM Review series to guarantee the classes.

• If you are not a member, we will enroll you the first day of the class.
• If you are a member, complete your renewal form and send it to us.
• Early registration discount offered for early sign up.
• Please register for class at least 2 weeks prior to the class start date to avoid a $15 late fee.
• PearsonVue will be replacing CompUSA as the testing location, check back for more details when available.

2008 APICS Exam Registration Fees for North America

Computer-Based CPIM Exams

The 2008 registration fees for CPIM exams administered by computer are as follows:

Member: $120
Nonmember: $155

Computer-Based CIRM Exams. The registration fees for CIRM exams administered by computer in 2008 are as follows:

Member: $160
Nonmember: $195
* CIRM testing will cease as of June 1, 2008. The last IEM administration will occur in March 2008. No exceptions will be possible.

Paper-and-pencil based CPIM and CIRM Exams. The registration fees for CPIM exams administered through the Chapter Group Testing program (paper-and-pencil based) are as follows:

Member and Nonmember CPIM: $135
Member and Nonmember CIRM*: $185
*The last chapter group testing administration to include the APICS CIRM exams will be held in May 2008.

Paper-and-pencil based CSCP Exam. The CSCP exam will be administered domestically by paper-and-pencil in March and June 2008. The exam registration fees for the P&P administrations are as follows:

Member: $575
Nonmember: $725
Retake fee*: $350
*the retake fee is available to candidates who did not pass their previous exam.

Computer-Based CSCP Exam. The computer-based CSCP exams will be available beginning in December 2008. The exam registration fees for the computer-based CSCP administered in December 2008 are as follows:

Member: $600
Nonmember: $750
Retake fee*: $350
*the retake fee is available to candidates who did not pass their previous exam.

APICS Tucson Class Schedule for 2007-2008

Please note class location:
Class locations will be determined on a course by course basis.

Individual CPIM and Fundamental Course fee:
$349.00 (APICS/NAPM Members $299.00)

The Fundamentals program is designed to give participants a solid foundation to inventory control, planning, manufacturing control, and operations management.

The CPIM Review courses are geared for individuals who have had the basic body of knowledge and years of experience in the field.

Still cannot decide which classes to take? Contact us and we will help direct you.

• Julie Andreu, Vice President of Education
  Phone: 396-2138
  Fax: 396-2001
  (julie.andreu@ifsna.com)

Course Registration

Register for classes on the Web or by Mail
Register for a class online at (http://www.apics-tucson.org) or by mailing this form to P.O. Box 26269, Tucson, AZ 85726-6269.

Register for classes on the Web
It is easy; either follow the links from the Chapter Web site (http://www.apics-tucson.org) or follow the links below:

• For CPIM Review Workshops – Class List (http://www.apics-tucson.org/CPIM_WrkShp.html) and Registration Form (http://www.apics-tucson.org/CPIMRegistration.html)
• For Fundamentals Classes – Class List (http://www.apics-tucson.org/FundamentalClasses.html) and Registration Form (http://www.apics-tucson.org/FundamentalReg.html)

Next classes to start:

Calendar of Events 2007-2008

• Please note that all APICS events are subject to change

Chapter Information

Get involved with APICS
APICS is a vibrant professional society recognized by inventory and supply chain management professionals worldwide as the leader in certifications, education, and the resources necessary to improve business performance.
This achievement was not obtained and cannot be sustained without the countless contributions made by our volunteer community.

Vision & Mission Statement

Our Vision:
To inspire lifelong learning and enhancement of individual and chapter success.

Our Mission:
To be the leader and premier provider of individual and organizational education, standards of excellence, and information in Integrated Resource Management.

Tucson Chapter Mission Statement:
To help the business and educational community meet challenges of professional growth by providing high quality resource management education.

APICS Tucson Chapter Company Coordinators

2007-2008 Board of Directors