A Special Message from CSCMP Board Chair Elect, Michelle Meyer
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At the end of 2019, CSCMP will have completed its 57th year, and even today, we remain a non-profit, membership-driven association with a mission to connect, educate and develop today’s supply chain professionals.
Like modern supply chains, all organizations, even the non-profits, must iterate and evolve to compete and stay relevant. As the CSCMP incoming Board Chair for 2020, I am excited to share some of the initiatives CSCMP leadership is focusing on so the organization can continue to evolve and deliver upon our mission to serve today’s supply chain professional.
CSCMP began in 1962 when a group of academic and industry pioneers came together, to create the space and opportunity for collaboration and the sharing of ideas between academia and industry. CSCMP experienced a peak in membership and conference attendance in 1998 with membership tipping the scales at 14,212 members, and membership dues being the primary source of revenue for the organization.
Following that peak, the CSCMP membership community demonstrated a slow, but continual downward trend in terms of numbers involved, and therefore, a corresponding decline in member revenue and conference attendance.
Now fast-forward to 2019. CSCMP survived the recession of 2009, and began to evolve, creating new revenue streams born out of trends in technology, personalization and engagement. Revenue and value-generating tactics such as conference sponsorships, exhibitor participation, magazine creation and education have helped fill the gap and eased the burden on the original revenue model of individual membership dues.
Customization, engagement and modern offerings have stopped the downward trend on total community participants, and the community overall has grown by 10% in the last year! But the organization must continue to evolve and tailor itself to meet the needs of the modern supply chain professional to stay relevant and competitive.
CSCMP’s landscape has changed…technology, social media, and globalization have changed both our personal and professional lives. But, more specifically, what it means to be a “member” has changed.
Individual and corporate willingness to pay to be a “member” of something has changed.
I firmly believe it’s not that the value of membership has dropped – in fact, quite the opposite – it’s the environment and dynamics around it that have changed…and we must respond. CSCMP will not continue to survive as an organization if we do not.
Among the many important things the 2020 Board will focus on, CSCMP will continue supporting and developing the following:
- EDGE Conference,
- Local Roundtables,
- Young Professionals – our next generation of supply chain leadership,
- Researchers and educators through our highly valued university members,
- International outreach and,
- CSCMP’s certification program which is the most comprehensive supply chain certification available today.
These high-value membership components extend CSCMP’s reach and establish us as the premier supply chain organization right now.
We are also going to launch the “Organization of the Future,” led by Elijah Ray and a newly established committee.
The “Organization of the Future” Committee is tasked with two things – define and recommend:
- How do we engage with the Supply Chain Professionals of the Future?
- What are the Future Business Models we need to put in place?
Connect, Educate and Develop.
That is who we are.
That is what CSCMP will be about in the future.
Let’s move CSCMP forward, evolving and leading the profession that helps tackle and solve big global supply chain challenges. We owe it to the next generation to make it even cooler to say, “I am a Supply Chain professional!”
Today’s young supply chain talent is already being asked to step up, so let’s help our Young Professionals be the leaders of tomorrow.
As CSCMP’s Board Chair, I have an open-door policy. If you have any thoughts, questions, or input, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Elijah or I, or anyone on the 2020 Board.
We serve you and want to hear your vision for the future.
