CSCP Story: Frank Murphy

Frank Murphy, Supply Chain Program Coordinator, Thales Avionics, Piscataway, NJ

“Within a year of earning my CSCP, I've gotten a new job with active involvement in a truly global supply chain for a company with worldwide recognition in the aerospace industry. I'll be traveling to France to meet with other supply chain professionals at my company's central supply node. Members of my chapter are encouraging me to get more involved on the board of my APICS chapter and I'm looking forward to the unfolding journey that lies ahead. Overall, I'm so much happier at work and at home.”

Why did you decide to pursue the APICS CSCP certification?
After more than ten years since finishing my bachelor's degree in psychology and after seven years making an earnest effort at building generation, I finally decided to listen to my dad, a supply chain director for a leading global cosmetics company. My dad was studying for his CPIM when I was in diapers. By the time I graduated college and started working, he was the VP of Education for his APICS Chapter. My mom, after hearing that I had decided to take my dad's advice and pursue CSCP, remarked that, after my father started his involvement with APCS, our lives really turned around.

Here I was in my early 30's, not even married for two years and purchasing a home with my wife. Even with all this going on, I decide to devote three months to study supply chain science and applied theory - I pursued the CSCP certification for my family

How did you prepare for the APICS CSCP exam?
An instructor-led course through the APICS Tappan Zee, New York

What was your biggest takeaway from APICS CSCP training?
The language, CSCP reveals a glossary of words which allow you to confidently communicate as a cross functional leader

Have you implemented a supply chain initiative at your organization as a result of your APICS CSCP training?
While in another position at my previous employer, we were seeing a lot of errors all along the supply chain. Customers were receiving the wrong orders. Factory orders were packed incorrectly. Forecasts couldn't be replied upon. Back oders had really begun to pile up due to other suboptimal conditions. Having access to the tenets of SCOR allowed me to begin to measure our performance Once I could measure how effective a process was in its current condition, I could start making improvements

Because the company was expanding and finding it difficult to keep pace with demand, we began holding CPFR meetings with some of the most valuable downstream stakeholders in our network. We let them know that we identified some of the consitions preventing us from keeping up with demand and communicated our strategies to catch up to current requirements. Including them in the process really made positive impacts on the relationships we had with the people in our extended network

What are other benefits of APICS certification?
Within a year of earning my CPCP, I've gotten a new job with active involvement in a trully global supply chain for a company with worldwide recognition in the aerospace industry. I'll be travelling to France to meet with other supply chain professionals at my company's central supply node. Members of my chapter are encourage me to get more involved on the board of my APICS chapter and I'm looking forward to the unfolding journey that lies ahead. Overall, I'm so much happier at work and at home.