60 seconds with Abe Eshkenazi, APICS

Abe Eshkenazi, APICS
Title: CEO
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Experience: Eshkenazi joined APICS in 2006. Immediately prior to that, he spent nine years with the American Express Operations Consulting Group.
Primary Focus: APICS is focused on developing the supply chain talent necessary to improve supply chain performance and on enhancing the promotion and success of individuals on the job in ways that translate into corporate performance.

Modern: Since our readers may not be familiar with APICS, tell us briefly about the organization, its scope today and its mission.
Eshkenazi: APICS is the premier end-to-end supply chain logistics and operations management association for supply chain and operations management. We are also the leading provider of research, education and certification programs that elevate supply chain excellence, innovation and resilience. We have more than 45,000 members and 300 partners.

Modern: In recent years, you’ve merged with the Supply Chain Council and the American Society of Transportation and Logistics. What do those mergers tell us about how the role of a supply chain professional is changing? 
Eshkenazi: As an organization, we believe we’re being responsive to the changes that have occurred in the marketplace. Supply chains are a highly strategic part of organizations today, and the people who execute in that function are critical to the success of their organizations. In the past, the job required technical skills. We still serve that need with some of our certifications, but we’re also going beyond technical skills to develop management skills. That’s a transformation our partners tell us has occurred. Supply chains are integrated in the organization. You need knowledgeable workers who are effective at designing and implementing supply chain strategies that are global and complicated. They also need cross-functional experience to see across the organization, across time zones and cultures. That’s a different skill set, and that’s what we get with these mergers.

Modern: Many of us think of APICS as focused on inventory management, production planning, and sales and operations planning. And yet, at your most recent conference, you had sessions on the transportation market and the Material Handling Roadmap. Do those kinds of topics reflect the organization’s broader reach? 
Eshkenazi: I think a lot of it is that organizations are viewing logistics differently than in the past. For instance, we’re now seeing DCs included under the broad topic of logistics at many organizations. The new certification we’re introducing in 2016 in transportation, logistics and distribution came out of discussions that identified a gap in that content. We’ll continue to meet with our partners to find out what encompasses their definition of logistics and what they’re looking for in terms of content.

Modern: What will the new certification entail and which professionals will seek it out?
Eshkenazi: The new certification is APICS Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) designation. It will supersede the CTL certification previously offered by AST&L and is designed to set the global standard for logistics best practices, and candidates completing the program will demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a broad range of logistics, transportation and distribution topics. We think a variety of individuals and titles will seek the certification. You have distribution and logistics managers. They will be front and center. But you also have other titles, like master material schedulers and inventory planners, who now have to take part in discussions about distribution and transportation.

Modern: Why do you think it’s important our readers have a better understanding of the role of the traditional APICS member’s job and vice versa? What does it say about the changing nature of our jobs?
Eshkenazi: The integrated nature of supply chains indicates that there has to be a tight alignment between the services that support the organization. It’s no longer disparate silos. The individuals responsible for executing have to come together and understand what else is going on—even if it’s spread around the world. They have to understand how their decisions impact procurement, distribution, transportation and everything else. This is a great opportunity for individuals to understand and work together to be a truly integrated resource.