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The United States is saddled with a high unemployment rate and many experienced people are seeking jobs right now. Even so, companies will confront a serious shortage of supply chain talent, warns the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics in a white paper titled "Are You Prepared for the Supply Chain Talent Crisis?"

The supply chain talent shortage will stem from a combination of layoffs and a changing skill set needed for the job. Companies that shed staff during the depth of the economic downturn may soon need to rehire practitioners, some of whom will have found work in other areas or at competing firms, analysts wrote.

The report notes that finding qualified individuals remains challenging, even though the supply of candidates has grown due to the increase in more specialized supply chain management programs at colleges and universities. One way to help address the talent shortage, the report's authors suggest, would be to raise the level of awareness of the profession in order to encourage more young people to enter the field.

In 2002, questions were raised about the ethical nature of group purchasing organizations (GPOs) after it was found that they were taking part in anticompetitive business practices, including excessively high contract fees. However, a review conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows improved transparency within the system.

Within the current review, GPOs reported that they received contract administrative fees that ranged from 0.09 percent to 10 percent of the product's purchasing price. Two of the GPOs reported that contract administrative fees in 2008 were over 3 percent of the purchasing price. Combined, the six GPOs collected $1.7 billion in contract administrative fees in 2008 and $320 million in other revenue. Additionally, 53 percent of GPOs' total revenue was distributed in 2008, which totaled about $1.1 billion

Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) is pleased to announce that it has joined the new Supply Chain and Logistics Certification Network as a Charter Member. This Network is a group of well-established U.S.-based, non-profit associations that provide industry-recognized, nationally portable certifications for the professional and frontline workforce and organizations involved in global supply chain and logistics — in factories, warehouses, distribution centers and transporters.

Network members will work collaboratively to raise awareness within industry, education, and government of the world-class, complementary services of these associations that, collectively, help meet industry needs for highly skilled workers at all levels in supply chain logistics and for certified warehousing facilities. Together, the Network members offer a certification career pathway and "stackable" credentials helping individuals to achieve ever-higher levels of professionalism and responsibility.

ISM Joins New Supply Chain and Logistics Certif