APICS and the American Society of Transportation and Logistics (AST&L) announced yesterday that the boards of directors of both organisations have approved an agreement under which AST&L will merge with APICS upon ratification by an AST&L member vote.

The two organisations have been working together for a number of years and this new development is intended to enhance exciting capabilities and address two of the most important topics in the global economy today – developing supply chain talent and elevating supply chain performance.

The merger will combine the respected credentials, robust industry content, and a network of subject matter experts of AST&L with the end-to-end supply chain body of knowledge that fuels APICS’s global supply chain research, education and certification programmes. Together, APICS and AST&L will offer content and subject matter expertise that will enable individuals and organisations to meet key supply chain and logistics challenges.

“This agreement acknowledges the importance of transportation and logistics, and the tremendous innovation impacting delivery processes today,” says Alan G. Dunn, CPIM, chair of the APICS board of directors. “It also reflects our commitment to keeping our content and capabilities at the forefront of our industry, providing our members, customers and the supply chain community at large with the most up-to-date, relevant and complete body of knowledge.”

“This is a strategic combination that paves the way for us to fortify supply chain education and certification in the areas of transportation and logistics,” said APICS CEO Abe Eshkenazi, CSCP, CAE, CPA.

“All aspects of the supply chain are becoming increasingly integrated. Education, training and credential programmes that offer an end-to-end supply chain perspective are critical to helping today’s professionals advance and organisations thrive,” said George Yarusavage, DLP, CTL, C.P.M., chairman of the AST&L board of directors. “We are excited to join forces with APICS because it makes sense for our members, student members, volunteers and partners.”

“We are delighted to learn of the merger between the AST&L and APICS. At a local level, SAPICS has worked closely together with both organisations in the development of the supply chain community in South Africa. We look forward to continuing this relationship,” said Cobus Rossouw, President of SAPICS. “We are particularly proud of the involvement of both organisations at this year’s SAPICS conference. The SAPICS board will engage with the leadership team in due course to agree how best to align and integrate efforts in Africa.”

Strategic rationale of the combination

This combination is poised to benefit members, customers, partners, and the supply chain community in several ways. Specifically, the merger:

Creates a definitive supply chain body of knowledge. The combination unites APICS’s Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) framework, and SCOR Professional (SCOR-P) brands with AST&L’s three credentials including the Certified in Transportation and Logistics (CTL) designation.

Ensures investment, improvement and continued relevancy of transportation and logistics content. The combination offers greater resources and access to volunteer subject matter experts committed to providing individuals, supply chain organisations and the transportation and logistics industry with a respected and validated credential programme.

Strengthens competitive position and platform for growth. Fortified transportation and logistics content creates a more sustainable organisation better positioned to address the end-to-end supply chain education and certification needs of individuals and companies.

Following the close of the transaction, APICS intends to integrate AST&L with its existing operations. Abe Eshkenazi will remain the chief executive officer of APICS and Laurie Hein Denham, AST&L president, will join APICS as a senior director.