Plymouth, Mich. and Kalamazoo, Mich. (PRWEB) March 10, 2015
Western Michigan University’s Center for Integrated Supply Management and Advanced Purchasing Dynamics (APD) of Plymouth, Mich., have joined forces to offer industry-level coursework in purchasing management. Together, the two organizations have developed four unique workshops that serve as the core for the purchasing certificate program. Appropriate for both seasoned and new buyers, the courses are now open for registration at ThePurchasingAuthority.com.
Leading off the series is Understanding and Managing Supplier Pricing and Costs, in which purchasing professionals will learn to control and reduce purchased materials costs through proactive, data-driven cost and pricing management. Multiple dates and locations throughout Michigan are available, and participants will earn eight hours of continuing education credits.
Three additional courses to help purchasing professionals better manage their supply base include: Developing Commodity Strategies; Strategic Negotiations; and Effective Strategies and Analysis for Buying Capital Equipment. All courses are classroom-style education courses, held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in various locations. For a list of dates and locations for all courses, visit ThePurchasingAuthority.com.
The courses are taught by Ken Jones, CPSM, C.P.M., director of educational and consultative solutions and ISM faculty at WMU’s Center for Integrated Supply Management; and Jeoffrey Burris, founder and principal of APD; collectively, the two professionals have more than 40 years of purchasing leadership experience with the likes of Ford Motor Company, Magna, Metaldyne, Roche Pharmaceutics and Rolls-Royce.
“After a comprehensive national review of purchasing educational solutions, we believe the APD-WMU platform is truly beneficial for today’s purchasing professional,” says Jones. “All training events are action-packed, applying best practices that will really elevate purchasing efforts in corporations large or small in any industry.”
Open enrollment courses are available at WMU’s Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Metro Detroit locations. For more information, please contact WMU at (269) 387-4143 or APD at (734) 927-0836, or see the full schedule of dates and times online at ThePurchasingAuthority.com.
About WMU's Integrated Supply Management Program
Ranked No. 1 in undergraduate supply chain education by Gartner, WMU's Integrated Supply Management (ISM) program has been recognized nationally by several organizations and publications for its leadership in preparing students for careers in supply chain management. WMU's curriculum combines engineering, information technology, supply chain and business education. The program also includes Bronco Force consulting teams, which give students experience in business consulting with companies on their supply chain challenges. The WMU Center for Integrated Supply Management was established in 2014 by the Haworth College of Business. For more information, visit http://wmich.edu/supplychain.
About Advanced Purchasing Dynamics
Advanced Purchasing Dynamics (APD), the Purchasing Authority, provides manufacturers with market-leading solutions to streamline all facets of procurement and purchasing operations. Companies partnering with APD benefit from six service components: SYRE purchasing software, cost engineering, training, placement/recruitment, consulting and optimization of purchasing processes. Manufacturers gain value through APD by “should be” cost modeling, and automated purchasing analytics and reporting, resulting in improved decision-making. With the Purchasing Authority, enterprises decrease costs and improve bottom lines. Find more information at ThePurchasingAuthority.com