ISM News

Did you vote your ISM proxy or did you abdicate to the will of the vocal minority? If you didn't vote because you were unsure about the issues, then I suggest you speak with your affiliate officers and ask for some help next time. One of the benefits affiliates can provide for their members is issue analysis and recommendations. It's important that experienced people share their views so everyone can benefit.

ISM discussion list server has had some interesting questions and discussions lately. Do you wonder what other ISM members think about the latest ISM bylaw change, email spam, affiliate election procedures and meeting ice-breakers? Want to ask people in other affiliates about educational resources or leadership tools? This is the place to stay in touch and loose that mushroom feeling. ISM members can subscribe to the mailing list at http://www.ism.ws/MembersOnly/VolListSignup.cfm

Certification

Are you working on professional certification? If not, remember that one of the great values of being certified is to help get your foot in the door for the next job interview.

The ISM January Newsline is devoted to information about the ISM certification programs. Its great resource including many FAQs about certification that would be worth sharing with your peers and associates. Newsline is available to ISM members at http://www.ism.ws/MembersOnly/Newsline/index.cfm .

Getting on the Newsline mailing list and the ISM discussion list server are the first actions I suggest for any new or potential affiliate officer and committee person.

Education

R.Jerry Baker asked me to remind everyone that Shoreline Community College offers distance learning classes in Supply Chain Management subjects. "We offer a degree, two certificates and 6 classes. The classes are available either in the classroom or online. Our Certificate of Proficiency in Purchasing Management, is a 48 credit certificate."

If you want to contact Jerry Baker for more information drop me a note and I'll forward his email address or you can find program information on the college web site. http://www.shoreline.edu/shoreline/index.html

Professional Development

Are you an effective negotiator? It's a major portion of our job and thus an important career skill. I've been reviewing and revisiting negotiation skills lately in a series of articles called Creative Negotiating.

The articles have been distributed directly to people on my BuyTrain mailing list. [newsletter editors may have reprinted them for everyone else?] You can find the articles in the Purchasing ToolBox http://www.mltweb.com/prof/tools.htm.

Professional strategy suggestion: take a Creative Negotiation article and use it as a discussion topic with your peers. Ask the question, How can we apply this principle to our daily workload?

Hotlinks (recently added to my web site)

The CEO Refresher
Great collection of articles, links and information for managers. [Many thanks to ISM's Just in ETime newsletter published by Cheryl Chadwick]. http://www.ism.ws/AboutISM/JustinETime/index.cfm]
Purchasing Recruiter
The Transportation Directory
DefenseBizOpps
National Job Bank
AllStarJobs

Survey and Feedback Request

If you have a minute, I'd appreciate your feedback. Please drop me an email about e-commerce. It was a really hot topic for a while, but now I think much more mainstream and less of a special interest.

What are you and your company doing relative to E-Commerce?
The e-commerce links and information posted on my web site are very out of date. www.mltweb.com/prof/tools.htm Is there information that would be worthwhile to you if I update the e-commerce information in the ToolBox?

Editorial; Newsletters Add Value?

What purpose does your affiliate newsletter serve? What do you want from your affiliate newsletter? News letters are often cited as one of the ways that the local affiliate adds value to membership, but the format, content and distribution remains the same, year after year. Affiliate officers spend quite a bit of time working on newsletters, but after all that, do we as members feel like the newsletter is worth reading?

If you aren't getting what you want from your affiliate newsletter, maybe it's time to talk with your officers about newsletter content. Here are some discussion topics and ideas.

Is the newsletter primarily just a notice about the next monthly program? If so, can it be shorter (and easier to read), more frequent (e.g.. 2 reminders each month instead of one) and distributed by email? If this is the primary purpose why would you ever delay the newsletter deadline for any other reason? Maybe program notices should be separate from the educational newsletter.
Does the newsletter include the latest activities of your affiliate offices and Board members? People often say they don't know what's going on, but I know many officers who agonize over newsletter articles each month. I think officer articles should be more succinct and written like a business report instead of a college essay. I like short bullets instead of long sentences. Also, why waste so much space and effort to make it an historical archive or make it cute?
If the newsletter is supposed to be helpful to business professionals, does it include information about local Supply Chain Educational opportunities (no matter who is offering them). I know of at least 2 people in our region involved with Supply Chain education who would appreciate the venue for publicizing educational opportunities.

(Jerry Baker, Shoreline Community College

Lee Buddress; Portland State)

If the newsletter is supposed to be a resource for business professionals, why not add tools and information that they can use? There is an abundance of information available that can be cut and pasted into a newsletters. Articles, useful web sites resources, and tidbits are all fair game. [Every resource I've referenced in this newsletter could yield many professional development articles].
Cut and paste from the ISM Newsline, and synopsize ISM publications, reference articles and links from other affiliate web sites, Many professional web sites or consultants will authorize the use of, or provide, articles for newsletters (mine for example). Suggest your newsletter editor drop a line to consultants, or organizations and ask them if they offer articles or news notices. You'll get more than you could ever post.
Remember that only a relatively few people may have seen or it before so repetition of important information is a good thing.
How about having a contest like this among affiliate members. Send your most useful purchasing link to the newsletter editor. Each month we'll publish one and the person who submitted gets first in line for that month's meal.

That's about all for now. Hope you find something useful!

Provide Feedback and suggestions for future newsletters at any time. I'll try and use what I can.

	MLTWEB is assembled and maintained by Michael L. Taylor, C.P.M.
	Materials and articles prepared by Mike may be shared for purchasing education provided that this source is cited and no fee is charged. The rights for any other use are withheld.
	Copyright; Michael L. Taylor, C.P.M.
	Last Updated: 04/29/2008