Top 10: Supply Chain Associations
Supply chain associations provide a platform for industry professionals, companies and academics to share knowledge, best practices and insights. Many also are custodians of standards, offering industry-standard qualifications and bespoke training around logistics, procurement, inventory management sustainability, and risk management.
Most also stage conferences, seminars, webinars and networking events, at which members can stay on top of industry trends, and build the kind of relationships that can shape careers.
Associations also represent members’ interests at government and industry level, pushing industry standards development and regulatory compliance.
Some associations will fund research and collaborate with academic institutions, seeking innovative solutions to industry challenges.
There is also a strong element of inter-association collaboration, which helps forge partnerships among supply chain stakeholders, including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, and service providers.
Here are 10 of the largest supply chain associations, ranked by their LinkedIn followers.
01. The Association for Supply Chain Management
LinkedIn followers: 163,000
The Association for Supply Chain Management collaborates with a global network of organisations around supply chain innovation.
The ASCM Enterprise Certification is the industry’s only corporate supply chain certification that shows ESG supply chain excellence.
It says: “Supply chains impact communities everywhere, from around the block to across the globe. This is we work tirelessly to help businesses build ethical, efficient and economical supply chains that will have a positive impact for generations to come.”
02. Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply
LinkedIn followers: 148,000
Founded in 1932, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply is a global membership organisation that seeks to drive positive change across the profession.
“We are the voice and standard, defining and amplifying best practice across all our worlds,” it says. With 60,000 members, it is also the awarding body for the profession, and leads in education and training. “We help professionals advance their ambition, and provide insight, information and tools,” it adds.
03. The Institute for Supply Management
LinkedIn followers: 88,000
The Institute for Supply Management is the oldest supply management association in the world. Founded in 1915, the US-based educational body serves professionals and organisations “with a keen interest in supply management”, and provides education, training, qualifications, publications, information and research.
It has 50,000 members across 100 countries, and offers three qualifications: Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD), and the Associate Professional in Supply Management (APSM).
04. The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
LinkedIn followers: 68,000
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals is a global association for supply chain management professionals. Founded in 1963, its 9,000 members receive networking opportunities, cutting-edge research and online and on-site professional educational opportunities.
Members are key decision makers across consulting, demand planning, finance, logistics and transportation, manufacturing operations, purchasing and procurement, third-party logistics services and warehousing.
05. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
LinkedIn followers: 34,000
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport is a professional body for those who work in supply chain, logistics and transport. It helps members and their organisations gain knowledge and insight in areas where logistics and transport skills matter.
Founded in 1919, its members work in: ports and factories; air and sea; transport planning and demand planning; and freight and warehousing.
06. Global Supply Chain Council
LinkedIn followers: 25,000
Asia’s largest supply chain organisation, the Global Supply Chain Council is an independent professional organisation whose mission is to “stimulate the understanding and adoption of supply chain management by providing a range of information and resources”.
These include online and in-person events, a members portal, an online magazine and a newsletter. Founded in 2002, it serves a community of 260,000 executives from manufacturing and retail across Asia.
07. National Association of Fleet Administrators
LinkedIn followers: 10,000
With over 3,000 members worldwide, the National Association of Fleet Administrators is the world’s largest membership association for those who manage fleet and mobility for their employers.
NAFA offers certification, education, advocacy and peer-networking programs. NAFA members control around 4.8 million vehicles that travel more than 84-billion miles annually, and they manage assets in excess of $122bn.
08. The Global Logistics Alliance
LinkedIn followers: 10,000
The Global Logistics Alliance has 5,000 members across 170, and is an alliance of the Global General Logistics Alliance and the Global Project Logistics Alliance. Each Alliance has its own dedicated team. The GLA provides a platform for helping members expand their global business network. Its core audience is small and medium-sized logistics companies.
09. The International Warehouse Logistics Association
LinkedIn followers: 8,000
The International Warehouse Logistics Association is “the unified voice of the value-added warehousing and logistics industry”.
It adds: “Our mission is to assist members in running successful warehouse-based logistics services businesses, and to promote the general business interests of those engaged in public and contract warehousing and related warehouse logistics services.”
10. European Logistics Association
LinkedIn followers: 5,000
The ELA is a federation of 30 national logistics associations, covering almost every country in Europe and beyond. It provides an international forum for networking and for development of the logistics and supply chain professions.
An important element of this is ELA Certification, which helps maintain standards of competencies in logistics and supply chain by setting harmonised industry qualifications.
******
Check out the latest edition of Supply Chain Digital and also sign up to our global conference series: Procurement & Supply Chain 2024. Supply Chain Digital is a BizClik brand.
