CIPS Certificate
The Certificate is CIPS’ Level 3 qualification; when you complete it, you will become a Certificate Member of CIPS. It’s intended for people who have limited or no experience in the supply chain. By the time you have finished it, your supply chain knowledge and skills should allow you to:
- apply your knowledge and skills in a range of complex activities, demonstrating comprehension of relevant theories,
- access and evaluate information independently,
- analyse information and make reasoned judgements,
- employ a range of responses to well defined but often unfamiliar or unpredictable problems,
- operate in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar contexts using a range of skills,
- select from a considerable choice of procedures,
- give presentations to an audience,
- engage in self-directed activity with guidance/evaluation,
- accept responsibility for quantity and quality of output, and
- accept limited responsibility for the quantity and quality of the output of others.
If you don't think this is the right qualification for you, try Foundation Diploma or Advanced Diploma or Graduate Diploma.
Study programme
There are five units in the Certificate. You can study them in any order except that Understanding the Purchasing Environment should be first, and Purchasing in Action must be the last one that you do. It is what CIPS call an “integrative unit”; it is where you show that you can bring your studies of the entire level together.
Securing Supply (Course 250)
This unit provides a broad understanding of the key requirements of controlling the supply of goods and the importance of stores and warehouse management, along with materials handling. This includes contributing towards the assessment of stock requirements, assisting in the scheduling of the flow of supplies, the implications of effective scheduling of stock, and the importance of inventory control as a method of improving efficiency while, at the same time, driving down costs associated with holding stock.
Purchasing Operations (Course 251)
This unit introduces the broad variety of purchasing activities, including the operational objectives of purchasing and the need to balance considerations of cost, lead-time and quality. Included in these basic principles of purchasing is the need to understand the variety of key activities that purchasers are involved in, including project administration activities and contributing to the development of specifications, contract formation and the process of sourcing suppliers.
Understanding the Purchasing Environment (Course 252)
This unit covers the impact of the external national and international business environment upon the purchasing function in a range of different organisations and sectors. Purchasing has a critical role to play in ensuring value for money is achieved in both profit making and nonprofit making organisations. In addition to understanding the macro/micro environment, purchasing professionals must have a commercial and financial awareness, ensuring best value is achieved.
Client and Supplier Relationships (Course 253)
This unit looks at the nature and scope of operational supplier relationships in order to optimise the performance of key suppliers. It includes adding value through relationships and developing a strong customer focus. You will be guided in how to act as an internal consultant representing the purchasing function. You will strengthen your communication and information seeking skills, be able to contribute towards improving purchasing efficiency, and ensure that operational relationships are both maintained and improved within the supply chain.
Purchasing in Action (Course 254)
This unit brings together all of the learning which you will have done at the Certificate level. It requires you to understand how the purchasing function can make a difference by being involved at an early stage, from identification of need through to contract negotiation; to look at the different relationships that exist in the supply chain and how purchasing can improve operational efficiency through effective management practices; appreciate the importance of internal and external analysis and how this can help when working with clients and suppliers at each stage of the purchasing process; and look at the various methods available for securing supply, and how supplier relationship management can influence inventory control.
