President's Letter January 2009

I hope everyone had a great holiday and took some time off to relax.  It was exciting to see the Hokie’s actually win a bowl game for a change!  However, too many days hanging around the house can lead to boredom, or spending too much money at the mall!  A new year with all its challenges awaits us.  Perhaps the optimism of the new administration will rub off on the economy and take us out of our panic. 

             As we handle our individual work situations in this downturn, the common denominator to survival is making ourselves invaluable at work.  Those folks who can look past the daily firefighting and propose new ways for a company to be efficient are indispensable to a company, even in tough times.  APICS education and skill sets can give you the expertise you need to succeed.  I myself am studying for the upcoming Certified Supply Chain Professional exam, and find the material full of ideas to improve the workplace. 

             Our plant tour last month of the Kroger Warehouse-Run by Atlas Logistics- was found interesting by all who attended.  Many thanks to the management of Kroger and Atlas for hosting this event. 

             This month we will look at successful ways to implement software.  Most times, the software is the least of our problems.  Change, cooperation between departments, ownership, and preplanning are much more than software in determine whether a project will succeed or fail.  Our speaker, John Ferguson, has spent a career in this realm and can offer some insight born of experience.   Please join us for an interesting night. 

John Dyer