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Brooks Copeland didn’t intend to work in supply chain management after college. In fact, when he graduated from the Citadel in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Copeland wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do.

“I was very naive when I came out of college and didn’t know a whole lot about the business world,” says Copeland, 35, who works as a procurement analyst for Volvo Parts North America’s construction equipment division and has a solid understanding of supply chain management thanks in part to a professional certification process that some employers in the industry look for when hiring.

Out of college, he worked at his uncle’s furniture store in Myrtle Beach, S.C., first as a salesperson and later as warehouse manager. In 2004 his wife was transferred to the Triad, so he took advantage of the opportunity to try something new and learn about a different part of the furniture industry, joining Thomasville Furniture as a supply chain manager.

“I knew the end-customer side of the furniture business, but I wanted to learn more about the manufacturing side of it,” Copeland says. “I was able to get more into the sourcing side of it because we imported a lot of furniture and I was collaborating with plants overseas.”

At the recommendation of a supervisor, Copeland began taking classes toward a Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), which is offered by the Association for Operations Management, known as APICS, an acronym for Advancing Productivity, Innovation and Competitive Success. The Piedmont Triad chapter of APICS has more than 450 members representing 90 companies from a range of industries, according to Doug Parkes, vice president of professional education for the chapter.

“Most people would think of supply chain management in relation to manufacturing, but everyone manages inventories,” says Parkes, adding that supply chains can be found everywhere, from medical offices to retail to the military. “Really, supply chain management is all about stuff — creating it, stocking it and even phasing it out.”

The CPIM program provides education to professionals who often are learning on the job. “Many are managing millions of dollars worth of inventory, but have no formal training in the field,” Parkes says.

The organization works to change that through the training, in which students study five sequential modules covering fundamentals such as scheduling, planning and forecasting. Students can study on their own, take online courses or participate in classes held at locations in the Triad. To earn CPIM, students must pass a series of five exams, one per module. Copeland opted for classroom training, which Parkes recommends. 

“The people facilitating the classes are people who’ve worked in the business and have practical experience,” Parkes says. Class discussions with others in the profession allow students to develop critical thinking skills that help on the job.

Copeland, who earned his designation last year, attended one night class a week for 10 weeks, then got a three-week break before moving on to the next module.

“It was a large body of information and it’s more specific than what you get in college,” he says.

The certification can help professionals maintain their marketability in a tough job market. Parkes says the CPIM certification is globally recognized, and that some employers use the certification to screen for qualified candidates when hiring.

For Copeland, no matter where in supply chain management he works, it all comes down to one thing.

“If you are providing a service to a customer — no matter what the service, no matter where you are — you still have to get a good product to that end customer, and that is what APICS concentrates on teaching you.”