Honghong Liu, Certified SCMP

“I started my career in supply chain management in the mid 1990’s when I was working in China. I was a Procurement Officer with a government buying agency, purchasing equipment and machinery for government, municipalities and institutions using loans from OECD countries. When I immigrated to Canada ten years ago, naturally I looked to continue my career in SCM. When I was told that PMAC was the leading SCM association in Canada, I joined it right away in order to get familiar with SCM practices, policies and regulations in Canada. The first education program I took with PMAC was the Certificate in Purchasing.

I agree with the entertaining quote that “SCM professionals are paid for spending money!”, but great privilege comes with great responsibilities – employers depend on us a great deal to keep their organizations running efficiently by bringing in the products and services at the right time, right place, with the best quality and at the optimal cost. SCM integrates with almost every part of an organization’s operation. To help companies’ growth and profit and to be rewarded by doing so is what I like most about SCM.

Currently, I work for Timex Group Canada and I am responsible for sourcing and purchasing various goods and services. I lead negotiations of contracts for assigned products and services and develop cost saving initiatives. Supplier management and performance evaluation are also part of my responsibilities.
I decided to pursue the CSCMP designation to upgrade my knowledge and provide more opportunities to grow in my SCM career but also because it is an essential qualification in this field. I have benefited tremendously from this journey in terms of applying what I have learned to my daily work.

I am always interested in taking on more responsibilities and after I received the designation, my employer assigned two additional categories for me to take on. Even before I received the designation, my employer had already recognized my contribution (thanks to the knowledge I gained from the program), and honored me as Employee of The Year 2008. 

I am an active participant in the SCM community and have participated in many SCM events. I think that these events help me to keep current with the latest SCM trends, and meet the best practitioners in the field.
To anyone considering the designation, I would say "go for it." SCM is gaining more and more momentum and having the CSCMP designation will allow you to stand out.

I would also like address new, skilled immigrants specifically, who are looking for a career in Canada: Supply Chain Management is a great field and offers many opportunities.  If you do not have previous experience in SCM, you can enroll in courses first with PMAC or associated colleges and proceed from there. Once you have some basic knowledge, you will be in a very good position to apply for entry-level jobs. Most SCM related jobs require enrollment in PMAC programs."