CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), the global leader in supply chain organizational transformation, innovation and leadership, announced that it is the recipient of a three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. ASCM will utilize this grant to help foster the development of a regional supply chain management association, manage the evolution of a frontier supply chain maturity model and introduce globally recognized and locally adapted methods that will improve last mile availability in public health supply chains.
Through this grant, ASCM will increase educational and economic opportunities for women and encourage healthier families and communities. ASCM will help solve critical public health supply chain challenges, including weak distribution systems and a lack of reliable monitoring and data collection mechanisms. Additionally, ASCM will assist in the development and implementation of country-specific plans to elevate the maturity of local supply chain communities that directly impact supply chain reliability.
“ASCM believes that by improving supply chains, we have the opportunity to help improve lives, especially when it comes to underserved markets like those in Africa,” said APICS CEO Abe Eshkenazi, CSCP, CPA, CAE. “This grant recognizes the significant collaborative opportunity we have to implement global operating models that will not only improve public health supply chains, but also foster the overall advancement of end-to-end supply chain management in the region.”
ASCM is the global leader in the latest supply chain thinking and resources. The end-to-end supply chain association is focused on helping organizations design, implement and optimize their supply chain, as well as guiding professionals to stand out and move up in their careers. As such, ASCM is best suited to effectively deploy association operating models in the foundation’s target markets, including Dakar, Senegal; Nairobi, Kenya; and Lagos, Nigeria.
The goal of the grant project is to build self-reliant supply chain talent, increase frontier market supply chain maturity, improve distribution systems, and enable more reliable monitoring and data collection mechanisms. This project will leverage ASCM proven best practices to grow an effective, sustainable supply chain in these frontier markets. Key outcomes include:
- Improve the knowledge base and association operating models of the supply chain community in frontier markets.
- Establish and continually improve the supply chain maturity model for frontier markets through community engagement.
- Increase last mile product availability in target market public health facilities.
“We are honored to receive this grant and work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve public health supply chains in Africa, helping to perpetuate smart, sensible global health development,” Eshkenazi added.
Learn more about ASCM here.
ABOUT ASCM
The Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) is the global leader in supply chain organizational transformation, innovation and leadership. As the largest non-profit association for supply chain, ASCM is an unbiased partner, connecting companies around the world to the newest thought leadership on all aspects of supply chain. ASCM is built on a foundation of APICS certification and training spanning 60 years. Now, ASCM is driving innovation in the industry with new products, services and partnerships that enable companies to further optimize their supply chains, secure their competitive advantage and positively impact their bottom lines. For more information, visit ascm.org.
ABOUT APICS
APICS is the industry leader in supply chain certification, training and networking. For over 60 years, APICS has provided world-class supply chain training and certification to foster supply chain talent and improved end-to-end performance. Under the umbrella of the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), APICS sets the industry standard for supply chain education through outstanding training, certification and community programs. This includes the APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM); APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP); and APICS Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) certifications. For more information, visit apics.org and follow APICS on social media at LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
