638 Principles of Supply Chain Management
composition of their jobs change, most likely to extended responsibilities. A secondary
consideration is that the work force in the United States is aging, and increasing numbers
of skilled workers are retiring (Katz 2008).
The second reason is that products and processes will be changing at a rapid rate. These
changes require skills in the use of new materials and manufacturing processes as well as
in managing the increased rate of goods and information owing through the supplychain.
Professional certications will become more important as an indicator of the knowledge
base a person has. Organizations such as APICS (the association for operations manage-
ment) and the Institute for Supply Management ...