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Leading Supply Chain Management Professionals

Welcome to our ISM—Twin Cities website. It should be your first stop for registering for meetings and learning what we are up to!

In the Twin Cities chapter, we have close to 400 sourcing professionals in our membership, and we strive to bring everyone significant value in their professional and personal development.

We offer a mix of events using both in-person and virtual approaches. Our virtual events are conducted on Zoom so you can access them from anywhere.

If you have not already done so, bookmark this site so it is handy for you when you are looking for information about ISM. Please reach out to us at info@ism-twincities.org org with any input or questions you have.

November

21 2024

MEMBER WEBINAR

Member Only

ISM Member Community Speed Networking

Are you ready to expand your network and make meaningful connections? Our virtual speed networking event is the perfect opportunity to meet new people within our growing membership community. In just one hour, you'll have the chance to engage in dynamic, one-on-one conversations with fellow members, exchange ideas, and build valuable relationships. Whether you're looking to collaborate, share insights, or simply make new friends, this is your networking power hour!

Don't miss out on this fun and interactive experience. Come prepared to connect, converse, and create lasting connections.

Online

December

10 2024

MEMBER WEBINAR

Member Only

Classification and COATs: Best Practices for Squeaky Clean Spend Data

We all think we know what bad data looks like, but what is it and what are the consequences?

I bet you never knew you needed a COAT for your data, but it will help protect you against all the dirty data that's around. Susan will share real-life examples of dirty data, and the consequences it has on the output, such as decision making, reporting, analytics, AI, and machine learning. She'll also share with you her COAT methodology to help prevent this, as well as learn how to make quick, accurate checks and changes to your own data in excel, regardless of your level of experience, and explain why data accuracy and maintenance is so important and implement best practices for this.

Takeaways:

The importance of data accuracy
The consequences of dirty data
How to ensure data accuracy
Make sure your data has its COAT on
How to spot check your data

Online

January

14 2025

MEMBER WEBINAR

Member Only

Ethical Sourcing: Navigating the Labyrinth of Procurement Integrity

This webinar delves into the critical realm of ethical sourcing, exploring best practices and highlighting the pitfalls of overlooking ethical considerations in procurement. We'll examine the psychological drivers behind procurement misconduct, drawing insights from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to understand how greed, power dynamics, and social influences can lead to unethical behavior. Through real-world cases, we'll illustrate the devastating consequences of corruption and fraud, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to safeguard organizational integrity.

Audience Takeaways:

Understand the psychological factors that contribute to procurement fraud and corruption.
Learn how to identify and mitigate ethical risks in your procurement processes.
Develop strategies to foster a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making.
Discover best practices for ethical sourcing including supplier selection.

Online

View All Education

Welcome from the President

On behalf of the board, thank you for visiting our website.

ISM—Twin Cities is a non-profit organization, run primarily by volunteers, focused on education, professional development, and networking for those in sourcing and supply chain. Our chapter has monthly membership meetings where we discuss topics relevant to today’s professionals and networking opportunities. We’d love to see you online or in person!

Look for information on the Fall Conference. This two-day seminar is packed with speakers focused on ideas to take back to the workplace. The conference is a great value for the amount of information provided and close to home.

ISM—Twin Cities offers courses to assist participants to earn CPSM® certification. This certification is a great tool to have in any position, just starting a career or towards the end of a career. The courses help attendees prepare to pass each section of the exam.

Not a member of ISM—Twin Cities? Please join us. Consider this a personal invitation from myself and the board to join as a member. Becoming a member offers many benefits at the local and global level. Members can find many options to help become leaders of their careers.

If you need more information, please contact the office for further information. You may e-mail info@ism-twincities.org or call 952.564.3045.

Sincerely,
Kent Kolstad, CPSM, C.P.M.
President, ISM—Twin Cities, Inc.

Extreme Makeover: Supply Chain Edition

November 12, 2024

Articles

From the environmental scan to securing stakeholder buy-in to measuring progress, building procurement operations from scratch is an exhaustive process that never ends.

The Monthly Metric: Available-to-Promise Inventory

November 19, 2024

Articles
Dead stock is expensive, and the reputational hit if customers are left waiting can be just as or even more costly. A metric that can be a make-or-break indicator of ability to deliver on customer expectations is available-to-promise (ATP) inventory.
Understanding the Essence of Mentorship

November 19, 2024

Articles
This reciprocal relationship acts as a catalyst, fostering both personal and professional development, and empowering mentees to confidently navigate the inevitable challenges, acquire critical skills, and ultimately unlock their full potential.
Advancing Technology Calls for New Tech Roles

November 19, 2024

Articles
A McKinsey & Company study found that a “new era of technological change” could boost the economy by more than US$4 trillion and about two-thirds of organizations are regularly using AI — about twice as many as reported during the previous survey.

Join ISM

Your membership in ISM will provide a powerful path to stay connected, engaged, and up-to-date with everything happening in supply management. Serious procurement and supply chain professionals are dedicated to staying in the know about their profession and staying at the top of their game. An ISM membership will provide you with that and more.

More than 100 years of experience speaks for itself – ISM can help you succeed. It's our mission.

Become A Member

I consider ISM to be an integral part of what keeps me current in today’s business world! I’ve been a member of ISM since earning my Certified Professional of Supply Management in 2014, and through that set of classes I’ve been able to broaden my understanding of supply chain issues, network with other professionals, advance my career and my earnings to a much greater extent than I could have without ISM and the CPSM credentials. The CPSM course is robust for the topics it covers and depth of coverage. Once I earned it, I became motivated to keep it with the 20-hours per year CEH requirement. With that incentive in place, I’ve learned even more to help accelerate career growth. It’s been the best professional move by far. Staying current and relevant in today’s business world takes effort of some sort, ISM makes that easy and rewarding with the ISM Twin Cities fall conference and monthly meetings. Lessons and insights learned in ISM training opportunities are immediately applicable in my job, continually providing credibility in my role.

- Cindy Jerome
Production Director
Lerner Publishing

ISM and the local chapters provide access to networking, professional development, conferences, leadership opportunities, best practice benchmarking and lifelong connections. This applies to supply management professionals who are at any stage of their career. It’s really a no-brainer for anyone who is serious about their career in supply management and would like to continue their education on a reoccurring basis.
I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors at ISM-Twin Cities for 5 years which has accelerated my leadership development and networking as a young professional. This active role in the organization has created excellent benchmarking opportunities which I can utilize at my existing employer and beyond. My network has drastically expanded in this short time and will continue to grow as I stay involved in ISM throughout my career.

- Corey Gustafson, CPSM
Commodity Manager
Entegris

Learn More

ISM World 2025 Registration Open

Join your peers in Orlando, Florida, June 1-3, 2025. The ISM World Annual Conference is a world-class event designed to inspire fresh thinking and provide an educational experience that unites thought leaders, supply chain and procurement professionals, and the innovative suppliers that support them.

You'll leave with new connections, fresh insights, and the inspiration to spark new ideas within your professional community. Register today for the best rates!

Join the Report On Business®  Survey Panel

ISM^®'s Manufacturing, Services, and Hospital Report On Business^® gather data monthly through surveys of supply management professionals participating in the Business Survey Committee.

Participation in the survey panel provides many benefits: