This student chapter of the Association of Production and Inventory Control Specialists is a club within the Isenberg School of Management. Our members are primarily from the Operations Management major, but we welcome SOM students from all majors.

This club is for students interested in business operations: productions, planning, scheduling, shipping, purchasing, and just about anything that businesses must do in order to create value for their customer!

Operations is about visualizing the business processes - those functions that create value - and managing them for efficiency, efficacy and profitability. Process improvement methods (Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma..) are changing the face of business and US companies are headed for huge changes. SOM Operations Managers will have the awesome potential and power to employ these principles in the companies of today and tomorrow.

Monthly Meeting:

Club meetings are held once a month during the school year.

September Meeting:

• Date:
• Time:
• Location:

This will be the first meeting of fall semester 2008 - check back later for details.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CLUB TRIPS:
[top of page]

Throughout the school year the APICS club makes day and overnight trips to companies our members are interested in visiting. We typically receive a guided tour of the company facilities and are often granted full access to proprietary production processes. It almost guaranteed that unless you work for one of these companies you will never get to see or hear as much about what these companies actually do. Some of the companies we've visited recently include:Toyota Canada, Smith & Wesson, Pratt & Whitney, C&S Wholesale Distributors, and more! For 2007-2008, we are planning trips that promise to be just as exciting and informative!

Trips we made in 2006-2007:

C&S Wholesale

 

Web: http://www.cswg.com/welcome.htm

Location: Hatfield, MA

Info: Professor Robinson and Dave are in the process
of setting up a detailed tour of C&S Wholesale in.
Prof. Robinson has been there and was impressed with
how they have adapted a variety of processes to meet their
demands. We are looking at dates in the end of April to
the first week of May, and will schedule it on a day that we
know he can come. I look forward to a great turn out.

Sikorksy Helicopters

Date: Friday February 23, 2007

Details:

Sign-up Form: Sikorsky Registration (due Feb 16th)

Meet at SOM Atrium at 7:45 am
Bus returns to UMass at 4:30 pm

Cost is $25, make checks payable to UMass APICS

Trip Includes: transportation to and from the Sikorsky plant in Stratford, CT - detailed plant tour, lunch, question and answer session with senior management of Sikorsky

Due to government contractor regulations this trip is open only to US citizens

Email questions to umass.apics@gmail.com

(Sikorsky.com): Sikorsky is the first name in helicopters and their machines are used around the world. They design, manufacture and build helicopters at their facility in Stratford, CT.

 

Yankee Candle

Date: December 8, 2006, 2-4 pm

(YankeeCandle.com): "It all started with a gift for my Mom..." according to founder Mike Kittredge. Today Yankee Candle is the national leader in premium scented candles and the most recognized candle brand. They are headquartered in South Deerfield, MA and have roughly 5,500 employees. Their operations are all vertically integrated, which allows Yankee Candle to control all aspects of product development, manufacturing, sales and distribution.

 

 

Pratt & Whitney

(Pratt-Whitney.com): The world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, industrial gas turbines, and space propulsion systems. Pratt & Whitney, based in East Hartford, CT, has over 9,000 customers in 180 countries.

Smith & Wesson Firearms

(Smith-Wesson.com): Smith & Wesson is one of the world's most recognizable brands. They focus on designing and manufacturing innovative solutions that are unparalleled in the field of personal safety and protection. Almost every major law enforcement and military agency in the world has used Smith & Wesson products.

[top of page]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

JOIN APICS:
[top of page]

To join the SOM APICS club simply fill out the membership form for the national APICS organization. You can print the pdf application form or pickup a paper copy from our bulletin board in the first floor corridor of the SOM building. The student membership fee of $25 (sent to APICS with your application) and is a outstanding value for the prestige of belonging to this national, professional organization.

As a member you will be creating friendships and networking with other OM majors at UMass. Joining our club is a chance for you to experience the real world of operations management. If you have questions about joining contact an officer with your inquiry.

[top of page]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CONTACT OUR OFFICERS:
[top of page]

To reach a club officer submit an email:

[top of page]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT APICS:
[top of page]

The National APICS organization is a professional society for operations, production, and inventory control managers.

From the APICS web site:

"APICS The Association for Operations Management is the global leader and premier source of the body of knowledge in operations management, including production, inventory, supply chain, materials management, purchasing, and logistics. Since 1957, individuals and companies have relied on APICS for its superior training, internationally recognized certifications, comprehensive resources, and worldwide network of accomplished industry professionals."
Read more at Apics.org

At UMASS, the APICS chapter focuses on demonstrating how classroom material is put to practical use in real companies. We do this primarily through trips and tours of companies. There we go inside the process with a company tour guide to observe what is happening. In the "trip debriefing" we can discuss what we have seen, our thoughts on the processes, and the relevance to our studies. These trips are a great time and great learning experience.

Membership with SOM APICS also is a very inexpensive way to access this professional society and take advantage of the printed materials, classes, and certifications they offer.

Please join us, Today!

[top of page]