SPSM® Certification
The purchasing certification for achieving your career potential
Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your purchasing career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class certified purchasing/procurement professional.
You see, today’s employers refuse to reward employees for yesterday’s skills. They demand that purchasing professionals like you use the most modern skills and achieve unprecedented results. They want you to save more money, achieve better operational performance, and reduce risk.
So how can you acquire the most modern skills, achieve better results, and prove your value to today’s employers? There is an impressive purchasing certification that communicates that you are truly qualified for achieving success.
It is the SPSM® Certification.
A Modern Purchasing Certification Focused on Best Practices
Earning your SPSM® Certification will help you to bring the most modern purchasing practices into your organization and achieve your career potential. You’ll earn your SPSM® Certification by completing the Senior Professional in Supply Management® Program entirely online. All of your courses and your exam can be done from any device with internet access. It couldn’t be more convenient!
The SPSM® Certification is not just about passing a test. You’ll learn how to negotiate better. You’ll learn how to improve supplier performance. You’ll learn how to properly conduct strategic sourcing and implement procurement technologies. You’ll get step-by-step instructions on exactly how to deliver results for your employer. And when you make your employer more successful, your own career success is likely to follow!
Unlike other investments, this purchasing certification is a true win-win for both you and your employer. Just check out these mutual benefits of the SPSM® Certification:
Benefits to those who earn their SPSM® Certification
- You’ll learn modern best practices that you can apply to your work (regardless of your industry) – enabling you to achieve outstanding results more easily
- Procurement professionals with the SPSM® Certification earn an average of $20,028 (US) more than those who haven’t earned a purchasing certification*
- You will be qualified for higher-level opportunities, as prestigious companies increasingly prefer or require the SPSM as a qualification for their most strategic procurement positions
- You get to use the SPSM credential after your name, instantly earning you more respect from peers, management, internal customers, and suppliers
Benefits to Employer of an SPSM-Certified Procurement Professional
- Procurement professionals with the SPSM® Certification achieve an average of $497,777 (US) more cost savings and avoidance per person per year than those who haven’t earned a purchasing certification**
- Having an SPSM-Certified staff earns procurement departments more credibility with internal customers, management, and suppliers
- An SPSM-Certified procurement professional has enhanced capabilities for handling the department’s more strategic work
Earning your SPSM® Certification is a three-step process.
Step 1: LEARN
Pass six self-paced online procurement courses. These courses cover Level 1 of the Strategic Procurement & Supply Management Body of Knowledge®.
Step 2: PROVE
Pass the SPSM® Exam. You can take this exam from any device with an Internet access. And, you will only be tested on the material you covered in the courses.
Step 3: APPLY
Submit your purchasing certification application
To learn more, click on the short video below.
Additionally, you can click here to watch a short video to see how each of the courses in the Senior Professional in Supply Management® Program work.
You can earn the SPSM® Certification as quickly as you desire
If you’re like most purchasing professionals, you’ll be happy to know that it doesn’t have to take a long time to earn your SPSM® Certification and begin reaping the career rewards that come from being certified. You have up to 1 year to complete the Senior Professional in Supply Management® Program, but the self-paced nature of the program allows you to complete it and earn your SPSM® Certification much faster if you wish. Check out this table to estimate how long it will take you to earn your purchasing certification based on your personal study habits:
| If you can dedicate this amount of time to studying: | You can earn your purchasing certification in: |
|---|---|
| More than 4 hours per week | Less than 3 months |
| 4 hours per week | 3 months |
| 2 hours per week | 6 months |
| 1 hour per week | 1 year |
Your enrollment in the Senior Professional in Supply Management® Program includes access to the following components for one year.
Please note that while you have up to a year to complete the Program, the average SPSM earned this certification in seven months. Some have earned it in two months or less.
Program components:
- Mastering Purchasing Fundamentals
- Microsoft Excel for Purchasing Professionals
- Supply Management Contract Writing
- Powerful Negotiation for Successful Buying
- 14 Purchasing Best Practices
- Savings Strategy Development
These courses comprise Level 1 of the SPSM-BOK®
A credit to take the SPSM® Certification Exam (a savings of $75).
If a participant is unsuccessful at passing on the included attempt, additional retakes are $75 US each.
The fee for processing your purchasing certification application is included (a savings of $89)
During the duration of your access and when you become certified as an SPSM, as long as you are in good-standing, you will have access to all of the templates, resources, on-demand webinars, slide decks, and more that are included in the NLPA Library.
One year of instructor access with prompt email responses. Ask as many questions as needed to assure that you understand the material.
Once you earn this purchasing certification, a beautiful certificate will be sent to you by postal mail.
After you earn the SPSM Certification, you’ll receive an engraved award you can proudly display on your desk.
Thousands of supply management professionals from 100 countries have earned their SPSM® Certification.
Here is what some of them had to say:
Glenn E. Donell, SPSMVice President of Purchasing
United States
Charbel Frangieh, SPSM, SPSM2
Procurement Manager
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Catherine Shaw, SPSM, SPSM2, SPSM3Purchasing Manager
California, USA
Ready to Get Started?
If you enroll in the Senior Professional in Supply Management® Program on or before the deadline listed below, you will receive all of these bonuses:
-
Negotiation Super Pack – a collection of 4 Express Courses ($76 value)
-
FREE Lifetime Purchasing Skills Retention Package
-
FREE Personalized Performance Appraisal Improvement Analysis by email
SPSM® Certification
Program
Program
Includes all of the components & bonuses indicated above.
Duration of Access: 1 Year
Start Date: Access begins as soon as you enroll
Cost: $1,538 $1,159 US
Save $379 when you enroll in the program and pay in full today.
SPSM® Certification & Enhanced Results Program with iPad
Includes all of the same components as the standard program, plus:
The SPSM® Certification Program is packed with procurement best practices and the processes that make modern procurement professionals successful. Sometimes it’s helpful to discuss the implementation of some of those concepts with an instructor. This 30-minute phone session will help you do just that. This eBook features transcribed interviews with purchasing and supply management experts.
Duration of Access: 1 Year
Start Date: Access begins as soon as you enroll
Cost: $2,378 $1,999 US
Save $379 when you enroll in the program and pay in full today.
For payment plan options, check out the “Pay-As-You-Go” Certification Plan
Interested, but need some more information?
Download a free copy of the SPSM® Certification Information Guide and learn how you can preview a lesson from the purchasing certification training program for free. Fill out the form below and a copy will be sent to the email address you provide.
Have Questions?
Contact the NLPA by calling: +1 (412) 294-1990 or by emailing: help@nextlevelpurchasing.com
* This statistic is according to a survey of over 1300 procurement professionals. The results of the survey are documented in the report “Purchasing & Supply Management Salaries in 2016”
** This statistic is according to a survey of over 1100 procurement professionals. The results of the survey are documented in “The 2014 Purchasing & Supply Management Career & Skills Report”