Professional certifications have always been a prerequisite to thrive in almost every facet of life. More so in these pandemic times, and particularly so in Supply Chain Management (SCM).

A minor glitch in SCM could result in catastrophic consequences. Catastrophic consequences like the economic disaster caused by the recent blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given. While such accidents cannot be predicted, the speed of corrective actions play a key role in reducing the impact of such mishaps. This is where professional knowledge and training assume great significance. Blue Ocean Academy, the leading SCM Training Institution in UAE, and APICS (American Production and Inventory Control Society) recently signed an agreement. The agreement is that Blue Ocean will provide training to students who wish to pursue courses offered by APICS. APICS is a worldwide knowledge leader in SCM. On offer are a series of advanced APICS courses like CSCP, CLTD, CPIM and also SCOR-P. It will cover a range of supply chain operations, logistics, distribution, inventory management and corporate development.

APICS is a global leader in supply chain organizational transformation, innovation, and leadership. It has a worldwide network of over 125,000 certified supply chain professionals.

This is a huge opportunity for SCM professionals in this region, as they now have a chance to obtain the prestigious APICS certifications. It is by training with one of the most trusted and successful education service providers in the Middle East. With years of experience behind them, Blue Ocean provides an excellent option for aspiring professionals. It is an option to extend their mastery over SCM. According to the annual Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index, GCC is fast emerging as the most competitive. UAE is ranking 1^st followed by Saudi Arabia (3^rd), Qatar (4^th), Bahrain (7^th), Oman (8^th) and Kuwait (11^th). This automatically means that there is a great likelihood for SCM professionals to benefit from. “In light of recent events, I would like to raise a call for everyone associated with SCM. It's a call to not give up but to continue pursuing knowledge and development. Well-trained manpower is a key concern for companies and advanced certifications are the only way to meet them,” remarked Dr. Sathya Menon, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Blue Ocean Academy.

Speaking of the Blue Ocean Academy – APICS partnership, Dr. Menon added, “We are thrilled to have extended our offerings and I can only say that like all our previous tie-ups, this too is an exemplification of our commitment to continuous progress in professional training in the MENA region. Our quality has earned us the largest network of procurement and supply chain professionals in the Middle East”.

Till date, over 90,000 students have trained under the Blue Ocean Academy banner. Because of that, it is now one of the most preferred training institutions in the region. Apart from APICS, Blue Ocean also has strong partnerships with other international certification bodies like IPSCMI, APS, CILT and CIPS. In addition to SCM, Blue Ocean also provides accredited training with reputed certifying bodies in aviation and travel (IATA) and human resources (CHRM). Also in finance (CAMS, IMA), project management (PMI)®, quality management (ACI) and more. About Blue Ocean: Headquartered in Dubai and having a strong presence in the entire GCC Market, Blue Ocean is one of the largest knowledge empowerment enterprises in the Middle East Region. Blue Ocean has over 22 years of experience. The organization serves more than 90,000 alumni worldwide. It also has a global network of certified trainers, international affiliations and multinational partners. The main motto of Blue Ocean Academy is to help ambitious individuals take their career to the next level.