New! IPC EMS Program Management Training and Certification

Building Clients for Life

Earn Your CEPM Credential TODAY!

Reformatted to reduce travel expenses and out-of-office time for attendees, the NEW IPC EMS Program Management Training and Certification Program is now a three-part, multi-focused educational program for all levels of EMS management that culminates with the valuable CEPM credential.

• Basic Business Skills (Self-study/online)      
• Essentials of EMS Program Management
• EMS Leadership Training and Certification Exam

It's Not Just For Program Managers   This training and certification program is for anyone who must possess an understanding of the many business, operations and management issues specific to an EMS company. Past participants include: Senior Project Engineers Quality Managers Industrial Engineers Operations Directors Marketing Managers Executive VPs Global Account Managers Materials Managers Business Development Managers VPs of Sales Business Unit Managers Directors of Quality Technology Development Managers Directors of Product Realization Customer Operations Managers Presidents Senior VPs VPs of Business Development Engineering Managers Quoting Managers CEOs Learn How This Program Has Benefited Other EMS Companies

IPC EMS Program Management Training

Developed with input from the IPC EMS Management Council, the training program specifically tailors topics such as: operations, finance, contracts, time management and leadership for individuals whose jobs depend on having an understanding of all aspects of the EMS business.

In less than 12 months, participants gain a broadened perspective and appreciation of the many responsibilities of an EMS management executive.

• Understands overarching responsibilities of managing programs in an EMS facility
• Appreciates his/her unique role in the sales process
• Recognizes the key issues important to EMS customers
• Strengthens leadership skills, and knows when and how to use them
• Learns various problem-solving techniques for specific EMS situations
• Embraces key components of project plan development and execution
• Comprehends methods to control the scope of a project and on-time completion
• Gains demonstrable knowledge of contractual issues specific to the EMS industry
• Applies supervisory actions that build employee capability

Upon completion of training and work requirements, candidates will be Certified in EMS Program Management and will be entitled to use the "CEPM" designation after their names.

Benefits of EMS Program Management Certification

Program management training and certification builds on the knowledge and experience of your employees and enhances the level of service your EMS company provides. By certifying key personnel you:

• Provide your employees with the tools they need to excel.
  
• Earn tangible and visible credentials that affirm your company’s commitment to customer service.
  
• Strengthen the leadership in your company.
  
• Increase the marketability of your company.
  
• Improve your bottom line.

PART I — Basic Business Skills

This self-paced learning segment allows participants to study at their convenience. Students are introduced to fundamental business concepts through a series of online courses. Topics cover subject matter such as contracts, finance, budgets and inventory management. Upon completing the segment, students comprehend fundamental business concepts and understand how to apply them to specific EMS industry situations. Each course takes approximately two to three hours, and the entire Part I segment can be completed in approximately three to four months.

Participants have the option of fast-tracking each of the courses by taking a self-assessment to demonstrate their knowledge of the topics.

1. Skill Soft Guided Tour
   
2. Leading the Successful Project Team
   
3. Essential Project Management Tools
   
4. Dynamic Decision Making
   
5. Project Cost and Quality Management
   
6. Project Risk and Procurement Management
   
7. Financial Statements and Analysis
   
8. . Building an Operating Budget
   
9. Building Relationships for Continuing Success
   
10. Supply Chain Management
    
11. Contracts in Commercial Transactions
    
12. E-Learning

PART II — Essentials of EMS Program Management

Students spend three valuable days building upon the business concepts covered in Part I by applying them to specific EMS situations. Through interactive lectures, group discussions and exercises with other students, they continue to expand their knowledge of EMS program and operations management. After completing the segment, participants have a well-rounded understanding of the industry and are prepared for the real situations they will face every day on the job.

1. EMS Program Management Overview
   1. Roles in EMS program management
   2. Industry variance in scope and focus of program management
      
   3. Essential program management skills
2. Account Acquisition & Program Launch
   
   1. Key issues important to customers
      
   2. Identification, qualification & initial quoting
   3. Efficient & effective site visits
      
   4. Customer profiling and organizational goals
      
   5. Factors in the selection of EMS suppliers
      
   6. Account close/final pricing
      
   7. Transition
      
   8. Production hand-off
3. Account Cultivation & Expectation Setting
   
   1. Setting/managing customer & EMS employer expectations
      
   2. Tools & techniques for managing accounts
      
   3. Why programs fail
      
   4. Designing effective program status reviews
      
   5. Measuring customer satisfaction
      
   6. Manufacturing agreement
      
   7. Focus areas in developing an account business plan
4. Manufacturing Process Overview
   
   1. Risk and issues
      
   2. Variation
      
   3. Factory physics, lean manufacturing, push/pull
      
   4. Test & quality
5. EMS Best Practices
6. Case Studies
7. Continuous Improvement
   
   1. Benchmarking
      
   2. Plan, do, check, act
      
   3. SPC metrics
8. Operations Management
   1. Material logistics in the EMS industry
      
   2. Electronics manufacturing vycle
      
   3. Total quality management
9. Special Financial Issues in the EMS Industry
   
   1. Revenue/sales forecasting
      
   2. Cash flow management
      
   3. Effect of inventory value on financial statements
10. Special Contract Issues in the EMS Industry
    
    1. Excess and obsolete inventory liability
       
    2. Engineering change orders/dchedule vhange notices
       
    3. Out of scope requests
       
    4. Cancellation clauses
       
    5. Warranties and product liabilities
       
    6. Returns

PART III — EMS Leadership Training and Certification Exam

The EMS Leadership Training covers the communication skills necessary to be effective in program management as an EMS executive. Often referred to as the most important quality of any successful executive, leadership is the key focus of this segment of the training program. Students will learn the techniques needed to influence and lead the people and teams involved in any customer project. This one-day course was co-developed by IPC and Penn State University and is taught by Penn State University Management Development faculty. Students will receive a certificate of completion issued from Penn State University.

1. Meeting the Leadership Challenges of the Future
   
2. Developing Effective Communication Practices
   
3. Effectively Resolving Conflicts
   
4. Dealing with Difficult People

Certification Test and Requirements for CEPM Certification

At the conclusion of EMS Leadership Training, candidates are tested (closed book exam) to demonstrate understanding and knowledge about program management in the EMS industry. A score of 73 percent or better is required to pass the exam.

Full certification as a CEPM will be conveyed to candidates who successfully complete the exam and possess a minimum level of work experience.

Full certification will be conveyed to candidates who have successfully completed the exam and possess a minimum level of work experience, defined by the Certification Management Committee as follows:

Candidates with a 4-year degree or higher, in the last 5 years must have worked:

• 24 months in the electronics manufacturing industry AND
  
• 24 months in program management or a total of 36 months in production control, planning, materials management or engineering

Candidates without a 4-year degree, in the last 4 years must have worked:

• 36 months in the electronics manufacturing industry AND
  
• 36 months in program management or a total of 48 months in production control, planning, materials management or engineering

Work experience time requirements may be satisfied concurrently. For example, a candidate with a 4-year degree who has worked only 24 months, but all of the time in program management, may be entitled to full certification on successful completion of the examination.

Applying for Full CEPM Certification

Candidates who are provisionally certified must submit a complete resume documenting applicable work experience, with references and authorization to verify in order to receive full certification in IPC EMS Program Management.

CEPM Re-Certification

The CEPM credential expires after four years. To be recertified, CEPMs must submit a resume, with references and authorization to verify, documenting continued industry experience and education. To qualify for re-certification, applicants must have either a total of 24 months experience in the electronics manufacturing industry since receiving full certification or successfully complete the IPC EMS Program Management Certification exam.

Cancellation and Substitutions
Effective, January 1, 2008

Registrant must cancel at least one business day prior to the start of the segment for which he/she has registered in order to receive a full refund. Registrant failing to cancel will forfeit his/her registration fee. A registration may be transferred to another individual at any time without penalty. Registrant must complete all four segments within a 12-month time frame or he/she will be charged an additional $500 per segment he/she needs to complete.

Questions?

Contact Susan Filz by e-mail SusanFilz@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2884.