Today’s post is the second in a three-part series by author, PI Window on Business host, and ProcurementInsights.com blogger, Jon Hansen. Part One of this series on Vendor Blogs can be found here.

Social Media and Procurement: Interactive Intelligence and the Emergence of Adaptive Learning Programs

Part 2 of 3: Social Media's Impact on Procurement

“Companies are scrambling to keep the skills of their buyers and supply managers up to the task of responding to wildly fluctuating costs and availability of key suppliers. They need high quality training courses that are easily and instantly available,” said ADR North America CEO Bill Michels, C.P.M. “The ADR Academy fills that need with nine key courses that anyone can take if they have Internet access and a credit card.”

The idea of adaptive learning (and its effects on Procurement) first came onto my radar when I received word that ADR North America was teaming with the Institute of Supply Management to “provide procurement and supply professionals with educational opportunities through the ISM – ADR School for Supply Management”.

My first reaction was to reflect back on the two-part PI Window on Business series titled “Is The Traditional Association Model Dead?”
It was an interesting and somewhat controversial series in that we assembled an international guest panel of thought leaders to discuss the changing dynamics of a profession and industry with which the majority of associations had seemed to have lost touch.

Of the many topics that were discussed, none stood out more noticeably than the declining value of the available certification courses which still seemed to reflect a Rodney Dangerfield, functional silo mindset of an adjunct position.
Trapped in a static time-warp that failed to recognize the strategic value of procurement, and its significant impact on increasingly complex supply chain practices within the emerging globalized enterprise, this “excuse me” ineffectiveness was reflected in listener comments, such as the following:

“Where it once did, the value gained from the traditional Association model can no longer compete for my attention. I need to collaborate bigger, faster, stronger – and at my convenience.
Associations could better leverage Web 2.0 to deliver a greater level of service to me as a supply chain professional by more actively, rapidly and efficiently aligning with the pace at which new, useful industry information becomes available – then delivering this information in an effective way, so as to keep me abreast of trends, best-practices and exchange ideas with fellow members; thereby making me a more valuable professional.
If done effectively, this would be a value proposition beyond what I see today in many other Associations. This value, in turn, may then attract membership at a higher rate; thus creating an even larger, and more valuable platform for so many to exchange real-life, real-time expertise and experience – again, contributing to my value as a professional.
The platform could also host polls for its members – such as rating the many certification and professional designation courses available to us. This service would be valuable to the many of us that seek continual professional development, but would appreciate our peers’ comparative assessments prior to making the spend.”
From Lance, Global Logistics Specialist, Panama (Maersk Logistics)

Growing sentiments like the one expressed above should have served as a general wake-up call for associations. In some cases, such as with ISM’s teaming with ADR, it did.

The Beginnings of Adaptive Learning: ADR Academy

Responding to the need to “collaborate bigger, faster, stronger – and at (the procurement professional’s) convenience,” the high quality courses which according to ADR’s CEO Bill Michels are “easily and instantly available,” deliver information in an effective way, so as to keep (the procurement professional) abreast of “trends and best-practices.” In short, adaptive learning is now a reality through the ADR Academy!
The key however, is that the real value is not confined to the convenient venue through which the curriculum is delivered.
ADR’s Michels, who is an author and acknowledged industry expert, brings to the table 20 years of experience with more than 200 clients worldwide.

The resulting 9 courses, which take between 90 minutes and 2 hours to complete, offer practical tools, hands-on exercises and case studies to help professionals to gain a working knowledge in critical areas of a modern supply chain practice.
Having had the opportunity to briefly review the Portfolio Analysis module, the aforementioned Michel’s expertise is clearly present in the material. The fact that ADR specializes in providing “high quality professional development programs for supply managers, using workshops, eLearning modules, Webinars and blended forms of teaching,” means that the ongoing veracity and relevance of the courses will be maintained to always reflect real-world conditions.

Referring once again to Lance, the Global Logistics Specialist from Panama, the ADR Academy is the answer in terms of making him (as well as professionals in general), more valuable to their companies and the industry as a whole.
This recent teaming of an ISM with an industry innovator and veteran who brings a practical perspective to the curriculum through a more relevant and accessible venue will likely continue. So too will the utilization of social networking groups and conversational platforms where professionals can meet and exchange knowledge and experiences.

In fact, the association model itself is likely to undergo significant transformations in which emerging media such as Internet Radio and Television will be leveraged to broaden the interactive venue to include worldwide affiliates. Replacing regional or physical Chapters, which are more representative of a somewhat disconnected, geographical focus of self-interest, these affiliations of interconnected communities of purpose will reflect the framework of the social networking world.
This will include everything from LIVE Event Feeds to multi-conversational platforms in which an unlimited number of individuals can communicate and disseminate reference material including video and audio media on the fly during a live conference or roundtable discussion.