Self-test: Is the Supply Chain Manager (HFP) course suitable for me?

What does the day-to-day work of a supply chain manager with a federal diploma look like?

Supply chain managers with a federal diploma ensure the smooth supply of goods of all kinds to the economy and society. They work in production, trading or service companies, where they take on specialist and management functions relating to the management of supply chains (i.e. supply chain management (SCM)). Among other things, they are responsible for ensuring an effective and efficient flow of goods, information and value in the supply chains.

Their activities include, for example, drawing up strategic guidelines for supply chain management based on the overarching corporate strategy and creating concepts for efficient, sustainable and transparent supply chains. Supply chain managers also ensure their implementation at an operational level.

They are also responsible for creating, analyzing and optimizing the corresponding SCM processes. Supply chain managers use relevant ICT systems for this purpose. They also ensure the exchange of data and information across the company.

Managers in supply chain management are also responsible for coordinating cooperation between all upstream, internal and downstream players in the supply chain.

Supply chain managers also take on the planning and management of complex and extensive (agile) projects. Finally, they also lead teams from several organizational units and across several hierarchical levels and locations.

With the revised examination regulations (valid from August 2024), three different specializations have been introduced, allowing for a corresponding deepening of skills.

• Supply Chain Manager with the specialization "Digital Integration"plan, manage and optimize supply chains. They have the skills to establish relationships and maintain cooperation with the relevant stakeholders. They also develop requirements for suitable ICT systems and are responsible for their evaluation, procurement, management and support. They develop specific concepts for the secure exchange of information and data across companies.
• Supply Chain Manager specializing in "International Freight Forwarding Logistics"plan, manage and optimize supply chains. They also have the skills to establish relationships and maintain cooperation with the relevant players. Furthermore, they develop strategies and concepts for transportation and forwarding services. They also define and optimize the interfaces between the various players in the supply chain.
• Supply Chain Manager with the specialization "Corporate Logistics"are responsible for developing strategies and concepts for the five logistics areas (procurement, production, warehouse, distribution and waste disposal logistics) in a company. They are also responsible for planning and managing the various logistics areas in the company in terms of organization, technology and personnel. Finally, they analyze and optimize the processes in corporate logistics.

Target group and skills: For whom is the Advanced Federal Diploma in Supply Chain Management suitable? What qualities and skills are required?

The course and the higher professional examination for "Supply Chain Manager with Federal Diploma" is suitable for experienced specialists in logistics/supply chain management who are ambitious to expand their knowledge and skills in this area and would like to be recognized with a federal diploma.

Managers in supply chain management should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Leadership skills
• Sense of responsibility
• Analytical, networked and technical thinking
• Customer-, service- and solution-oriented way of working
• Reliability
• Independence
• Load capacity
• Stress resistance
• Ability to work in a team

Requirements for admission to the Higher Professional Examination for Supply Chain Managers (HFP):

Persons who fulfill the following conditions by the start of the examination are admitted to the Advanced Professional Examination "Supply Chain Manager":

• Have a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ), a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification and a total of at least five years of professional experience in at least two of the five areas of corporate logistics* and sub-project, project management or leadership experience as well as practical experience with at least one application used in logistics. The required SSC module examinations** or certificates of equivalence are also required.

Or

• Be in possession of a federal certificate (BP) and have at least three years of professional experience in at least two of the five areas of corporate logistics and sub-project, project management or leadership experience as well as practical experience with at least one application used in logistics. The required SSC module examinations or certificates of equivalence are also required.

Or

• Hold a federal diploma from a higher professional examination (HFP) or a higher technical college (HF) in one of the five areas of corporate logistics and have at least two years of professional experience in another area of corporate logistics, sub-project, project management or management experience as well as practical experience with at least one application used in logistics since graduation.

Or

• Hold a degree from a university of applied sciences or a university and have at least three years of professional experience in at least two of the five areas of corporate logistics and sub-project, project management or leadership experience as well as practical experience with at least one application used in logistics.

*the five areas of corporate logistics: procurement, production, warehousing, distribution and disposal logistics

** The SSC module examinations that must be available for admission to the examination are as follows:

• Supply Chain Management
• Economics
• Finance and accounting
• Project management
• Quality management
• Legal knowledge
• Leadership

The individual modules of the Supply Chain Management continuing education program are completed in the preparatory courses for the higher professional examination. Upon successful completion of the respective module, candidates receive a certificate of competence, the so-called "module certificate", which is valid for five years as admission to the final examination.

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the higher professional examination at least 12 weeks before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons in the event of a negative decision.

Note: Do you not yet meet all the admission requirements? Some schools are still prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the Advanced Professional Examination for Supply Chain Managers. Please remember: It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/examination registration.

Admission requirements for the HFP for Supply Chain Managers with a federal diploma in accordance with the new examination regulations (valid from August 2024):

• Federal certificate as a specialist in international freight forwarding and logistics or logistics specialist and at least three years of professional experience in the field of logistics/supply chain management since obtaining the federal certificate

Or

• Federal certificate or equivalent qualification and at least four years of professional experience in the logistics/supply chain management field since obtaining it

Or

• Completion of a higher professional examination (HFP), higher technical college (HF), university of applied sciences (FH), university (university/ETH) or equivalent qualification and at least three years of professional experience in the field of logistics/supply chain management since obtaining the qualification

Or

• Federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) or another qualification at upper secondary level or an equivalent qualification and at least eight years of professional experience in the field of logistics/supply chain management since obtaining it

And

• Relevant project management and/or leadership experience

The decision on admission to the Supply Chain Management course is made at least two months before the start of the examination. Applicants will receive a written decision. In the event of a negative decision, they will receive a statement of reasons and instructions on how to appeal.

Subject matter and content of the training

When compiling the course content for supply chain manager training and continuing education, the schools are guided by the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination. They are responsible for periodically reviewing and, if necessary, updating the higher professional examination and the requirements for supply chain managers. This ensures that the knowledge and skills imparted meet the requirements of the job market.

For SCM continuing education, this means that the schools must offer the corresponding SSC basic modules, the certificates of which must be presented for admission. These are the following modules:

• Supply Chain Management
• Economics
• Finance and accounting
• Project management
• Quality management
• Legal knowledge
• Leadership

Learning content of the preparatory courses for the HFP for Supply Chain Managers with a federal diploma in accordance with the new examination regulations (valid from August 2024):

With the revised examination regulations, training in supply chain management is divided into two phases.

In the first phase, participants complete a foundation course, which applies to all specializations and includes two modules. The following topics are covered in the two modules:

• Management and digitization:Ensuring profitability, setting up and operating a management system, procuring and introducing ICT systems, ensuring information and data management, planning and managing projects.
• Supply Chain Management & Leadership:Strategy development in supply chain management, implementation and further development of supply chain management, management and development of employees.

In the second phase, a specialization is chosen. There are three specialization and in-depth modules to choose from, in which the following topics are covered:

• Specialization "Corporate Logistics":Planning and management of logistics areas, conception and management of procurement, production, warehouse, distribution and disposal logistics, understanding and applying processes and sustainability of corporate logistics.
• Digital integration" specialization:Implementation and further development of SCM, procurement and introduction of ICT systems, ensuring information and data management, establishing collaboration in the value creation network.
• Specialization "International Forwarding Logistics":Implementation and further development of supply chain management, establishment of collaboration in the value creation network, conceptualization and management of international forwarding logistics, development of an industry and customer-specific forwarding service, ensuring tender management for forwarding services, ensuring compliance and security in forwarding transactions.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs for further training in supply chain management can be summarized as follows:

(Note: The costs for the preparatory courses for the Higher Professional Examination for Supply Chain Managers are set independently by the schools. They may therefore vary slightly from school to school).

• Course fees:approx. CHF 19,000. Cost reduction thanks to federal subject funding: Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.
• External examination fees:CHF 2,700 (as of August 2023). The examination fee is set by the organizer of the federal examination and is binding for all candidates. It is paid by the candidate after admission has been confirmed.
• Extra costs:The costs for teaching materials, training documents and simulation exams, for example, are not included in the course fees at some schools. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect.

Duration and structure of studies, teaching times, teaching formats and learning effort

• Duration and structure:The Supply Chain Manager course takes approx. 1.5 years (3-4 semesters) and is completed on a part-time basis. It corresponds to the "modular system with final examination" model, i.e. candidates must have successfully completed the specified modules and have the corresponding module certificates before they can sit the final examination.
• Lesson times:When supply chain management training takes place varies greatly and depends on the school in question. They create their own timetables.
• Teaching formats:Since the coronavirus pandemic at the latest, many schools have been offering different teaching formats: Face-to-face teaching and online formats such as online teaching, hybrid teaching and blended learning. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine further education with family, work and leisure in the best possible way. You can find an overview of the teaching formats in the answers. Not sure about the differences between the various teaching formats? In the answers you will find a helpful link to an overview of the teaching formats.
• Learning effort:Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the SCM further education course, you can apply and consolidate the learning material immediately in practice. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

The higher professional examination for "Supply Chain Manager" is held annually in the three official languages German, French and Italian if at least ten candidates meet the admission requirements after the call for applications, otherwise every two years.

Candidates are notified at least four weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (location, time of the examination, permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The higher professional examination lasts a total of 17 hours and consists of four parts:

1) Diploma thesis (written, subsequent and oral, 1h, weighting 2)

With the diploma thesis, candidates provide proof that they are able to work on a problem from the SCM field in a practice-oriented and independent manner and develop a corresponding concept and solution. The formal requirements can be found in the guidelines.

Approximately one month after submitting their thesis, candidates present it to the experts and then answer their questions. The oral examination also includes a 10-minute reflection in the sense of "looking back to the future".

2) Case studies (weighting 2): Logistics overall process (written, 4h), Supply Chain Management (written, 4h)

In this part of the examination, candidates demonstrate their ability to analyze topics in terms of their economic efficiency, quality, safety and environmental compatibility and to derive optimization measures.

3) Questionnaire (written, 4h, weighting 1)

Candidates are able to call up and apply their specialist knowledge according to level-appropriate questions.

4) Group assessment (oral, 4h, weighting 1)

In this part of the examination, one candidate is tested on his/her leadership skills, while the other three candidates are tested on their technical skills.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the higher professional examination receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Certified Supply Chain Manager".

In French: "Supply Chain Manager diplômée / Supply Chain Manager diplômé"

In Italian: "Supply Chain Manager diplomata / Supply Chain Manager diplomato"

Recommended English translation (this is not a protected title): "Senior Supply Chain Manager with Advanced Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training"

Higher professional examination for supply chain managers with a federal diploma in accordance with the revised examination regulations (valid from August 2024):

The HFP in accordance with the revised examination regulations is divided into four examination parts. The federal examination lasts a total of 10 hours and is conducted as follows:

1) Case study strategy work (written, 3h)

In the first part of the examination, candidates work on a complex and realistic practical case. They should analyze the situation, identify the main challenges and develop a supply chain strategy.

2) Case work on management processes (written, 3h)

This part of the examination consists of a guided case study. Candidates must demonstrate that they have the appropriate analytical and conceptual skills and are able to implement the provision of services in logistics processes.

3) Case work Skills in the subject area (written, 3h)

In this part of the examination, candidates are also faced with a guided case study in which they analyze a complex practical case and present appropriate solutions.

4) Status report (prepared in advance), status interview Professional role and experience (oral, 1h)

The candidates present the previously prepared status report to the experts. The central elements of the report and the presentation are Competencies and attitudes or attitude and tasks of the candidates.

The experts will ask questions about this. The candidates then have to work on case studies.

This part of the examination examines whether candidates are able to reflect realistically, critically and systemically on their own professional identity and professional experience.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the higher professional examination receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Certified Supply Chain Manager Specialist".

In French: "Supply Chain Manager diplômée Spécialisation / Supply Chain Manager diplômé Spécialisation"

In Italian: "Supply Chain Manager diplomata Specializzazione / Supply Chain Manager diplomato Specializzazione"

Recommended English translation: "Senior Supply Chain Manager, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education Specialization". Please note: This is not a protected title.