IPC EMS Program Manager Training and Certification Program

Earn Your CEPM Credential TODAY!

It’s Not Just For Program Managers   The IPC EMS Program Manager Training & Certification Program is for anyone who must have an understanding of the many business, operations and management issues specific to an EMS organization.  People who are IPC Certified EMS Program Managers include a: Senior Project Engineer Quality Manager Industrial Engineer Operations Director Marketing Manager Executive V.P. Global Account Manager Materials Manager Business Development Manager V.P. of Sales Business Unit Manager Director of Quality Technology Development Manager Director of Product Realization Customer Operations Manager President Senior V.P. V.P. of Business Development Engineering Manager Quoting Manager CEO

A Day in the Life of an EMS Program Manager

Harry arrives at work at 7:00 am. Before he even gets his coat off, he takes a phone call from an angry customer whose new assemblies do not work. After calming her down and convincing her to let him fix the problem, Harry calls an emergency meeting with the Production Department and Quality Control to go over the schematics and determine what went wrong. Next, he figures out how to adjust the production schedule so that he can refill the order as soon possible, but still meet his other obligations on time. He also figures out how much the reproduction will cost.

Later that morning, he meets with the Division Vice President to review the sales plan for the next quarter.

For lunch, he meets with another customer who needs to change out semiconductors on an existing order. During the conversation, he is asked to explain if and how the change will affect delivery and pricing. Upon returning from lunch, he examines his purchase orders and existing inventory of semiconductors to determine what he will need in order to fulfill the customer's requested change.

Next, he sits down with the heads of the Production Department and Quality Control to resolve a dispute as to why a certain assembly has not been released for shipment. Harry's last task before he leaves is to call back the angry customer from the morning and give her a status report on her replacement order.

What was the most important skills an EMS Program Manager need to make it through the day? Is it customer service skills, to help save a business relationship? Or is it technical expertise, needed to determine why the assemblies had failed? Or is it the ability to juggle the production schedules and still meet company obligations? Or is it financial aptitude to estimate the impact of changing semiconductors? How about managerial skills, which helped the manager take charge and direct teams? Don't forget problem solving skills, which are needed to find solutions to numerous challenges.

The answer is obvious. All of these skills need to be woven together in the course of the day as an EMS Program Manager. Program management is based on the concept of providing centralized management authority over all business and technical aspects of a project. By definition, the EMS Program Manager is multi-functional.

The IPC EMS Program

Manager Training and Certification Program
IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries has recognized the need to provide training and certification for EMS Program Managers. With the input of the IPC EMS Council, a four-part training course has been developed to provide EMS Program Managers with a multi-focused education and credential. On completion of the requirements, candidates will be Certified EMS Program Managers who are entitled to use the "CEPM" designation after their names.

Benefits of Certifying Program Managers

Training and certification of Program Managers will enhance individual EMS companies and the industry as a whole. By certifying your Program Managers, you will:

• Provide your employees with the tools they need to excel
• Reaffirm your commitment to customer service
• Strengthen the leadership in your company
• Increase the marketability of your company
• Improve your bottom line

Benefits to the Individual

• Understand the role of the Program Manager in the EMS Industry
• Appreciate the roles the Program Manager can play in the sales process
• Identify key issues important to EMS customers
• Recognize key leadership styles and when to use them
• Apply problem solving techniques to specific EMS situations
• Identify the key components of project plan development and execution.
• Understand methods that control the scope of a project and on-time completion
• Demonstrate knowledge of special contractual issues related to the EMS industry
• Apply supervisory actions that build employee capability
• Understand the diverse responsibilities they will be required to perform as an EMS Program Manager

Training

The IPC EMS Program Manager Training Program specifically tailors topics such as operations management, finance management, contract management, time management, and leadership skills for EMS Program Managers. Through the course, participants will gain a broadened perspective of the multiple functional activities required of the EMS Program Manager. The goals of the courses are as diverse as the duties of the Program Manager. All course work must be completed within 12 months of beginning the program.

Who Should Become a CEPM

The training program is designed for personnel within the EMS industry who desire to expand and improve their program management skills. It is appropriate for experienced managers, new managers, and managers in training. There are no formal educational requirements for admission; however, an understanding and appreciation of the EMS industry and basic management concepts will be beneficial. The program is taught in four parts:

• Introduction to the EMS Industry and
  Program Management
• EMS Training I (Self-study/Internet based)
• EMS Training II
• EMS Leadership Training

Introduction to the EMS Industry and Program Management

Students spend a valuable two days developing and reviewing knowledge of EMS program management and the EMS industry. By participating in interactive lectures, group discussions and exercises with others in the industry, they will understand the basics of program and operation management. After completing the segment, participants will have a fundamental knowledge of the industry and what will be expected of them in the field. They are also introduced to the program as a whole and the requirements for certification. This segment is taught in varying U.S. llocations throughout the year.

This introduction class is a prerequisite for the next three segments.
A. The EMS Program Management Overview

1. The Role of the EMS Program Manager
2. Industry Variance in Scope and Focus of Program Managers
3. Essential Program Management Skills

B. 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

C. Account Cultivation & Expectation Setting

1. Setting/Managing Customer & EMS Employer Expectations
2. Tools & Techniques for Managing the Account
3. Why Program Fails
4. Designing Effective Program Status Reviews
5. Measuring Customer Satisfaction
6. Manufacturing Agreement
7. Focus Areas in Developing an Account Business Plan

D. Manufacturing Process Overview

1. Risk and Issues
2. Variation
3. Factory physics, lean manufacturing, push/pull
4. Test & Quality

E. EMS Best Practices

F. Case Study

G. Continuous Improvement

1. Benchmarking
2. Plan, Do, Check, Act
3. SPC Metrics

H. Instructions and Demonstrations of Online Training

1. SkillSoft Demonstration
2. SkillSoft Registration Procedure

EMS Training I

EMS Training I is a self-paced learning segment which allows students to participate at a convenient time. In this portion, students will be introduced to basic business concepts through a series of online courses. Topics covered in this portion revolve around subject matter such as contracts, finance, budgets and inventory management. Upon completing the segment, students will have a basic understanding of fundamental business concepts required in order to apply them to specific EMS industry situations during EMS Industries Training II.
Students should plan on 2 to 3 hours to complete each individual class and 3 to 4 months to complete the entire segment. They also have the option of fast-tracking each of the segment courses by taking a self-assessment that will demonstrate their knowledge of the topics.
A. Skill Soft Guided Tour
B. Leading the Successful Project Team
C. Essential Project Management Tools
D. Dynamic Decision Making
E. Project Cost and Quality Management
F. Project Risk and Procurement Management
G. Financial Statements and Analysis
H. Building an Operating Budget
I. Building Relationships for Continuing Success
J. Supply Chain Management
K. Contracts in Commercial Transactions
L. E-Learning

EMS Training II

During EMS Training II, students will build on the basic business concepts covered in the previous segments by applying them to specific EMS situations. By focusing on the EMS industry, this portion prepares students for the real situations they will face everyday on the job. This two-day course is taught by leaders in the EMS industry in varying locations in the U.S. throughout the year.
A. Operations Management

1. Material Logistics in the EMS Industry
2. Electronics Manufacturing Cycle
3. Total Quality Management

B. Special Financial Issues in the EMS Industry

1. Revenue/Sales Forecasting
2. Cash Flow Management
3. Effect of Inventory Value on Financial Statements

C. Special Contract Issues in the EMS Industry

1. Excess and Obsolete Inventory Liability
2. Engineering Change Orders/Schedule Change Notices
3. Out of Scope Requests
4. Cancellation Clauses
5. Warranties and Product Liabilities
6. Returns

EMS Leadership Training

The EMS Leadership Training covers the communication skills necessary to be an effective EMS Program Manager. Often referred to as the most important qualities of a successful Program Manager, this segment covers leadership skills. Students will learn the techniques they needed to influence and lead the many people and teams involved in any customer project. This two-day course was co-developed by Penn State University and IPC and is taught by Penn State University Management Development faculty. Students will receive a certificate of completion issued from Penn State University.
A. Meeting the Leadership Challenges of the Future
B. Developing Effective Communication Practices
C. Effectively Resolving Conflicts
D. Dealing with Difficult People

Certification Test and Requirements for CEPM Certification

Candidates will be tested (closed book exam) to demonstrate a sufficient level of understanding and knowledge about program management in the EMS Industry. A score of 73% or better is required to pass the exam. Candidates may only bring a calculator into the exam.

Please note that the exam will be taken at the conclusion of the EMS Leadership Training There is also the option of taking the exam without enrolling in EMS Training II or the EMS Leadership Training. Students who successfully complete the exam will be provisionally certified until the requirements for work experience are verified.

Full certification as a Certified EMS Program Manager 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 as a Program Manager 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 as a Program Manager 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 as a Program Manager 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 verity in order to receive full certification as an IPC EMS Program Manager.

CEPM Re-Certification

The CEPM credential expires after four years. To be recertified, EMS Program Managers 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 Manager certification test.

Cancellation and Substitutions
Effective, January 1, 2008

All registrants must cancel at least one business day prior to the start of the segment for which they have registered in order to receive a full refund. Registrants failing to cancel will forfeit their registration fee. Registrations may be transferred to another individual at any time without penalty. All registrants must complete all four segments within a 12 month time frame or they will be charged an additional $500 per segment they need to complete.

Questions?

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