Companies are always interested in keeping costs down, minimizing risk and streamlining efficiency. That’s why supply chain management is such a popular field, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a 26-percent increase in logistics jobs by 2020. So, what do you do if you work in supply chains, but get transferred to another function or simply need a refresher on what’s new? The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University offers a program for that.

“This new online certificate program will help participants think more about the company as a whole – about how to manage complex supply chain problems,” says Professor John Fowler, chair of the Supply Chain Management Department at the W. P. Carey School of Business. “The program takes six months or less and is designed to fit into busy working professionals’ schedules.”

The W. P. Carey School of Business is launching the new online supply chain management certificate – an upgrade of an earlier program – this spring, with an April start. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks the W. P. Carey School Top 3 in the nation for online graduate business programs. The new certificate program is being taught by instructors from the school’s renowned supply chain management department, consistently ranked Top 10 in its field.

“Whether you work in logistics, operations management or supply management, this program can help get you up to speed on the latest developments in your field,” says Dawn Feldman, executive director of executive education at the W. P. Carey School of Business. “You can choose electives in anything from operations planning to supplier management and even reverse logistics and sustainability.”

The new non-credit, professional certificate program is designed to help supply chain workers expand their roles and skills, learning about a variety of industries. It includes case studies and simulations of real-world challenges. Courses can be taken one at a time, and assignments can be turned in at any time throughout the week.

For those exploring the intersection of supply chain management with the emerging field of “big data,” there is another option, too. The W. P. Carey School is also launching a new business-analytics certificate program that includes electives in supply chain management. It covers analytical decision modeling.

For more information on either program, call (480) 965-7579 or visit www.wpcarey.asu.edu/executive-education.