|
About
CIPS
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and
Supply (CIPS) is an international education and qualification body representing
purchasing and supply chain professionals. It gained a Royal Charter in
September 1992, the year of its Diamond Jubilee. It is the largest organisation
of its kind in Europe and a central reference point worldwide on matters
relating to purchasing and supply chain management. Its Code of Ethics
is the model for the international code and the domestic codes of many
countries.
The Institute acts as a centre of excellence
for the whole profession of purchasing and supply chain management. In
particular, it works:
-
continuously to improve the professional standards
of practitioners
-
to raise awareness of their contribution to corporate,
national and international prosperity, and
-
to represent the interests of individuals within
the profession
The Institute's Mission Statement is
to:
-
promote and represent the profession of purchasing
and supply management, demonstrating the contribution it makes to national
and international prosperity
-
develop improved methods of purchasing and supply,
promoting their use in all organisations
-
promote and maintain high standards of skill, ability
and integrity within the profession
-
educate and develop the skills of individuals, ensuring
relevant testing to demonstrate competence at appropriate grades within
the profession
-
promote the value of membership of the Institute
The profession itself is increasingly recognised
for the enormous contribution it can make to public and private sector
organisations, in terms of value extracted for money spent, and CIPS is
pre-eminently well equipped to represent and serve the interests of all
those involved in this rapidly developing field. Besides the recognition
of professional status that membership bestows, involvement in the work
of CIPS allows its members to keep up to date with latest developments
through a comprehensive range of courses, conferences and publications.
Advice, both from the Institute's staff and through membership contact,
is widely available.
CIPS exists to promote and develop high standards
of professional skill, ability and integrity among all those engaged in
purchasing and supply chain management.
Royal
Charter
In 1992, CIPS was awarded a Royal Charter in recognition of its leading role in the purchasing and supply profession.
The Royal Charter defines the objectives of CIPS as:
- To promote and develop for the public benefit the art and science of purchasing and supply and to encourage the promotion and development of improved methods of purchasing and supply in all organisations;
- To promote and maintain for the benefit of the public high standards of professional skill, ability and integrity among all those engaged in purchasing and supply;
- To educate persons engaged in the practice of purchasing and supply and by means of examination and other methods of assessment to test the skill and knowledge of persons desiring to enter the Institute.
Code
of Ethics
Introduction
1. Members of the Institute undertake to work to exceed
the expectations of the following Code and will regard the Code as the basis of
best conduct in the Purchasing and Supply profession.
2. Members should seek the commitment of their employer
to the Code and seek to achieve widespread acceptance of it amongst their fellow
employees.
3. Members should raise any matter of concern of an
ethical nature with their immediate supervisor or another senior colleague if
appropriate, irrespective of whether it is explicitly addressed in the Code.
Principles
4. Members shall always seek to uphold and enhance the
standing of the Purchasing and Supply profession and will always act
professionally and selflessly by:
- maintaining the highest possible standard of
integrity in all their business relationships both inside and outside the
organisations where they work;
- rejecting any business practice which might
reasonably be deemed improper and never using their authority for personal
gain;
- enhancing the proficiency and stature of the
profession by acquiring and maintaining current technical knowledge and the
highest standards of ethical behaviour;
- fostering the highest possible standards of
professional competence amongst those for whom they are responsible;
- optimising the use of resources which they influence
and for which they are responsible to provide the maximum benefit to their
employing organisation;
- complying both with the letter and the spirit of:
i.the law of the country in which they practise;
ii.Institute guidance on professional practice;
iii.contractual obligations;
5. Members should never allow themselves to be
deflected from these principles.
Guidance
6. In applying these principles, members should follow
the guidance set out below:
- Declaration of interest - Any personal interest
which may affect or be seen by others to affect a member's impartiality in
any matter relevant to his or her duties should be declared.
- Confidentiality and accuracy of information - The
confidentiality of information received in the course of duty should be
respected and should never be used for personal gain. Information given in
the course of duty should be honest and clear.
- Competition - The nature and length of contracts and
business relationships with suppliers can vary according to circumstances.
These should always be constructed to ensure deliverables and benefits.
Arrangements, which might in the long term prevent the effective operation
of fair competition, should be avoided.
- Business gifts - Business gifts, other than items of
very small intrinsic value such as business diaries or calendars, should not
be accepted.
- Hospitality - The recipient should not allow him or
herself to be influenced or be perceived by others to have been influenced
in making a business decision as a consequence of accepting hospitality. The
frequency and scale of hospitality accepted should be managed openly and
with care and should not be greater than the member's employer is able to
reciprocate.
Decisions and Advice
7. When it is not easy to decide between what is and is
not acceptable, advice should be sought from the member's supervisor, another
senior colleague or the Institute as appropriate. Advice on any aspect of the
Code is available from the Institute.
This Code was approved by the
Council of CIPS on 16 October 1999.
Member
Benefits
All CIPS members enjoy a number of benefits which are provided under the following headings:
Support in your job
- products which will help you in the day-to-day activities at work, including:
Main Benefits
-
information and guidance service about generic purchasing and supply techniques and issues
-
discounts on a wide range of training courses, seminars and conferences, including the Annual Conference
-
regularly updated publications on best practice
-
a series of handbooks to guide you through the process of buying in specific areas, eg travel, insurance services
eZoka.com
- CIPS has teamed up with eZoka.com to provide substantial savings on goods
and services bought by SMEs via the internet. By aggregating individual business'
purchasing requirements and then negotiating bulk price agreements with major
suppliers, CIPS members are guaranteed a level of discount regardless of the
number of purchasers taking part in the transaction. To access eZoka.com please
click ----here----
Support in your career - career management advice and job opportunities
Main Benefits
-
internationally recognised status - MCIPS
-
a range of appropriate qualifications
-
Continuing Professional Development scheme to keep you up to date; recognised by employers as your commitment to lifelong learning
-
help to develop your career including CV preparation
and interview techniques
-
job opportunities
-
career management service
Augmented personal benefits
- a range of business and leisure services available at specially discounted rates for all CIPS members:
Best Western Hotels 10% discount on standard room rates. Call 08457 737373 quoting XX800 for
CIPS.
Britannia Rescue 10% discount on all levels of cover. Call free on 0800 591 563 quoting your CIPS
membership number.
BUPA up to 10% off the cost of BUPACare. Call free on 0800 600 500 quoting ref. 9417. Lines open
8am-10pm, every day.
Chiumento Consulting Group £45 for first meeting (free if unemployed).
Call 01865 882100 quoting your CIPS membership number or go to
www.chiumento.co.uk
MBNA Credit Card introductory 9.9% APR for six months, no annual fee. Call free on 0800 776 262
quoting ref BU01.
Royal Over-Seas League 50% discount on entrance fee, reduced annual subscription. Call
0171 408 0214 quoting your CIPS membership number.
Representing your interests - using the breadth of membership of the Institute to:
Awards
& Honours
The Institute’s Council has set up a Panel to
recommend members for CIPS awards and, if appropriate, for national honours. The Panel’s role
is to identify members who deserve special recognition for outstanding service to the
Institute and to the profession.
Panel Chairman Kim Godwin said: ‘Many members give an enormous amount of time and expertise to
supporting the Institute and promoting the profession. CIPS could not succeed without them
but we don’t always give them the recognition they deserve. Most of us can probably think of
someone whose contribution far exceeds what we could reasonably expect from an unpaid volunteer.
This new scheme, which brings together existing awards and adds some new ones to the portfolio,
gives us a way to thank them for their efforts. At the same time we can bring to public attention
the value these individuals bring to their organisations and the wider community.’
Awards within the Panel’s remit include the prestigious Meritorious Service Award and the
Swinbank Medal. In exceptional circumstances, the Panel may decide to recommend an
outstanding candidate for a national honour, such as an MBE. ‘We expect we will only rarely come
across someone who meets the criteria for a national honour’ said Mr Godwin. ‘Thousands of
nominations are sent in for the honours lists each year and we will need to have a very special
nominee to stand a chance of success. Nevertheless, we believe it is important we have a
mechanism for identifying and putting forward just such a person.’
The Panel is inviting members of all grades and nationalities to nominate another member (or, in
exceptional cases, a non-member) who they think merits recognition. Nominations will be assessed
and the Panel will decide whether to make an award and what that award should be. Mr Godwin
added ‘We will be looking for someone who stands out from the crowd and who has achieved
something above and beyond the usual level of service. Nominations should focus on those
special achievements.’
To make it easier to put a nomination together, the Panel has devised a short form for sponsors to
use. It comes with advice on the kind of information the Panel will be looking for and can
be obtained by contacting Margaret West-Burnham at Easton House. Closing date for
completed nominations for this year is 31 October.
Technical
Information
The Institute has at its disposal an impressive
range of expertise, experience and intellectual resources. To make these resources available in
the most cost-effective way, a range of services are available.
Our Professional Practice Team has access to a
wide range of sources, including:
-
reference books and directories
-
textbooks on purchasing and supply and
related areas
-
relevant weekly and monthly journals
-
current practice via practitioners on
technical committees
All the information is stored on an in-house
database to assist in handling enquiries relating to the activities of companies in the UK and other
member states of the EU. We maintain a close interest in research activities in purchasing and
supply both in the UK and elsewhere, and produce surveys of research programmes and publications.
Topic Reference Files
The Institute publishes a series of Reference Files,
providing up-to-date information on the major
supply chain management issues. Each File contains the following:
-
a definition and relevance to Supply Chain
management
-
aims and objectives
-
a summary of advantages/disadvantages
-
factors for success/reasons for failure
-
implementation of the concept
-
other associated topics
-
CIPS' position on the subject
-
legislation or legal aspects attributed to the
subject
-
future developments
-
a listing of articles, reports and books
relating to the subject.
Members can download Files from this website. Hard copies of the Files are available
from the CIPS
Bookshop priced £4.95 for CIPS members and £12.95 for non-members. Photocopies
of articles referred to in the listing for each File can be obtained by completing
and returning a signed Declaration Form to the CIPS Bookshop; price £3 for members
and £7 for non-members. Please note that we cannot accept e-mailed Declaration
Forms - they must be signed in order to comply with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
Terms and conditions of contract - model
clauses
The CIPS Legal Committee has produced a model
set of terms and conditions intended primarily for
use in Intellectual Property contracts. However they would also be suitable for contracts for the
supply of goods and/or services. Care should be taken in preparing a contract containing all or any
of these clauses that they are compatible with the remainder of the contract.
These clauses are the copyright of The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply which licenses its
members to use them in support of their employment.
The Institute seeks continuous improvement and
members are invited to comment upon these
model terms and conditions through the Members' Forum on this site.
Members may also download the whole document from the
Downloads area of this site. Hard copies are available from the CIPS Bookshop
priced £4.95 for CIPS members and £12.95 for non-members.
Abstracts
The
International Logistics Abstracts, published every two months by the National
Materials Handling Centre, contain abstracts and summaries of research papers, articles and reports dealing with a wide range of purchasing and supply management
topics providing readers with the salient points of each article so that they
may conveniently assess its relevance to their specific needs.
|
