When I am approached about ASA’s many member benefits, one of the questions I am often asked the most is, “What is ASA’s strongest member offering?”

I know that question is impossible to answer fairly as user priorities vary, the offerings are many and the quality of programming is universally high. 

I can honestly say, without question, the training and educational programs offered through ASA University are consistently ranked very high in popularity among members.  They have become the industry standard when it comes to training.

The College of Sales / Sales Management, College of Purchasing / Inventory Management, College of Warehouse Management, College of Leadership / Executive Management and the College of Business Management round out ASA University’s five colleges, which comprise its core offering and are the single best resource in our industry for high-quality education focused on delivering results. 

Over the past five years, more than 6,000 employees have been trained and more than 20,000 courses have been taken through ASA University online. Within that timeframe a total of 17,000 training hours have been completed. Last year alone there were 12,988 courses taken through ASA University online.  

One of the newest additions being offered is the ASA University Advisory Service. Introduced over the last two years, the program allows ASA University staff to assist members more closely with training initiatives. The Advisory Service is offered on three different levels based on the amount of involvement and intensity of the training package. Best of all, the first level of
service is available at no cost and is part of the ASA membership. The Advisory Service can help establish a company-wide training program, create a “change management” plan, assist with training rollout and implementation, and much more. Visit www.asa.net/Education/ASAU-Advisory-Service for full program details.

Another new program recently rolled out to the industry is the Master of Distribution Management certification program. The MDM is a comprehensive, multi-format program focused on developing the industry’s top talent. The program has five phases and works similarly to many university master’s degree programs.

The Master’s curriculum is a mix of core and elective courses presented in varied formats. After all core and elective hours are completed, MDM students must complete a final assessment to qualify for a capstone project and earn their Master’s honor. The final assessment and capstone project is a culmination of all the learning, training and mentoring received during the MDM program. It is really exciting!

These are only a few snapshots of the large variety of programs currently being made available to the industry. Watch for a new comprehensive ASA Education Foundation catalog to come later in 2015. 

In today’s competitive environment, if you are not utilizing these valuable programs and services you should strongly be considering it. Please contact Amy Black and the ASA University team today at 630/ 467-0000 to learn more. It could very well be the best investment of time and money you can currently make in your business. 

Rick Fanthamis the President and CEO of Hajoca Corp.