General Questions
What does "CAPS" stand for in CAPS Research?
"CAPS" in our name refers to "Center for Advanced Procurement and Supply." However,
we prefer to use "CAPS Research" consistently in our press releases and official
business. Please use the two-word moniker: it’s a lot easier to write!
I would like to be included on all of your mailing lists.
CAPS Research has added RSS feeds to our web site. Please visit the
CAPS RSS page for further information about this service.
Have you done research on “(xxxxx)”?
The quickest way to answer that is to go to the search engine on our site. If no
hits are returned, substitute related topics, or narrow or broaden your search topic.
Where are you located?
Our physical (not the mailing) address is 2055 E. Centennial Circle, Tempe, Arizona
85284 USA. We are in the Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) building at
that location. We are not on the campus of Arizona State University, though we are
equally affiliated with the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University
and with ISM. If you need directions, contact us at 480-752-2277.
Will you research/benchmark/investigate something for me or my company?
As a nonprofit we do not do proprietary research for any organization or individual.
But we do sponsored research projects, when results can be made publicly available.
Our priorities are the research topics that our corporate sponsors have requested
and our Board of Trustees recommends. The search engine on our site should answer
whether we have done something in your area of interest.
I’m a researcher/consultant/graduate student: will CAPS Research fund my project?
We fund the work of established professors and subject-matter experts in purchasing
and supply chain studies worldwide. We do not fund graduate students’ projects.
ISM, however, gives some doctoral grants yearly to Ph.D./DBA candidates only, who
must be at the dissertation stage of their program. Visit ISM’s site at www.ism.ws for information.
Is CAPS Research’s mailing/contact list available?
No, we do not make it available.
What is the cost of gaining access to CAPS Research reports?
There is no cost. As a non-profit organization, we make our research freely available
to everyone. However, donations will be gladly accepted. (You or your organization
will be listed in the sponsors section of our web site!) If you are not already
registered, you must complete the on-line registration form.
I am a member of the Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM). I would like to
gain access to some of the focus study reports. Do I need to register on the CAPS
Research web site?
Yes. Access to CAPS Research publications is managed separately on the CAPS Research
web site.
Benchmarking Questions
How do I obtain a copy of the data my company submitted for the benchmarking study?
CAPS Research does not regularly provide company-specific information to anyone
other than the person who submitted the data, or to the Chief Purchasing Officer
(or equivalent). For more specific direction on how to obtain information on previously
submitted data send an email to
metrics@capsresearch.org.
Do you have benchmarking information for areas other than purchasing?
Our benchmarking activities focus primarily on measures that impact purchasing,
procurement and/or supply management functions. Some industry groups do ask for
benchmarks that may be specific to their industry.
Can you provide me with the contact information for the companies that participated
in the benchmarking studies?
CAPS Research does not release specific contact information for any benchmarking
report. There are occasions when participants may agree to discuss benchmarking
topics in more detail. Call the benchmarking staff to get specific information,
or send an email to
metrics@capsresearch.org.
Who was Best in Class? Who are the World Class organizations? How can I compare my
company with theirs?
CAPS Research does not calculate "Best in Class" results, nor do we designate which
companies are "World Class." The best way to compare your operations to those of
your peer companies is to participate in a benchmarking survey. For more information
on benchmarking activities and timelines, and how best to participate, email us
at
metrics@capsresearch.org.
Will CAPS Research perform a benchmarking study for my company?
CAPS Research does conduct sponsored, or special projects benchmarking activities.
For more information on these activities, email us at
metrics@capsresearch.org.
Can you help me understand which companies submitted some data?
Participating companies are usually listed on all benchmarking reports. Otherwise,
we do not publish any further information about the participating companies.
I would like to know what I should do to be part of next benchmarking study for my
industry.
For further information about participating in a benchmarking study, send an email
to
metrics@capsresearch.org.
How are the cross-industry benchmarks calculated? I also want to know definitions
of each benchmark.
The list of cross-industry benchmarks and the definition for each is found on the
Cross Industry page.
How can I get older benchmarking reports? Only current ones seem to be available
on the web site.
When an updated benchmarking report is published, the older report is removed to
minimize any confusion about the data presented. In most of the CAPS Research industry-specific
reports, metric data from the previous report are included in the new report, under
a column titled "Previous Report Mean." For cross-industry reports, there is now
available a summary report that provides a comparative look at the benchmarks over
a three-year period. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please send an email
to
metrics@capsresearch.org.
Login Questions
How do I obtain a login profile for your web site?
Click on the Login link to open the login page. Then click on the Register
button and provide the information requested. In the last dialog, you will be asked
to provide your email address and a password. Note: If you ever need to change your
email address, you will need to create a new profile.
For further login help, please go to the Login Help
FAQs page.
Attending Events
I am interested in getting more information on your upcoming Roundtable and Benchmarking
events.
Please see our Events page for a listing
of upcoming Roundtables, Critical Issue Partnership programs, or other research
events. In many cases, we list upcoming program information as well as highlights
from past programs. If you have specific questions about any event, please contact
us at
ResearchEvents@capsresearch.org.
Our benchmarking events are related to survey development functions and best practices
sharing. Invitations to participate are extended to our corporate sponsors and to
the companies who financially support the benchmarking activities. If you are interested
in learning more about the benchmarking programs in general, becoming a corporate
sponsor, or financially supporting our benchmarking activities, please send an email
to
metrics@capsresearch.org.
I want to attend one of your upcoming events but cannot find an online registration.
For many of our events, attendance is limited to individuals from CAPS Research-sponsoring
firms. We try to send invitations to all appropriate contacts within each firm,
providing a link to the registration page. If you are from a CAPS Research-sponsoring
firm and would like registration information on an upcoming event, please send an
e-mail to
ResearchEvents@capsresearch.org.
Certain CAPS Research events are also open to invited supply management executives.
Please contact us for more information.
Citing and Using CAPS Research Publications
I want to post one of your studies on our web site.
CAPS Research does not authorize its research publications to be posted on other
web sites. Please see the Copyright Notice page for
details. A direct link to publications on the CAPS Research web site is allowed,
but visitors are required to login with a user login to access reports.
I am designing a course on Supply Management/Sourcing/Purchasing, which I will be
teaching at my university/college. I would like permission to use CAPS Research
studies/benchmarking/articles in my class and to refer students to your website.
Reprint/copy permissions are handled individually for each paper requested. When
there is an paper you wish to reprint/copy, please submit your request via the Request to Cite Research form.
Education, Training Courses and Seminars
I need to attend training courses on strategic sourcing. What is your training schedule?
Training is not included in the CAPS Research mission. CAPS Research is affiliated
with the Institute for Supply Management and you will find supply management training
information at the ISM web site: http://www.ism.ws/.
Could you please tell me which universities offer executive programs on supply management?
CAPS Research is affiliated with the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State
University and you will find information on Supply Chain Management Executive Education
at: http://wpcarey.asu.edu/scm/scmexeceducation.cfm.
CAPS Research is also affiliated with the Institute for Supply Management and at
the ISM web site you will find a list comprised of institutions offering supply
management related degree programs, certificate programs, C.P.M. Exam preparation
courses, and distance learning opportunities at:
http://www.ism.ws/membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4742.
Please send me suggestions for online purchasing training courses.
CAPS Research is affiliated with the Institute for Supply Management and online
training courses for purchasing and supply management can be found at the ISM web
site: http://www.ism-knowledgecenter.ws/?navItemNumber=5591.
Job Postings
Do you ever allow any type of job posting on your site?
CAPS Research does not post job openings or resumes on its web site. The Institute
of Supply Management's web site has a
career center for posting both job openings and resumes.
Joining CAPS
I would be interested in getting more information about CAPS Research and the opportunity
to join.
Our research products and events are aimed at executives with strategic responsibilities
for the supply/sourcing/procurement effort. In our global Roundtables and Best Practices
Workshops, they engage in best-practices sharing; in our benchmarking, focus studies,
and Practix reports, they see how they can measure their efforts; in the Knowledge
Management System, they utilize the knowledge database and the tools to assess their
own best practices and strategies. Contact
us if you would like your organization to receive these benefits.
What is the cost to become a corporate sponsor of CAPS Research, and what will I
receive for it?
We confidently maintain that CAPS Research will contribute competitive advantage
to those companies that use the research we produce. Therefore, CAPS Research
asks its corporate sponsors to provide a minimum $13,500 USD in annual support toward
the ongoing research program. The benefits for you and your organization are significant.
Please see our Costs and Benefits: The
Value Proposition web page for more information or
contact us if you would like your organization to receive these benefits.
Speaker Requests
Will someone from CAPS Research speak at our conference?
To request a CAPS Research speaker for your conference send an email to
research@capsresearch.org
and include: host organization and conference name, date and location of conference,
speaker topic and time requested for the presentation.