CMA Partners Give Nod to GS1 Foundation Online Certificate Courses

MINNEAPOLIS and LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — The Category Management Association (CMA) has awarded accreditation to GS1 Foundations Online Certification Courses based on GS1 Standards.

The GS1 courses complement CMA-level certifications for category management professionals seeking the association's Certified Professional Category Analysts (CPCA), the Certified Professional Category Manager (CPCM) and the Certified Professional Strategic Advisors (CPSA).

GS1 Foundations courses accredited by CMA include: Global Trade Identification Number; Barcoding Products; Package Measurement Rules; and GTIN Management Standard.

"The CMA has recognized that knowledge of GS1 Standards is valuable to their members' career development," said Bob Carpenter, president and CEO, GS1 U.S.. "GS1 US and CMA goals are complementary, as both organizations are focused on driving success for retail organizations that are reinventing their businesses to meet the needs of consumers online and in-store."

CMA recently updated its accreditation and certification processes as part of an initiative called CatMan 2.0, which focuses on facilitating a collaboration between retailers and manufacturers to optimize the profitability of product categories and help members evolve digitally.

According to the association, it recognizes that GS1 Standards, including GTINs — the numbering sequence that uniquely identifies products and is embedded in the U.P.C. barcodes — support the professional knowledge needed to take each certification exam. GS1 Standards enable the data integrity, product attribution and analytics needed for category managers to meet consumer expectations for digital and physical shopping experiences.

"In keeping with our CatMan 2.0 vision, the GS1 Foundations courses help our members leverage data effectively and improve their collaboration with trading partners," said Blaine Ross, president, CMA. "Knowledge of GS1 Standards can help certification candidates play an important role in how their organizations innovate for the future." 

Lawrenceville-based GS1 U.S. is an information standards organization that brings industry communities together to solve supply chain problems through the adoption and implementation of GS1 Standards.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, the Category Management Association is the only organization certifying companies and category management professionals according to recognized industry standards. The association encompasses a broad range of strategic insights and planning functions, including: category management, consumer insights, in-store execution, merchandising, space management, shopper insights & shopper marketing, trade promotion and pricing.