what's in a name?

In what's starting to look like an every-other-decade event, the venerable Council of Logistics Management (CLM) is changing its name. Members were informed in late July that, effective Jan. 1, 2005, CLM will become the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). In sharing the news, CLM President Elijah Ray noted that, "Effective associations evolve to reflect the changing nature of their membership. And, no doubt about it, our profession has changed."

The decision to change the group's name, the subject of years of debate by CLM members, will reflect an expansion of the organization's scope and, CLM hopes, its membership. Says Ray: "We'll become more inclusive to others who play important roles in the supply chain, like purchasing and procurement people, as well as those involved in manufacturing and sales and marketing."

Ray says the majority of CLM members have seen big changes in their jobs in the past decade. "We interact with more people within and outside our organizations. Our roles have evolved, which is why CLM is changing to reflect what's happening in the supply chain." But that doesn't mean the council will be moving away from its roots: CLM leaders say logistics will remain a major focus of the group.

This is the organization's second name change in the past 20 years. In 1985, the association adopted CLM as its moniker, replacing its original name, the National Council of Physical Distribution Management.

The new CSCMP logo will be unveiled at the group's annual conference in Philadelphia in October.