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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Which companies have been certified using eSCM-SP?
Q. How does the certification process work?
Q. What does certification cost?
Q. How does an organization become authorized by ITSqc to conduct Capability Determinations? Or to become authorized to deliver official eSCM training courses?
Q. What training programs are offered by ITSqc, where are they held and what is the cost?
Q. How long will an evaluation of each organization take to complete?
Q. Can eSCM-SP certification be achieved at the project or engagement level?
Q. Once my organization has been certified, will we ever need to be re-evaluated?
Q. How can my organization become an eSCM Authorized Organization?
Q. How can I become an eSCM Lead Evaluator? Or an Authorized Evaluator?
Q. What is the Code of Professional Practice?
Q. I want to be an eSCM-SP consultant. How do I go about this?
Q. What is the difference between a capability model and a maturity model?
Q. If a company knows they are at Level 2, do they have to be evaluated using all of the Practices in eSCM-SP?
Q. Which Practices should we start with?
Q. If we've already implemented (ISO, ITIL, CMMI, Six Sigma) how much more do we have to do to become certified to the eSCM-SP?
Q. Are there any eSCM-CL certified organizations?
Q. Do you have a management overview short course?

Which companies have been certified using eSCM-SP? return to top
The list of currently Certified organizations is maintained on this web site.
» more
How does the certification process work? return to top
There are 6 types of Capability Determination methods: (1) Full Self-Appraisal, (2) Mini Self-Appraisal, (3) Full Evaluation, (4) Mini Evaluation, (5) Full Evaluation for Certification, and (6) Mini Evaluation for Certification. Certification is only available when an organization undergoes an Evaluation for Certification. A Full Evaluation for Certification examines all Practices in the eSCM Model and can result in a Capability Level being achieved. A Mini Evaluation for Certification is limited to a subset of Practices in the eSCM Model (e.g., the Practices demonstrating achievement of a Capability Level of the Model or the Practices comprising one or more Capability Areas). An evaluation process is in place for those organizations who wish to pursue formal certification of their capabilities. After an evaluation by Evaluators, trained and authorized by ITSqc, and a rigorous review of the data from an Evaluation for Certification, ITSqc will issue a Certificate of Capability to qualified organizations. Authorized Organizations submit the evaluation results to the ITSqc Certification Board, which determines if certification is warranted. If so, a certificate is issued by ITSqc.
» more
What does certification cost? return to top
There are two components of costs for becoming certified: the cost of evaluation and the cost of the certification. For evaluation costs, Authorized Organizations will each determine pricing for their services depending on the scope of the evaluation (number of sites, number of engagements, and number of practices being included in the capability determination). The cost for certification is currently set by ITSqc. A brief description of this process can be found in The eSourcing Capability Models. It is also covered in the training courses offered by ITSqc.
» more on the Certification process
» find an Authorized Evaluator
» more on the Certification options and costs
How does an organization become authorized by ITSqc to conduct Capability Determinations? Or to become authorized to deliver official eSCM training courses? return to top
ITSqc qualifies and authorizes organizations to provide eSCM-SP and eSCM-CL Capability Determinations. These organizations employ Lead Evaluators who have been trained and authorized by ITSqc. ITSqc qualifies and authorizes organizations to provide eSCM-SP and eSCM-CL training. These organizations employ Instructors who have been trained and authorized by ITSqc. ITSqc has published a list of Authorized Organizations elsewhere on this site.
» more about ITSqc's Authorized Organizations
» application information for becoming an Authorized Organization for
   Training

» application information for becoming an Authorized Organization for
   Capability Determinations
What training programs are offered by ITSqc, where are they held and what is the cost? return to top
The eSCM-CL Model Course and the eSCM-SP Model course are offered by ITSqc's Authorized Training Organizations globally.
» current Course Calendar
» more about ITSqc's Authorized Organizations for Training

ITSqc currently offers six courses:
  • eSCM for Service Providers
  • eSCM for Client Organizations
  • eSCM Capability Determination Methods
  • eSCM Lead Evaluator Training
  • eSCM Implementation
  • eSCM Model Instructor Course
Each course is 3 to 4 days in duration and is conducted in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. eSCM courses may be offered on-site, both in the US and abroad. For example, the eSCM for Service Providers course has been taught in several locations across India, South America, and Europe. eSCM Model courses are also taught in many locations by our Authorized Organizations. The fees for each course are listed on the individual course description pages or available from Authorized Training Organizations.
» more about eSCM courses offered
How long will an Evaluation of an organization take to complete? return to top
This depends on several factors relating to the scope of the Capability Determination. Is this a Full Evaluation examining all Practices in the eSCM Model, or is it planned as a Mini Evaluation examining a subset of the Model? Examples of planning factors include how much of the Model the Capability Determination will address, the size of the organization, as well as how many locations, services, and engagements are to be examined in the Evaluation. For a Full Evaluation at a single site, a Lead Evaluator typically needs at least one day for pre-planning and data collection, plus a 4-person team, including the Lead Evaluator, will need two weeks on-site, to perform the Evaluation. Note that the on-site period may vary depending on access to documents and interview opportunities, etc. Mini Evaluations where a single locale and just Level 2 Practices were addressed could be conducted with one day of on-site pre-planning and five days on-site with a 3-person team. A high-capability recertification (i.e., for an organization already certified at Capability Level 5 may require less time than earlier Evaluations for Certification in the same organization.
» more
Can eSCM-SP certification be achieved at the project or engagement level? return to top
A single project or engagement may be able to obtain eSCM-SP certification at Capability Level 2; however, as many of the Practices at Levels 3 and 4 are Practices that cut across multiple engagements and are of an organizational nature, it would require that the organization be certified at these higher levels. Now, that doesn't mean that all of the company need be certified, but that some defined organizational span - something clearly definable, such as the Procurement and Sourcing vertical in XYZ city - which has a common management and policies/procedures - could serve as the organizational unit certified. Each certification uniquely defines the locations and services provided by a Service Provider in the certification. You can see examples of this by looking at the certifications listed on the ITSqc website.
» more about certified organizations
Once my organization has been certified, will we ever need to be re-evaluated? return to top
Certificates are valid for a maximum of 2 years, except if certain changes occur in organizational circumstances, e.g., a merger, acquisition, or change in senior management. These changes should be self-reported, and may trigger a mini-evaluation. ITSqc may suspend a certificate and require a mini-evaluation for reinstatement. Full re-evaluation will be needed about once every 2 years so that certification can be renewed before a previous certificate expires. The Certification Agreement defines that surveillance audits may be performed, and ITSqc has conducted surveillance audits, when necessary.
How can my organization become an eSCM-SP Authorized Organization? return to top
ITSqc qualifies and authorizes organizations to provide eSCM-SP and eSCM-CL Capability Determinations. These organizations employ Lead Evaluators who have been trained and authorized by ITSqc. ITSqc qualifies and authorizes organizations to provide eSCM-SP and eSCM-CL training. These organizations employ Instructors who have been trained and authorized by ITSqc. ITSqc has published a list of Authorized Organizations elsewhere on this site.
» more about ITSqc's Authorized Organizations
» application information for becoming an Authorized Organization for
   Training

» application information for becoming an Authorized Organization for
   Capability Determinations
How can I become an eSCM Lead Evaluator? Or an Authorized Evaluator? return to top
An individual should be an employee of an ITSqc-Authorized Organization and should have successfully completed the training and experience prescribed by ITSqc. Authorized Lead Evaluators must have met minimum experience requirements, successfully applied to the ITSqc, successfully completed at least three training courses (eSCM Model, Capability Determination Methods, and Lead Evaluator training), and have successfully demonstrated their knowledge and skills, through knowledge tests and field observations, while performing capability determinations. Authorized Lead Evaluators, and the Authorized Organization they are employed by, must commit to behaving and performing in accordance with the ITSqc Code of Professional Practice, including the ITSqc Code of Ethics.
» more about becoming an Authorized Evaluator
What is the ITSqc Code of Professional Practice? return to top
The Code of Professional Practice describes the behaviors expected of authorized organizations, Lead Evaluators, and evaluation team members and lists the consequences if they should fail to comply with these expectations. It includes a Code of Ethics that all authorized organizations, Lead Evaluators, and evaluation team members are required to follow. The Code is made available in our training courses and is available on the Publications page of this website.
» more
I want to be an eSCM consultant. How do I go about this? return to top
In order to become qualified as an eSCM consultant, assisting service providers to implement the eSCM-SP or assisting client organizations in implementing the eSCM-CL, an individual successfully completes the personnel qualification program (consisting of the appropriate eSCM Model Course, Capability Determination Methods Course and eSCM Implementation Course) and ascribes to the Code of Professional Practice.
What is the difference between a capability model and a maturity model? return to top
Maturity models have well-defined plateaus of process maturity, therefore, organizations are expected to implement all lower level practices before beginning to implement higher-level practices. An organization cannot be expected to gain the full benefit of higher maturity practices without the foundation of the lower maturity practices. A capability model (such as the eSCM-SP or eSCM-CL) does not imply a strict ordering of the implementation of practices by levels.
If a company knows they are at Level 2, do they have to be evaluated using all of the Practices in eSCM Model? return to top
No. If they want to be certified, they have two options available to them. A Full Evaluation for Certification covers all the Practices in the eSCM Model. This is a requirement of the Full Evaluation for Certification Capability Determination Method. However, there are also two other important reasons for addressing all of the model Practices in an Evaluation. First, since the eSCM Models are capability models and not a maturity model, it is possible to implement practices in a higher Capability Level, and receive a consistent organizational benefit, before implementing all practices in a lower Capability Level. To understand the implementation and institutionalization of these practices, it is important to evaluate all the practices. Also, the results of the evaluation can be quite helpful in understanding organizational strengths and opportunities for improvement, which can support the organization as it moves forward on its improvement journey. For organizations that are willing to forgo these benefits, a Mini Evaluation for Certification Capability Determination Method may be used to examine just the Capability Level 2 Practices. The trade-off here is between the benefits of the outputs of the Full Evaluation and the lower cost of the Mini Evaluation.
Which Practices should we start with? return to top
This depends on the organization and what other related practices you already have in place, and which of the Critical Issues the organization is facing. A Self Appraisal or an Evaluation (performed by ITSqc Authorized Evaluators) can be used to understand the organization's current strengths and opportunities for improvement, relative to the eSCM-SP or eSCM-CL, and can help provide inputs to allow the organization to prioritize their improvement actions.
If we've already implemented (ISO, ITIL, CMMI, Six Sigma) how much more do we have to do to become certified to the eSCM-SP? return to top
The ITSqc has developed a set of reports showing the mappings between these other models and the eSCM-SP, so organizations can better understand how to leverage ongoing improvement activities. These mapping reports have been published on the model comparisons page of this website. Also a paper by Hickey and Siegel, published in the IBM Systems Journal (see the Related Publications page), provides insights into the significant overlap in preparation between implementing ISO 9000 and the eSCM-SP.
» more
Are there any eSCM-CL certified organizations? return to top
Our website lists Certified organizations (currently certified, expired certificates, and suspended certificates). Many client organizations have used the eSCM-CL to benchmark and improve their sourcing processes, but have not pursued Certification.
» more about Certified organizations
Do you have a management overview short-course? return to top
Yes, we have developed shorter eSCM overviews (one day, half day, and 1 hour) on the eSCM-SP and the eSCM-CL. Contact ITSqc for details on availability and pricing of these offerings. In addition, selected materials are available from ITSqc. An Overview presentation is on the Publications section of the website.
» more about Publications

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Find eSCM Certified Organizations

eSCM Certified Organizations have undergone a thorough Capability Determination conducted by teams of ITSqc Authorized Evaluators and led by Authorized Lead Evaluators.

» eSCM-SP Certified Organizations

» eSCM-CL Certified Organizations

eSCM Models are Published in the ITSqc Series

ITSqc, LLC   VanHaren Publishing   IAOP

The ITSqc Series, in association with IAOP, is published globally to document the eSourcing Capability Models and their impacts in IT services and IT-enabled services. The ITSqc Series is edited by Dr. Bill Hefley and published by Van Haren Publishing.

» eSCM-SP

» eSCM-CL

Authorized Trainers Globally

ITSqc authorizes external organizations to provide introductory eSCM training.

» Browse the list of upcoming eSCM courses

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Find an Authorized Evaluator

eSCM Capability Determinations are conducted by teams of ITSqc Authorized Evaluators and led by Authorized Lead Evaluators.

» List of Authorized Evaluators

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