New FAA rules will change how last mile delivery gets done in the U.S.

Last week, New Zealand made the first commercial pizza delivery by drone,  and this week Mark Zuckerberg made a gift of a drone to the Pope.   I can only imagine these drone headlines have made Amazon pretty mad since they have been working on delivery drones for a while, and the reason for the delay rests squarely upon the shoulders of the FAA.  Although I recognize that there are some privacy issues with drones zipping around in my airspace, one needs to accept that the world is a changing and looking the other way is not going to change it. 

At 12:01 am EDT on August 29, 2016, the FAA got around to releasing the new rules governing drones.  The new small UAS Rule (Part 107) including all pilot and operating rules went into effect.  Although the rules are simpler (and clearer in my opinion), there are still going to be some people that are unhappy.  One major shift has been that the FAA has moved away from requiring a full pilots license to operate a drone.  This change opens up the field for drone operations.  Some might not be happy about this, but the US Airforce is anticipating a pilot shortage, so I was not sure where the FAA was thinking all these pilots were going to appear.  I do agree that drone pilots need to have some training and be able to handle their equipment.  I feel that requiring a drone to be in line of sight is prudent, but Tesla owners can remotely order their car’s to meet them without being in line of sight, so I am not sure how that is ok, but a drone is not.  I am sure that this aspect will have some more discussion shortly.

However, what is important to understand is that the FAA has allowed for expanded drone (UAV) usage in the U.S., and there is not putting the genie back in the bottle.  We can expect to see more startups that leverage drone technology for many different uses.  One can expect to see more drones buzzing around making deliveries to neighborhoods in the near future.

APICS and American Military University/American Public University Award PLS Designation to Promising APICS Members

Guest Posting by Ax Torres, APICS member, and former APICS Chapter President

On June 17^th, 2016, select APICS members graduating from American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU) were awarded a Professional Designation in Logistics and Supply Chain (PLS) at the 16th annual American Public University System Commencement at the Gaylord National Convention Center. Through their hard work and perseverance, these members were not only able to graduate but also meet the necessary criteria to be professionally certified. This is a huge accomplishment in which more and more students and graduates are finding value. This perceived value is driven by a simple truth: the job market is currently experiencing an increase in college-educated professionals looking for work. As a result, some students and graduates are looking for a way to set themselves apart from their competition in the job market through professional certifications instead of starting a new degree program. Fortunately or unfortunately, there are so many certification options from which to choose that it can be hard to pick the right one; that’s where APICS comes in.

APICS is a well-known and highly- valued organization whose certifications and members are held in high standing in the logistics and transportation industry. AMU’s and APU’s  strategic partnership with APICS, in the form of a virtual APICS chapter (the only one in APICS at the moment), helps to drive that global value in an accessible way to its members. Members of the APICS Chapter at AMU/APU have access to the APICS member network as well as fellow students and alumni of the university that are available to answer questions ranging from professional and career advice to  certifications and  their associated industry ROI . In this informal setting, members are able to make smart decisions about which certificate may be right for them thanks to the guidance of the global organization and fellow members. The APICS Chapter at AMU/APU understands that often times it is the informal advice and mentorship of others that makes all the difference in important career decisions.

APICS certifications such as the PLS not only have the potential to help recognized employees get hired over non-certified candidates, but  to also potentially increase the base pay of those same employees. For these reasons and more, certifications are very valuable to students and alumni everywhere. The added benefit that students and alumni have at AMU/APU is a unique access to fellow students and alumni in the same career field through the virtual APICS Chapter hosted  by the university. Speaking from a personal standpoint, the chapter and the global APICS organization have certainly fostered my personal excellence and I look forward to learning from and working with our student and alumni members in the future in a mutually- beneficial way.

Ax Torres, PLS

APICS Chapter member and former President

For more information about the APUS and APICS educational partnership see the following link. StudyatAPU.com/APICS