Welcome to the first issue of your new member benefit, designed to keep you in the know about your association. Just as you have come to rely on AP Matters for news about your profession, Membership Matters brings you the latest about the IAPP. Here, on alternate months, you’ll read about what’s new at IAPP headquarters, learn of innovative approaches at chapters across the continent, and meet members making a difference.

One thing we’re especially excited about here at headquarters is our new venture into the world of accounts receivable. Many of you have shared with us that there has long been an unfilled need for AR training, tools, certification, and networking similar to those AP resources from which you have been benefiting for nearly two decades.

That’s why in the coming months you’ll be seeing a new International Accounts Receivable Professionals taking shape, with its own Web site, bimonthly e-magazine, resource center and more. As an IAPP member, you will automatically have access to all the AR benefits and resources as well. We hope you will share with your colleagues on the AR side of the corridor how much you have gained from IAPP, and encourage them to join.

New selections are being added to the training menu, including a “summer school” symposium for university and public sector AP professionals, offered at Northeastern University in Boston in August; and two regional conferences on shared services and disbursements reporting, offered jointly with Deloitte in Philadelphia in September and in Chicago in October. For details, visit www.TheIAPP.org/regional.

While you’re on the Web site, be sure to check out the blog. Click on the AP Blog tab in the center section of the home page. Comment on what’s there, or suggest a topic you’d like to hear about. Be sure to explore the egroups and calendar links in the top right-hand corner of the home page.

Want to see at a glance what educational opportunities fit your schedule, or whether you can combine a business trip with a chapter visit? You’ll be able to view headquarters events as well as chapter events all in one place on our interactive calendar, and even link directly to event registration from there. Have you visited the online Career Center lately? Not in the market for a new position right now?  Find advice on making the most of the job you already have from our partner, professional development leader Robert Half International. If you are looking for new opportunities, our easy-to-search job listings can help. You’ll also find information on better resumes, presenting your best in an interview and more. Employers can post openings and find advice on hiring – and keeping – the best.

Has your chapter’s Web home on the IAPP Web site been upgraded yet? For the past few months, IAPP chapter relations staff have been working diligently to create an individualized presence for each chapter, with a customized banner representing the chapter’s location, as well as pages for each chapter to post information and photos. Visit www.TheIAPP.org/EasternPA for a look at the possibilities. Over the next few weeks, IAPP staff will be contacting chapter leaders to arrange training on updating their own sites. Watch for more news in future installments of Chapter Chatter, including highlights of activities at individual chapters. Be sure to tell us about your chapter’s special events by sending an e-mail to chapter@iappnet.org, and maybe we’ll feature your chapter in a future issue of Membership Matters.

It is with great regret and sadness that we share the news with the IAPP family that Diana Ross, manager of AP at University of California, Irvine, was tragically killed in a car accident on May 29, 2009. Diana joined the IAPP in December 1994 and stayed a loyal and devoted member.

Through her involvement with IAPP, she graciously shared her knowledge, expertise and guidance with her peers and colleagues throughout the accounts payable community. Diana was also an amazing volunteer with the association and you could often find her facilitating workshops at almost all of the 11 annual forums she attended; serving on the former President’s Advisory Committee; and networking/leading her IAPP Greater San Diego/Orange County Local Chapter, where she served as chapter president for several consecutive terms. Diana was a proud holder of the Certified Accounts Payable Professional designation and a true advocate for the profession.

Diana will be truly missed by all of her friends and colleagues. She is survived by her children Stephanie, Christina, Jennifer and Michelle.

Latest CAPPs, CAPAs join elite group. At a time when AP professionals have more responsibility than ever and current economic conditions are challenging for everyone, certification provides the competitive edge to set you apart from the crowd. The Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP) and Certified Accounts Payable Associate (CAPA) designations stand as marks of excellence and are designed to both elevate professional standards and enhance individual performance. 

The newest members of this elite group achieved CAPP or CAPA status during the spring 2009 examination window by demonstrating their superior knowledge of core AP topics as well as their commitment to uphold the standards of the profession. 

Achieving CAPP or CAPA status would signify that an individual has proved he or she possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in today’s intricate AP environment. Employers are looking for dedicated employees who are confident and knowledgeable about current AP practices. As more and more employers are facing tough staffing decisions, they are looking to certification as a differentiating factor in their hiring choices.

The fall exam window for both CAPP and CAPA certification is fast approaching, so don’t miss your opportunity to prove that you are serious about delivering value in the workplace. Register by September 4, 2009, and enjoy convenient computer-based testing from hundreds of locations near you on the date of your choice from September 14 through October 13, 2009. To learn more about our bundle discount program, or to register online, visit www.TheIAPP.org/certification.

The answers you’ve been looking for are here!

If you haven’t visited IAPP’s improved online AP Resource Center lately, you don’t know what you’re missing: more than 600 tools at your fingertips, making it the most robust source for up-to-date information available to AP professionals like you.

Take, for example, benchmarking. In this section you’ll find the results of the IAPP 2008 Benchmarking Survey, which will tell you where your peers stand with regard to AP department structure and compensation, invoice volume, payment costs, supplier discounts, use of technology and more. If yours is a large AP shop, you’ll find information about the Compass Benchmark from APEX Analytix, along with a sample report exclusively for IAPP members. In addition, the benchmarking section of the Resource Center offers an archive of earlier benchmarking reports, as well as tools to conduct your own benchmarking. These include surveys to rate your customers’ satisfaction with your AP department, to gather input on implementing a shared services model in your organization, and to enable employees to assess the effectiveness of internal controls in your organization.

As an IAPP member, you have exclusive access to this comprehensive collection that includes these documents, plus forms and templates, white papers, briefings, links to service providers and other resources, and much more to help you improve and enhance the productivity and processes within your AP department.

Dozens of new tools have been recently added, and brand new tools are continuously being uploaded to ensure you are equipped with the latest and greatest industry intelligence. 

These tools are hosted on the IAPP Web site, making it convenient to access whatever you need, whenever you need it, wherever you are. The information contained in this center symbolizes the collective expertise and experience that resides throughout the IAPP membership community. 

Why reinvent the wheel, when as an IAPP member you can capitalize on work that has already been done by your peers and by our partners? Perhaps you have a better tool. Send it to resourcecenter@iappnet.org with a submission form and be entered into a drawing to win the premier IAPP Charter Library Collection which consists of all works published by IAPP and is valued at nearly $1,000!

Through the Resource Center, IAPP truly is “The Trusted Source for Everything AP.”  Log in to www.TheIAPP.org/resource to start accessing these tools, and remember to check back often, as new tools are being added every day!

Rudy Noll, CAPP
President, Florida Sun Coast Chapter
Accounts Payable Supervisor, Peoples Gas System,
Subsidiary of TECO Energy

How long have you been a member of IAPP? Four years

Why did you join initially? To gain additional professional knowledge and obtain CAPP certification.

Is that still your primary reason for membership, or, if not, what has changed? I still want to keep on top of my profession, but now I have the additional goal of being a contributing, value-added member of IAPP. It’s not just about me anymore.

Similarly, how has IAPP changed since you joined? It is becoming more dynamic, and is now focused on what additional value it can give its members. Tom Bohn has especially re-energized IAPP, and helps me to be more vested in IAPP’s success.

How do you think the role of the IAPP should change in the future? I still feel that the two primary objectives should be to provide AP-related education opportunities for its members and to facilitate the interchange of ideas and information. However, IAPP should increase its focus on chapter needs (since that is where “the rubber meets the road”). IAPP should always have the mission of advocating for the AP profession; it helps make us all better and more “accepted” by company stakeholders.

What do you see as the most valuable member benefit to you? A valuable source of information pertinent to my profession. This enables me to be more of a strategic partner in my company, and to become the best AP professional I can be.

What are some of the highlights of your involvement with IAPP, and what motivates you to stay involved? Chapter activities (I am chapter president), the educational opportunities, and networking with fellow AP professionals who are better at certain parts of AP than I am. In short, what motivates me is that IAPP is a major tool that enables me to stay at the top of my profession and avoid mediocrity.

What would you tell someone who is considering whether membership is worth the investment (or worth the continuing investment)? Membership in IAPP provides AP professionals more “bang for the buck” (i.e., ROI) than any other organization with which I have been affiliated. I know of no better medium for obtaining up-to-date AP information and associating yourself with individuals who represent the best in the AP profession.

What would you tell someone who is considering accounts payable as a career? It would depend on their goals and objectives. However, if an individual possesses the right attitude and desire for a career that begins (or ends) in the AP field, then I would tell them that few other positions offer the opportunity to learn so many facets of their company, directly affect the profitability of their company, and become very visible and respected because of their impact in so many areas. The AP profession offers a unique opportunity to be a value-added, strategic partner with all areas within a company, and this happens from the very beginning and continues throughout an AP career. The AP profession also prepares an individual for progression into many parts of the company if they so desire.

What was your most memorable experience with the IAPP? Making presentations at the 2007 and 2008 IAPP Forums. This required intensive preparation and rehearsal before standing in front of my peers with the objective of providing them with good, useable information in an interesting and entertaining manner. Not only did I gain from the workshop attendees, but I also forged a stronger and more strategic relationship with IAPP. My presentation at IAPP Forums spun off into presentations for other organizational conferences across the country. I not only refined my presentation skills, but I formed alliances with several organizations that relate to the AP profession. This was memorable because it catapulted me to a new level of knowledge and involvement in my profession. In turn, this enables me add more value to my profession. As I stated previously, it helped me realize that it is no longer just about me.

Anything else you would like to add? I think my involvement with IAPP (as with community and civic organizations) is best summed up by a quote from Polish-American author Leo Rosten:
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is just to be happy.
I believe that it is to be responsible,
To be compassionate,
To matter, to count,
To stand for something.
It is, above all,
To have made some difference
That you even lived at all.”

To nominate someone for Member Minute, send an e-mail to news@iappnet.org