The Builders Merchants Federation’s Diploma in Merchant Management has gone through several revisions and changes since its foundation in 2007. Some changes are small whilst others are quite sizeable, but all are designed to ensure it continues to reflect the current market and meets the needs the latest generation of students across the building materials community.
Merchant delegates are now offered a choice of a distinct delivery styles. The original format of nine face-to-face group workshops and assessments over 18 months remains popular, but events — such as Covid — led to the development of two further options that enable flexible study whilst maintaining the Diploma’s high-quality content.
Firstly, the hybrid (flexi) Diploma programme combines online and face-to-face delivery. While this can save time and money in terms travelling to workshops, both online and face-to-face delivery styles have distinct strengths that complement each other making this an attractive option.
Online delivery works well for the detailed and sometimes complex areas of knowledge within the programme, allowing delegates to fully focus and work at their own speed. Each group also has several face-to-face sessions enabling delegates to work together on scenarios replicating real management challenges.
Delegates on the hybrid (flexi) programme receive a video of the online presentation to refer to as they work through their written assessments. However, we are now working on ways for some assessments, all currently undertaken individually, to be done collaboratively with delegates working with colleagues to address areas of management good practice.
“The original format of nine face-to-face group workshops and assessments over 18 months remains popular, but events — such as Covid — led to the development of two further options that enable flexible study whilst maintaining the Diploma’s high-quality content.”
Another delivery option is the One-to One, or ‘Solo’ Diploma programme. This enables one student to get up and running straightway, rather than waiting for a group to form. Solo delegates can set their own timetable, undertaking the programme over a shorter or longer period than the standard 18 months if they wish.
Each Solo delegate has a personal plan and tutor. For each of the nine cycles in the programme they receive the standard Diploma material plus video presentation of important key content, and support for assessments for that section. They also have an hour-long online tutorial to discuss key concepts and areas of content, issues with assessments and, if they wish, adjust their Diploma timetable.
New Supplier Programme
Responding to interest in the BMF Diploma from the merchant supplier sector, we have a major development in the pipeline — the BMF Diploma in Supplier Management. This will enable a whole range of diverse suppliers to benefit from our proven training and well-regarded qualification.
New training techniques are set to be adopted to apply the rigours of this challenging programme to a different audience. Within the programme itself, development challenges include adapting many of the stock and finance calculations, the language used, and some of the legislation cited, from a retail-focussed environment to a supplier-focussed environment.
This exciting new development will bring an additional high-quality qualification and training programme to another thriving and important sector in our supply chain.
To register your interest in taking any route to the BMF Diploma in Merchant Management qualification or enrolling your supplier business on our new Supplier Management Diploma please contact Kerry.Wilson@bmf.org.uk
A version of this article appeared in the December edition of PBM. Click the link to read the full digital issue online.
