National Association of Purchasing Management Chicago - NAPM Chicago

The National Association of Purchasing Managers is the old, pre-2002 name for the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). It’s a professional association for supply management professionals. The ISM produces the Manufacturing Report on Business and the Non-Manufacturing Report on Business monthly, which communicate to economists and investors alike the state of the economy based off of changes in business purchasing trends.

For instance, an increase in purchases in the aggregate by businesses would signal economic growth. The reverse—a decrease in purchases—would signal economic contraction. These reports are such good predictors of the near-future direction of the U.S. economy that there’s a National Association of Purchasing Managers Index that people can watch.

Besides conducting research, the ISM has conferences, events, educational content, and gives out professional certifications.