Supply Chain & Logistics - Interactive Course
A hands-on, plain-English course on running a supply chain end to end: flows and trade-offs, demand planning and forecast error, sourcing, inventory and replenishment, warehousing and fulfillment, transportation, production and capacity, and supply-chain risk and metrics. Learn by doing with worked, recomputable examples and knowledge checks.
Start free → The Ethical Sales ProcessSupply Chain Foundations: Flows, Service & Cost
How material, information, and cash flow through a chain, and the service-versus-cost trade-off that runs it.
- End-to-End Supply Chain FlowsStart here Trace material, information, and cash flows from raw material to customer, and back. Free · Open →
- Service, Cost & the Core Trade-offs Balance availability and lead time against inventory, transport, and capacity cost. Free · Open →
- Variability and the Bullwhip Effect See how small demand changes amplify upstream, and how information sharing tames them. Free · Open →
Demand Planning, Forecasting Error & S&OP
Forecast demand, measure the error honestly, and balance demand with supply through S&OP.
- 🔒 Forecasting Methods & Demand Signals Choose a forecasting approach that fits the demand pattern and the data you have. Members →
- 🔒 Measuring Forecast Error (MAD, MAPE & Bias) Quantify accuracy and bias so a forecast can be trusted and improved. Members →
- 🔒 S&OP: Balancing Demand and Supply Run a sales-and-operations plan that reconciles demand, supply, and finance. Members →
Sourcing, Procurement & Supplier Performance
Source responsibly, buy on total cost of ownership, and manage supplier performance and risk.
- 🔒 The Procurement Process & Total Cost of Ownership Buy on total cost of ownership, not just unit price. Members →
- 🔒 Supplier Selection & Evaluation Weigh suppliers against criteria that matter, transparently and fairly. Members →
- 🔒 Managing Supplier Performance & Risk Track supplier performance and reduce single-source and disruption risk. Members →
Inventory Policy & Replenishment
Set reorder points and safety stock, choose a replenishment policy, and know when to go deeper.
- 🔒 Reorder Points & Safety Stock Compute a reorder point and safety stock from lead time, demand, and a service level. Members →
- 🔒 Replenishment Policies (Q vs P Systems) Compare continuous- and periodic-review replenishment and when each fits. Members →
- 🔒 Inventory Economics in the Chain Where inventory cost comes from - with a link to the deeper Inventory Control course. Members →
Warehousing, Slotting & Order Fulfillment
Lay out a warehouse, slot and pick efficiently, and ship accurate orders.
- 🔒 Warehouse Operations & Layout Design flow through receiving, storage, picking, and shipping. Members →
- 🔒 Slotting & Order Picking Efficiency Slot fast-movers well and pick with less travel and error. Members →
- 🔒 Packing, Shipping & Fulfillment Accuracy Pack, ship, and measure the accuracy customers actually feel. Members →
Transportation, Routing & Logistics Documents
Choose transport modes, plan routes and loads, and read the documents that move freight.
- 🔒 Transportation Modes & Cost Trade-offs Trade speed, cost, and reliability across road, rail, air, and ocean. Members →
- 🔒 Routing, Consolidation & Load Planning Consolidate shipments and plan loads to cut cost per unit moved. Members →
- 🔒 Logistics Documents & Trade Terms Understand core shipping documents and jurisdiction-neutral trade-term context. Members →
Production Planning, Capacity & Quality
Plan production, manage capacity and constraints, and build quality into the flow.
- 🔒 Production Planning & Scheduling Turn a demand plan into a feasible, level production schedule. Members →
- 🔒 Capacity, Bottlenecks & Constraints Find the bottleneck and manage the whole flow around it. Members →
- 🔒 Quality in the Supply Chain Prevent defects upstream so they never reach the customer. Members →
Risk, Resilience, Sustainability & Metrics
Manage disruption risk, build resilience and sustainability, and measure the network.
- 🔒 Supply Chain Risk & Disruption Map disruption risk and plan mitigations before you need them. Members →
- 🔒 Resilience & Sustainability Design a chain that bends without breaking and reduces its footprint. Members →
- 🔒 Network Metrics & Continuous Improvement Use end-to-end metrics to drive honest, continuous improvement. Members →
The full course is laid out above so you can see exactly where you're headed. Start with the free lessons — the supply chain flows lesson takes about fifteen minutes and you will map every stage from first contact to keeping the customer.