About this course

When the system’s working properly and you’re in a good rhythm, everything slots into place. But when one ball drops, the entire thing can come crashing down. The key to any effective supply chain is setting up systems that ensure a smooth process from manufacture to distribution. Warehousing, inventory management and procurement are accepted today as critical components of logistics and supply chain operations. In this short course, you’ll learn how to effectively implement strategies to ensure this “tri-factor” is working optimally. You’ll discover how warehouses have become complex operations that add value to supply chains and give competitive advantages to organisations; how inventory management can lead to improvements in customer service, operational efficiency and company asset utilisation; and how procurement is a key strategic element in any supply chain process with the function to provide the interface with an organisation’s external supply markets. You’ll also see why procurement must secure a value-for-money deal in the initial purchasing of a specified product or service by taking into account various factors – such as supply markets, potential suppliers, supplier capabilities, lead times and commercial terms – and learn how important it is to manage the business relationship with a supplier. Coupled with a range of hands-on business practice skills from marketing and information flow, to business planning and commercial skills, this course is designed for people across in the supply chain spectrum. By the end of this short course, you will be equipped with the knowledge to implement good management practice to manage operations and personnel both efficiently and effectively across a broad and diverse range of business sectors. You’ll have an in-depth understanding of warehousing, the key areas of warehousing operations and the key activities involved in each area, helping to develop the skills’ set required by an aspiring warehouse manager to operate effectively. You’ll also be equipped with the knowledge and understanding of inventory management and the techniques involved in balancing trade-offs to deliver optimum supply chain performance. And you will gain the basic skills and knowledge required to perform procurement effectively. Upskill with the IMM Graduate School and ensure you never drop the ball again in the complex juggling act that is supply chain management.