Free online courseFundamentals of Supply Chain

Course Description

Supply chain is behind almost everything you buy, from the moment a need appears to the moment the product is available where and when it matters. This free online course helps you build a clear, job-relevant understanding of how supply chains work, why they matter to business performance, and how everyday decisions ripple across purchasing, production, inventory, transportation, and warehousing.

You will learn to see supply chain as an end-to-end system rather than disconnected tasks. The lessons connect core concepts such as basic supply chain models, the different types of orders that drive activity, and how forecasting and validation influence the entire chain. You will also explore what a supply chain manager truly manages, focusing on the essential elements that keep operations stable, responsive, and cost-effective even when conditions change.

As you progress, the course makes complexity feel manageable by explaining why supply chains become challenging and how professionals navigate trade-offs across time, cost, capacity, and customer expectations. You will be introduced to practical thinking tools like postponement strategies, ways to interpret customer needs with the Kano model, and approaches to finding constraints that limit performance so improvement efforts target what actually matters.

A major focus is operational excellence in warehousing and inventory. You will understand what a warehouse is designed to achieve, how inbound flows work step by step, and what optimization looks like inside four walls. The course ties processes to outcomes: faster receiving, clearer storage logic, smoother picking, fewer errors, and better service levels. You will also clarify foundational inventory concepts, including why inventory exists, how to think about the right levels across stocking points, and how safety stock helps protect service when demand or supply is uncertain.

By the end, you will be able to speak confidently about supply chain fundamentals, connect concepts to real business scenarios, and recognize common roles and career paths in operations. With short quizzes and practice questions throughout, you can quickly validate what you have learned and leave with a stronger, more employable foundation in logistics and supply chain.