Learn to Manage Logistics

Logistics is about managing all of the factors that can slow down or speed up work, in order to ensure everything can happen as intended.

• Resources are made available at levels and times required.
• Equipment and materials are available in adequate quantities when needed.
• Waste is minimised by avoiding any excess of manpower, materials or equipment when not needed.

How learning logistics can help you?

By understanding the supply chain, and the needs of a job, you will be able to not only plan, but also monitor and adjust the provision of whatever is needed for a workplace to function efficiently and with a greater level of productivity.

Course Content

Ten lessons as follows:

Lesson 1:  Nature and Scope of Logistics Management

• Introduction to logistics
• Inbound logistics
• Outbound logistics
• Logistics or supply chain management
• Goals and objectives of logistics
• Increased efficiency
• Responding efficiency
• Reducing unexpected events
• Keeping inventory to a minimum
• Just-in-time inventory management
• Transport cost reduction
• Improving quality
• Supply chain channels
• Direct & indirect channels
• Types of distribution channel
• Choosing the best distribution channel?
• Nature of the product
• Value of product
• Target market
• Legal requirements
• Competitor activities
• How e-commerce has altered supply chain management, logistics & business
• Changes globally
  
  

Lesson 2: Logistics – Strategies and Operations

• Logistics
• Strategies and operations
• Decisions within logistics
• Customer service
• Logistics network design
• Vertical integration vs outsourcing
• Vertical integration
• Outsourcing
• Developing a logistics strategy
• Components of logistics strategy
• Designing a logistics strategy
• Implementing logistic strategies in strategic planning
• Developing a strategic plan
• Identifying a key strategic focus
• Using kaizen as a business strategy
  
  

Lesson 3: Procurement

• The procurement cycle
• A focus on tendering
• Procurement – raw materials
• Forecasting
• Monitoring supplier performance
• What needs to be monitored?
• Evaluate supplier performance
• Challenges around procurement
• Risk mitigation
• Reputation
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• Sustainability
• What is a green strategy?
• What do companies need to consider?
  
  

Lesson 4: Warehousing and Storage

• What is a warehouse?
• The purpose of a warehouse
• Activities required in warehouses
• Advantages of warehousing
• Types of warehouses
• Private
• Public warehouses
• Bonded storage
• Co-operative warehouses
• Distribution warehouse
• A focus on drop shipping & warehousing
• Warehousing management systems
• How does a WMS work?
• Case study: amazon
• Technology affecting warehousing
• Big data
• Robotics and autonomous machines
• Blockchain, tech networks and the cloud
• Customer service in warehousing
• Warehouse regulation
  
  

Lesson 5: Materials

• Introduction to materials in logistics
• Types of materials
• Material handling
• Designing a material handling system
• Material handling equipment
• Bulk material handling
• Engineered systems
• Industrial trucks
• Storage and handling equipment
• Packaging
• Containers
• Pallets
• Materials used for shipping
• Ethical issues and sustainability
• Ethical sourcing of materials
• Reusing materials
• Ethical packaging
  
  

Lesson 6: Transport and delivery

• Transportation management
• Modes of transport
• Road transportation – truck freight
• Marine transportation – ship
• Case study: the Suez Canal obstruction
• Rail transportation – train
• Air transportation – plane
• Intermodal transport
• Delivery scheduling
• The importance of a good schedule
  
  

Lesson 7: Inventory management

• Types of inventories
• How inventory is planned & controlled
• Planning approaches
• Challenges with inventory planning
• Inaccurate or incomplete data
• Multiple locations
• Insufficient order management
• Human error
• Software & systems
• Automated store ordering
• Robotic stock handling
• Blockchain
• Supply and demand
• Sensitivity analysis
• Review systems
• Vendor managed inventory
• Case studies
  
  

Lesson 8: Risk management – health and safety issues, legislation

• Health and safety: warehousing
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Vehicles in and around the warehouse
• Dangerous goods
• Employee stress & management
• The positive side of stress
• The negative side of stress
• Chain of responsibility
• Risks in logistics
• What is risk?
• How to mitigate risk
• Evaluating risks
• Time frames
• Legalities
• Strategies
• How to react: processes to mitigate risk
• Tools
  
  

Lesson 9: Supply chain dynamics

• Predicting change – is it possible?
• Types of change in a business
• Identifying problems
• Planning for change
• Organisational change management
• Choosing the right behaviour change intervention
• Behaviour change techniques
• Reverse logistics
• Returns
• Reselling
• Repairs
• Recycling
• Replacement
• Obsolescence
• Traceability
• Mapping
• Transparency
• Building a better supply chain
• Future technology
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Drone technology
• Robotics
• Advances in ecommerce
• Drop shipping
• Outsourcing
• Track and trace
  
  

Lesson 10: Problem based learning (PBL) project

• Logistics plan for organic energy
• Your logistics plan
• Presentation component 

Course Aims

• Discuss the nature and scope of logistics management.
• Develop strategies for improving business operations.
• Apply logistics to more effective procurement.
• Apply logistics to more effective warehousing.
• Determine and manage appropriate materials to use for different scenarios.
• Compare transport and delivery options for different goods and services.
• Determine appropriate inventory management for different business or organisational contexts. 
• Formulate a risk management strategy for supply of good or services in an organisation or business.
• Predict changes that may impact supply within a business or organisation and develop appropriate responses to change. 
• Develop a logistics plan for a company manufacturing, selling, and distributing a product. 

Course Duration - 100 hours of self paced learning

WHAT IS LOGISTICS?

Logistics refers to the coordination and processes involved in moving resources from one place to another. The resources can include materials, people, equipment, and inventory. There is often a mix of resources being moved. Depending on the size of the business, and the scope of the product or service offering, logistics can be a very complex process with specific departments created to manage it. Without appropriate resource and logistics management, challenges will appear. For smaller businesses, unable to allocate budget for logistics, a logistics manager (or the business owner) will need to oversee this process.

Inbound Logistics
This is one of the primary processes of logistics, it focusses on purchasing resources - usually materials, parts and inventory which requires finishing. These resources are then moved from supplier to warehouse, assembly plants or retail outlets. Inbound logistics focusses on bringing raw materials together for assembly prior to sale such as car parts that are delivered to an automotive plant for assembly.

Outbound Logistics
This can relate to either the movement of a final product to a retail outlet or to a storage facility e.g., warehousing. Once the product is off the production line, the outbound logistics process works on ensuring that it reaches the end user.

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

• Business owners, managers, project managers, supervisors, marketing professionals – in all and any industries. Trainee supply officers, stock managers, buyers and sellers.
• Retailers, warehouse workers seeking promotion or career development. 
• Fleet management staff
• Students, academics, teachers, trainees, careers advisors or anyone else with an interest in the subject.