Supply Chain Strategy and Optimization Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Supply Chain Managers, Procurement Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-SCM-041

Before you join: Participants should have practical exposure to at least one supply chain function, such as procurement, demand planning, production, inventory control, warehousing, transport or supplier management.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Supply chains are expected to protect service levels, control working capital, manage disruption and support growth at the same time. Many teams still make planning, sourcing, inventory and transport decisions in separate functions, using measures that reward local performance rather than total supply chain results. This creates avoidable stockouts, excess inventory, expediting costs, supplier dependency and weak responses to demand or supply volatility.

This course develops the analytical and management skills needed to design and improve an end-to-end supply chain strategy. Participants examine customer service segmentation, demand planning, S&OP and integrated business planning, network design, inventory policy, sourcing strategy, supplier risk, logistics performance and supply chain resilience. They learn to translate commercial priorities into operating policies, test trade-offs between cost, cash and service, and use SCOR performance measures to target improvement work.

Instruction combines concise technical briefings with cases drawn from manufacturing, retail, public procurement, healthcare, financial services and humanitarian supply chains. Participants work with demand, inventory, supplier and transport data to diagnose performance problems and compare strategic options. They leave with a supply chain strategy scorecard, an inventory policy model, a supplier risk assessment, a network decision framework and a 90-day improvement plan that can be adapted to their own operation.

The course suits professionals who already work with procurement, planning, operations, logistics or supplier management and now need to coordinate decisions across the wider supply chain. It is particularly relevant where service demands are rising, inventories are under scrutiny, suppliers are concentrated or planning decisions require stronger financial discipline.

What you will be able to do

  • Design a supply chain strategy aligned to customer segments, service targets and financial priorities
  • Apply SCOR performance measures to diagnose end-to-end supply chain performance gaps
  • Build an S&OP decision process linking demand, supply, inventory and financial plans
  • Set inventory policies using ABC-XYZ segmentation, safety stock and reorder-point methods
  • Evaluate network design options using cost-to-serve, capacity and risk criteria
  • Develop sourcing strategies using category segmentation, total cost and supplier risk analysis
  • Prioritise supply chain resilience actions using scenario planning and FMEA techniques
  • Produce a 90-day supply chain improvement plan with measures, owners and review points

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Make defensible trade-offs between service levels, inventory investment and operating cost
  • Lead cross-functional planning discussions using S&OP decision structures
  • Identify root causes of stockouts, overstocks and avoidable expediting
  • Present supply chain improvement proposals using financial and operational measures
  • Build practical resilience actions for supplier, capacity and transport disruptions

For your organisation

  • Improved alignment between commercial demand plans and operational supply decisions
  • Lower working-capital exposure through clearer inventory segmentation and replenishment policies
  • Better supplier continuity planning for critical materials and outsourced services
  • More targeted logistics and network decisions based on total cost-to-serve
  • Consistent performance reviews using shared end-to-end supply chain measures

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define a supply chain strategy that links customer requirements to operating priorities.

  • Supply chain strategy aligned with corporate objectives and customer value propositions
  • Customer segmentation using service requirements, demand patterns and profitability profiles
  • Order winners and qualifiers translated into supply chain design choices
  • Cost, service, cash and risk trade-offs assessed through total cost
  • Decoupling points positioned for make-to-stock, assemble-to-order and make-to-order flows
  • Strategic fit tested between product characteristics and supply chain capabilities

Participants can measure supply chain performance using linked operational and financial indicators.

  • SCOR model processes: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return and Enable
  • Perfect order rate calculated from delivery, quality, quantity and documentation measures
  • Cash-to-cash cycle mapped through receivables, inventory and payables timing
  • Balanced scorecards connecting service, cost, assets, reliability and responsiveness
  • Leading indicators distinguished from lagging measures for management intervention
  • Root-cause trees used to trace service failures across functional handoffs

Participants can establish a planning cadence that connects demand, supply and financial decisions.

  • Forecast accuracy measured using MAPE, bias and forecast value added
  • Demand sensing inputs assessed for relevance, timeliness and decision ownership
  • S&OP cycle structured around demand review, supply review and executive decisions
  • Consensus forecasts reconciled with sales assumptions, promotions and customer intelligence
  • Capacity constraints escalated through scenario-based supply planning decisions
  • Integrated business planning links volume plans, margin outlook and cash requirements

Participants can set differentiated inventory policies that protect service while controlling cash.

  • ABC-XYZ analysis segments stock by value contribution and demand variability
  • Safety stock calculated from service targets, lead-time variability and demand uncertainty
  • Reorder points established using average demand, lead time and buffer stock
  • Economic order quantity tested against ordering costs, holding costs and constraints
  • Inventory turns and days of supply interpreted alongside customer service results
  • Obsolescence exposure reduced through lifecycle controls, reviews and disposal decisions

Participants can evaluate supply network options using cost, service, capacity and risk criteria.

  • Network maps show supplier, plant, warehouse, customer and transport relationships
  • Cost-to-serve analysis separates product, channel, customer and delivery economics
  • Facility location options compared using demand, transport, labour and capacity data
  • Capacity cushions set for demand volatility, maintenance and disruption recovery
  • Make-buy decisions assessed through capability, cost, control and continuity factors
  • Postponement strategies evaluated for variety reduction and responsiveness gains

Participants can develop supplier strategies based on category risk, value and market conditions.

  • Kraljic matrix classifies categories by profit impact and supply risk
  • Total cost of ownership includes purchase price, quality, logistics and lifecycle costs
  • Supplier segmentation differentiates strategic partners, preferred suppliers and transactional vendors
  • Should-cost analysis tests supplier quotations against materials, labour and overheads
  • Supplier scorecards track quality, delivery, cost, innovation and corrective actions
  • Contractual service levels align lead times, flexibility, quality and recovery obligations

Participants can improve logistics decisions through service segmentation and total landed cost analysis.

  • Total landed cost incorporates freight, duties, handling, insurance and inventory
  • Transport mode selection balances transit time, cost, emissions and reliability
  • Warehouse slotting uses velocity, cube, handling frequency and replenishment needs
  • Route optimisation criteria include delivery windows, vehicle utilisation and stop density
  • Distribution service tiers matched to customer value and order characteristics
  • Incoterms 2020 allocate delivery, risk, insurance and customs responsibilities

Participants can identify supply chain vulnerabilities and prioritise proportionate continuity actions.

  • Risk registers capture disruption events, likelihood, impact, controls and owners
  • FMEA prioritises failure modes through severity, occurrence and detection ratings
  • Supplier dependency assessed through spend concentration, substitutability and geographic exposure
  • Scenario planning tests responses to shortages, demand shocks and transport closures
  • Business continuity plans define triggers, alternate sources and decision authority
  • Resilience investments compared against disruption cost, recovery time and service exposure

Participants can specify useful data, analytics and governance for supply chain decision-making.

  • Master data governance covers item codes, units, lead times and supplier records
  • Control towers integrate exception alerts, order status and risk signals
  • Inventory dashboards highlight stockouts, excess stock, ageing and service trends
  • Pareto analysis isolates products, suppliers and customers driving performance variation
  • Data quality checks identify missing values, inconsistent units and duplicate records
  • Predictive analytics use cases assessed against data availability and decision value

Participants can convert diagnostic findings into a managed supply chain improvement plan.

  • Improvement charters define problem statements, scope, benefits, sponsors and measures
  • A3 thinking structures current condition, analysis, countermeasures and follow-up
  • Prioritisation matrices rank initiatives by impact, effort, risk and dependencies
  • RACI matrices assign decision rights, accountability, consultation and information flows
  • Benefits tracking links initiatives to service, cost, inventory and risk measures
  • Ninety-day action plans sequence quick wins, pilots, reviews and escalation points

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Supply chain strategy scorecard template
  2. S&OP meeting and decision calendar
  3. ABC-XYZ inventory policy model
  4. Supplier risk and segmentation assessment
  5. Cost-to-serve analysis framework
  6. 90-day supply chain improvement plan

Who should attend

  • Supply Chain Managers — need to align planning, sourcing, inventory and logistics decisions
  • Procurement Managers — need to connect supplier strategy with service, risk and cost outcomes
  • Demand Planning Managers — need stronger links between forecasts, capacity and inventory policies
  • Operations Managers — need to improve flow, service performance and working-capital control
  • Logistics Managers — need to assess transport, warehousing and network trade-offs
  • Business Analysts — need practical methods for analysing supply chain performance data

Skills and tools covered

Supply chain strategyDemand and supply planningInventory optimisationNetwork designSupplier risk managementPerformance measurement

Tools and standards

SCOR Digital Standard, Sales and Operations Planning, Kraljic Matrix, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce each method, followed by structured case work, group analysis and facilitated decision discussions. Participants interpret demand patterns, inventory data, supplier information and network cost scenarios similar to those faced by operating teams. Simulations show how forecast error, lead-time variation, capacity constraints and disruption affect service and cash. Each participant develops an application plan based on a current supply chain issue, with peer review and instructor feedback.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical exposure to at least one supply chain function, such as procurement, demand planning, production, inventory control, warehousing, transport or supplier management. They should be comfortable reading basic operational data, including volumes, lead times, stock levels, service measures and costs. Familiarity with spreadsheets is useful because examples use planning and inventory calculations. Prior study of supply chain theory, advanced mathematics, optimisation software or formal qualifications in logistics is not required. The course explains the required methods before applying them.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand the basic work of at least one supply chain function, such as procurement, planning, operations, warehousing or logistics. You do not need advanced mathematics, optimisation software experience or a formal supply chain qualification.

Bring a laptop if possible, plus non-confidential examples of a current supply chain issue, such as stock availability, supplier dependency or logistics cost. Course materials and case data are provided.

It is designed for managers, specialists and analysts who influence planning, sourcing, inventory, production or logistics decisions. It is most useful for people moving from functional management into end-to-end supply chain responsibility.

Procurement courses focus primarily on sourcing, supplier selection and contracting, while logistics courses focus on transport, warehousing and distribution. This course connects those functions with demand planning, inventory, network design, financial performance and resilience.

Participants leave with reusable templates and an improvement plan tied to a real operational issue. They can use the methods to structure S&OP reviews, reset stock policies, assess suppliers or prepare network decisions.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided among instructor input, cases, group analysis, simulations, discussion and application planning across the ten modules.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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