Warehouse and Stores Management Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Warehouse Managers, Stores 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-WI-021

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with warehouse, stores, inventory, procurement or logistics work, gained through operational responsibility or regular interaction with warehouse teams.

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

Warehouse and stores performance depends on disciplined control of physical stock, transactions, people, space and equipment. Weak receiving checks, poor location discipline, inaccurate records and uncontrolled adjustments create stock-outs, excess holdings, delayed orders, avoidable write-offs and customer complaints. Managers need operating methods that keep inventory accurate while maintaining safe, productive material flow from receipt to dispatch.

This course develops the practical skills required to run and improve warehouse and stores operations. Participants examine warehouse layout, zoning, slotting, receiving, put-away, storage, picking, packing, dispatch, returns and inventory counting. They use ABC and XYZ analysis, EOQ, reorder points, FIFO, FEFO, cycle counting, root-cause analysis and KPI reporting to make decisions about stock control, replenishment and operational improvement. Safety, security, traceability, loss prevention, labour control and warehouse management system records are addressed throughout.

The course is instructor-led over five days, delivered in a classroom in 50+ cities or live online. Training combines focused briefings with sector-based cases, group analysis, process simulations and structured planning. Participants work with realistic examples such as spare-parts stores, consumer goods distribution centres, pharmaceutical stockrooms and project-material warehouses. Each participant leaves with a usable warehouse operating-control pack, including process maps, counting schedules, KPI definitions, replenishment calculations and a 90-day improvement plan.

The course suits professionals responsible for warehouse, stores, inventory or logistics activities who need to improve control without losing service speed. It is especially relevant where stock value, traceability, availability or safety requirements make informal warehouse practices unacceptable.

What you will be able to do

  • Design warehouse layouts using slotting, zoning, and travel-distance analysis.
  • Establish receiving, put-away, picking, dispatch, and returns control procedures.
  • Maintain inventory accuracy through cycle counting, reconciliation, and root-cause analysis.
  • Calculate replenishment parameters using ABC analysis, EOQ, reorder points, and safety stock.
  • Apply FIFO, FEFO, and batch traceability rules to controlled inventory.
  • Measure warehouse performance with KPI definitions, dashboards, and corrective actions.
  • Assess warehouse safety, security, and loss-prevention controls against operational risks.
  • Produce a 90-day warehouse improvement plan with owners, measures, and review dates.

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Run structured receiving, put-away, picking and dispatch controls.
  • Investigate stock discrepancies using transaction evidence and root-cause categories.
  • Set practical cycle-count frequencies and count tolerances by stock class.
  • Calculate reorder points, safety stock and economic order quantities.
  • Present warehouse improvement priorities using operational KPIs and action plans.

For your organisation

  • Improved inventory-record accuracy and fewer disruptive stock variances.
  • Reduced picking errors, dispatch delays and customer order discrepancies.
  • Lower holding costs through better replenishment and dormant-stock review.
  • Safer warehouse operations with clearer equipment, traffic and access controls.
  • More consistent management reporting on service, productivity, utilisation and losses.

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define warehouse responsibilities, control points and accountability across material flow.

  • Warehouse functions, stores responsibilities, and control points within the supply chain
  • End-to-end material flow mapped from supplier receipt to customer dispatch
  • RACI matrix assigns accountability for custody, records, approvals, and exceptions
  • Segregation of duties reduces theft, error, and unauthorised stock movements
  • Warehouse operating procedures structured around standard work and escalation rules
  • Internal controls reconcile physical custody, transaction records, and financial ownership

Participants can assess layout and storage decisions that improve access, capacity and travel time.

  • Process mapping identifies congestion, hand-offs, queue points, and non-value-adding movement
  • Zoning separates fast movers, reserve stock, quarantine, returns, and hazardous goods
  • Slotting rules use demand, dimensions, weight, compatibility, and picking frequency
  • Travel-distance analysis compares U-flow, I-flow, and straight-through layout alternatives
  • Calculate storage capacity from pallet positions, cube utilisation, and access requirements
  • 5S visual management establishes locations, labels, housekeeping, and audit ownership

Participants can control inbound stock from arrival through verification, inspection and location assignment.

  • Advanced shipping notices prepare labour, docks, equipment, and inspection capacity
  • Dock scheduling controls arrivals, dwell time, bay allocation, and carrier communication
  • Three-way receipt matching compares purchase order, delivery note, and quantities
  • Inspection plans separate accepted, damaged, rejected, and quarantine stock statuses
  • Discrepancy reports document shortages, overages, damage, evidence, and supplier claims
  • Put-away task sequencing applies location rules, equipment limits, and urgency codes

Participants can apply storage and traceability controls suited to stock condition and regulatory requirements.

  • FIFO and FEFO selection rules protect freshness, shelf life, and traceability
  • Batch, serial, and lot controls support recall readiness and expiry management
  • Storage compatibility matrices separate chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, and sensitive materials
  • Temperature and humidity monitoring records excursion limits, alarms, and responses
  • Packaging standards prevent handling damage, contamination, crushing, and moisture exposure
  • Quarantine release procedures require authorised disposition, labelling, and system updates

Participants can maintain accurate stock records and investigate the causes of inventory variances.

  • Perpetual inventory records connect receipts, moves, adjustments, issues, and returns
  • Cycle-count programmes set frequency through ABC classification and count tolerances
  • Blind counts reduce confirmation bias during independent physical stock verification
  • Reconciliation investigates book-to-physical variances using transaction history and evidence
  • Root-cause analysis categorises errors by process, people, master data, and controls
  • Adjustment authorisation thresholds protect records from unauthorised inventory write-offs

Participants can set replenishment rules that balance stock availability, holding cost and demand uncertainty.

  • ABC analysis segments stock by annual usage value and control effort
  • XYZ analysis distinguishes stable, variable, and intermittent demand patterns
  • EOQ calculations balance ordering costs, holding costs, and demand volume
  • Reorder-point formulas combine demand rate, lead time, and safety stock
  • Min-max levels trigger replenishment within defined service and capacity constraints
  • Obsolescence reviews identify dormant stock, disposal options, and recovery actions

Participants can design controlled outbound processes that protect order accuracy and customer service.

  • Order release rules prioritise service commitments, cut-off times, and route plans
  • Pick-path design reduces travel through batch, zone, wave, and cluster picking
  • Barcode verification confirms item, quantity, batch, location, and operator identity
  • Packing specifications protect products while meeting carrier and customer requirements
  • Dispatch reconciliation matches picked orders, shipment documents, and carrier handover
  • Returns triage classifies reusable, repairable, damaged, disputed, and scrap stock

Participants can assess warehouse risks and implement practical safety, security and incident controls.

  • Risk assessments address traffic, racking, manual handling, and equipment hazards
  • Hierarchy of controls selects elimination, engineering, administrative, and PPE measures
  • Daily equipment checks cover forklifts, racks, docks, conveyors, and lifting aids
  • Permit-to-work controls govern contractors, hot work, confined spaces, and maintenance
  • Access controls, CCTV, seals, and searches deter pilferage and unauthorised removal
  • Incident investigation uses five whys, evidence logs, actions, and close-out

Participants can measure warehouse performance and use operating data to direct corrective action.

  • Warehouse KPIs define accuracy, productivity, utilisation, service, and cost measures
  • OTIF reporting separates warehouse causes from supplier, carrier, and customer causes
  • Labour standards compare planned hours, actual hours, output, and variances
  • Daily tier meetings review exceptions, constraints, actions, owners, and deadlines
  • PDCA cycles test countermeasures, verify results, standardise changes, and sustain gains
  • Warehouse management systems govern master data, tasks, confirmations, and audit trails

Participants can prepare a focused improvement plan for their own warehouse or stores operation.

  • Current-state assessment scores process maturity, risks, controls, and performance gaps
  • Prioritisation matrix ranks actions by impact, effort, risk, and dependency
  • 90-day action plans assign milestones, owners, resources, measures, and reviews
  • Standard operating procedure updates convert approved improvements into repeatable work
  • Management review packs present KPI trends, exceptions, decisions, and escalation needs
  • Personal application commitments identify first actions, sponsors, barriers, and follow-up

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

What you take back to work

  1. Warehouse process-control map
  2. ABC cycle-count schedule template
  3. Reorder-point and safety-stock calculation model
  4. Receiving and put-away control checklist
  5. Warehouse KPI dashboard specification
  6. 90-day warehouse improvement plan

Who should attend

  • Warehouse Managers — responsible for service, cost, safety and inventory control.
  • Stores Managers — accountable for custody, issue control and stock record accuracy.
  • Inventory Controllers — required to investigate variances and maintain reliable stock records.
  • Logistics Supervisors — coordinating receipt, storage, picking and dispatch activities.
  • Procurement Officers — needing better visibility of stock policies and replenishment decisions.
  • Operations Managers — overseeing warehouse improvement, productivity and risk controls.

Skills and tools covered

Warehouse process controlInventory accuracy managementReplenishment planningStorage and slottingWarehouse KPI reportingSafety risk control

Tools and standards

ABC analysis, Economic Order Quantity, 5S, ISO 45001

How the course runs

Training methodology

Instruction uses short practitioner briefings followed by warehouse cases, group analysis, calculations and process simulations. Participants map material flows, diagnose stock-record errors, set replenishment parameters, review layout choices and interpret KPI data. Cases reflect stores, distribution and project-material settings, allowing participants to compare control requirements. Facilitated discussion links methods to participants' own facilities, followed by individual application planning. Trainers adapt examples, depth and activities to the sector, role mix and operational issues represented in each cohort.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with warehouse, stores, inventory, procurement or logistics work, gained through operational responsibility or regular interaction with warehouse teams. They should understand common documents such as purchase orders, delivery notes, stock records and customer orders. Experience supervising staff or using a warehouse management system is useful but not essential. No advanced mathematics, formal supply chain qualification, specialist software expertise or prior knowledge of inventory optimisation methods is required. Calculations are explained and worked through during the course.

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

Participants should understand basic warehouse, stores, inventory, procurement or logistics activities. The course explains all calculations and control methods, so prior formal supply chain training is not required.

Bring examples of current warehouse issues, such as stock variances, delayed receipts, picking errors or space constraints. If permitted by your employer, bring anonymised KPI reports, stock policies or process documents for reference.

It is designed for warehouse managers, stores managers, inventory controllers, supervisors, logistics staff and operations managers. It also suits procurement staff who need to understand stock-control and replenishment decisions.

Inventory management courses focus mainly on demand, replenishment and stock policy. This course also addresses the physical operation: receiving, storage, layout, picking, dispatch, safety, security and warehouse team controls.

Participants leave with templates and analyses that can be adapted to their site, including a cycle-count schedule, KPI definitions and improvement plan. The final module identifies actions, owners, review measures and likely barriers for the first 90 days.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided across ten modules, using short briefings, calculations, cases, group work, simulations and structured application planning.

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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