Warehouse Operations Management Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Warehouse Managers, Warehouse Supervisors 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-023

Before you join: Participants should understand basic warehouse processes such as receiving, putaway, picking, packing and dispatch.

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 managers must turn customer demand, inbound supply, labour availability and carrier constraints into controlled daily execution. When receiving, putaway, replenishment, picking, packing and shipping are not governed through clear WMS rules and operating routines, the result is late dispatches, stock discrepancies, overloaded pick faces, excess travel and costly manual intervention. This course addresses the practical decisions behind reliable warehouse performance.

Participants learn how warehouse operations are structured within a modern warehouse management system, including workflows commonly found in Manhattan Active Warehouse Management. The course covers facility and item data, inbound scheduling, directed putaway, slotting, replenishment, order allocation, wave planning, task interleaving, RF picking, packing, manifesting and load release. Participants also examine cycle counting, inventory traceability, labour performance, warehouse KPIs, A3 problem solving, returns processing and continuity procedures. They gain the ability to interpret operational queues, set practical control parameters, manage exceptions and identify the causes of service or inventory failures.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with warehouse cases, system-workflow simulations, group analysis and structured application planning. Cases reflect distribution centres serving retail, manufacturing, healthcare, consumer goods and e-commerce operations. Participants leave with reusable control documents, including a warehouse operating-control plan, slotting analysis model, wave-release checklist, cycle-count programme and KPI scorecard. The course is delivered over five instructor-led days, from 08:30 to 16:30, in classrooms in 50+ cities or live online. Participants who complete the course receive a certificate of completion.

This course suits professionals responsible for running, improving or supporting warehouse operations where WMS discipline, inventory accuracy and fulfilment performance are business-critical.

What you will be able to do

  • Map end-to-end warehouse workflows from inbound appointment through shipment confirmation
  • Set directed putaway, slotting and replenishment rules using demand and capacity data
  • Apply order allocation, inventory reservation and FEFO or FIFO control methods
  • Plan wave and waveless order release against carrier cutoffs and labour capacity
  • Manage RF-directed picking, packing, manifesting and shipping exception workflows
  • Design a cycle-count programme using ABC classification and discrepancy history
  • Analyse warehouse performance using operational KPIs, Pareto analysis and control charts
  • Produce a 30-60-90 day warehouse improvement plan with measures and owners

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Make faster decisions on task queues, inventory holds and shipping exceptions
  • Diagnose root causes of short picks, stock variances and missed carrier cutoffs
  • Use recognised methods to justify slotting, replenishment and labour changes
  • Communicate WMS operating requirements clearly to IT teams and system vendors
  • Build evidence for progression into warehouse management or WMS super-user roles

For your organisation

  • Higher inventory accuracy through disciplined cycle counting and adjustment controls
  • Improved order throughput through better wave release, tasking and replenishment rules
  • Fewer late shipments through carrier-cutoff management and shipping exception control
  • Lower travel and handling waste through ABC slotting and pick-face management
  • Clearer operational governance through daily KPI reviews, escalation paths and action tracking

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can describe the warehouse operating model and control daily work through WMS statuses, queues and escalation routines.

  • Warehouse process maps linking inbound, storage, fulfilment, shipping and returns
  • Manhattan Active WM navigation: menus, work queues, alerts and task status
  • User roles, facility profiles and operational permissions under segregation-of-duties controls
  • Status codes governing inventory availability, holds, allocation and shipment confirmation
  • Exception-based management using alerts, ageing queues and escalation thresholds
  • Daily management cadence: huddles, tier boards, handovers and shift priorities

Participants can control inbound flow from appointment scheduling through receipt validation, putaway and cross-dock decisions.

  • Item master attributes: dimensions, weights, pack hierarchy and handling codes
  • Supplier ASN validation against purchase orders, appointments and expected quantities
  • Dock appointment schedules balancing door capacity, unloading time and carrier arrivals
  • Receipt transactions for overages, shortages, damages and quality inspection holds
  • Directed putaway rules using velocity, capacity, compatibility and replenishment demand
  • Cross-dock eligibility linking inbound receipts to urgent outbound demand

Participants can set storage and replenishment parameters that protect pick-face availability and reduce travel.

  • Location master design: zones, pick faces, reserve slots and staging lanes
  • ABC velocity analysis driving slotting frequency, travel distance and replenishment triggers
  • Capacity calculations using cube utilisation, weight limits and location dimensions
  • Min-max replenishment parameters aligned with order profiles and pick-face capacity
  • Replenishment task priorities: demand-driven, scheduled, opportunistic and emergency moves
  • Cycle count locations selected through ABC classification, discrepancies and risk

Participants can apply allocation and reservation rules that balance customer commitments with stock control.

  • Order profile analysis by channel, service promise, units and lines
  • Allocation rules for inventory status, customer priority, rotation and substitutions
  • FEFO, FIFO and lot controls for dated, regulated inventory
  • Backorder management using promise dates, partial shipment policies and exception queues
  • Inventory reservation logic separating allocatable, reserved, picked and packed stock
  • Order holds triggered by credit, compliance, fraud and address checks

Participants can release work and manage picking tasks against demand, labour capacity and dispatch deadlines.

  • Wave templates built by carrier cutoff, route, priority and labour capacity
  • Waveless order release using demand signals and task pool thresholds
  • Task interleaving combines picking, replenishment and putaway travel sequences
  • Pick-method selection: discrete, batch, zone, cluster and pick-to-cart
  • RF-directed picking confirms location, item, quantity, lot and serial data
  • Short-pick exception handling protects service commitments and inventory accuracy

Participants can manage packing and dispatch workflows from carton selection through carrier closeout.

  • Cartonisation rules select carton types from item dimensions and packing constraints
  • Pack station workflows verify items, dunnage, documentation and parcel labels
  • Carrier service selection by promised date, cost, destination and cutoff
  • Manifesting confirms weights, tracking numbers, shipping labels and carrier closeouts
  • Load planning sequences routes, stops, pallets and departure appointments
  • Shipping exceptions: missed cutoffs, damaged cartons, misroutes and reprints

Participants can build inventory-control routines that improve accuracy, traceability and audit readiness.

  • Cycle-count programmes set frequencies from ABC class, value and discrepancy history
  • Blind counts, directed counts and recount tolerances under inventory-control policy
  • Root-cause analysis using five whys, Pareto charts and transaction trails
  • Adjustment approvals enforce reason codes, value thresholds and audit evidence
  • Lot, serial and expiry traceability through receipt-to-shipment transaction histories
  • Physical inventory planning covers freeze windows, count teams and reconciliation

Participants can use labour standards, task data and standard work to improve shift execution.

  • Labour standards compare engineered times, actual task duration and travel
  • Work queues balanced by priority, skill, equipment availability and congestion
  • Productivity dashboards track units per hour, lines per hour and utilisation
  • Daily tier meetings review safety, service, quality, cost and actions
  • Standard work documents task sequence, scan points and exception escalation
  • Coaching conversations use observed facts, performance gaps and agreed actions

Participants can interpret warehouse performance data and use structured problem solving to improve results.

  • Operational KPIs: dock-to-stock, order cycle time, fill rate and accuracy
  • Control charts distinguish common-cause variation from special-cause warehouse disruptions
  • Pareto analysis prioritises defect categories, locations, suppliers and process steps
  • A3 problem solving defines conditions, causes, countermeasures and follow-up checks
  • Daily management boards connect shift metrics, abnormalities, owners and due dates
  • WMS report filters isolate bottlenecks by zone, shift, customer and carrier

Participants can control returns and disruption response while planning targeted operational improvements.

  • Returns dispositions route resale, repair, quarantine, disposal and supplier return
  • Reverse logistics inspections record condition codes, photos and refund triggers
  • Warehouse security controls protect high-value stock, access points and transaction records
  • Business continuity procedures cover system outages, manual picking and backlog recovery
  • Application plan prioritises three operational changes, owners, measures and review dates
  • 30-60-90 day review milestones sustain adoption, issue resolution and metric improvement

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

What you take back to work

  1. Warehouse operating-control plan
  2. ABC slotting analysis model
  3. Wave-release and carrier-cutoff checklist
  4. Cycle-count programme template
  5. Warehouse KPI scorecard
  6. 30-60-90 day improvement plan

Who should attend

  • Warehouse Managers — need disciplined controls for daily service, inventory and labour performance
  • Warehouse Supervisors — direct shifts, task queues and operational exception response
  • Distribution Centre Managers — manage throughput, carrier commitments and multi-zone execution
  • Inventory Control Managers — improve count accuracy, traceability and adjustment governance
  • Supply Chain Managers — connect warehouse capacity and fulfilment performance with customer demand
  • WMS Super Users — support users, test operational rules and diagnose transaction issues

Skills and tools covered

WMS operational controlInbound process managementOrder fulfilment planningInventory accuracy controlWarehouse labour managementPerformance improvement

Tools and standards

Manhattan Active Warehouse Management, ABC analysis, FEFO and FIFO, A3 problem solving

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor introduces each operating method through focused briefings, then participants apply it to realistic warehouse data and fulfilment scenarios. Case work examines inbound congestion, poor slotting, short picks, allocation conflicts, missed cutoffs and inventory discrepancies. Group exercises use process maps, work queues, KPI reports and exception records to make decisions under service and capacity constraints. Simulations model the consequences of changing task priorities, replenishment rules and order-release timing. Participants finish by converting course findings into a workplace application plan.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic warehouse processes such as receiving, putaway, picking, packing and dispatch. At least six months of warehouse, inventory, logistics, customer fulfilment or WMS support experience is recommended. Familiarity with common terms including SKU, ASN, replenishment, cycle count, batch, lot and carrier cutoff will help participants work at the intended pace. Prior use of Manhattan Active Warehouse Management or any other WMS is useful but not required. Programming, database administration, system integration and formal industrial engineering qualifications are not required.

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 activities and have some exposure to warehouse, inventory, logistics or fulfilment work. Previous use of Manhattan Active Warehouse Management is helpful but not required.

Bring examples of non-confidential operational issues, reports or KPIs that you want to improve. Course materials and case data are provided; live-online participants need a reliable computer, internet connection and audio access.

The course is designed for warehouse managers, supervisors, inventory controllers, distribution centre leaders, supply chain managers and WMS super users. It is most useful for people who influence daily warehouse execution rather than software development.

This course focuses on physical warehouse execution and the WMS rules that govern work from receiving through dispatch and returns. Inventory management courses usually concentrate more on demand planning, replenishment policy and stock investment decisions.

Participants can use the templates to review work queues, slotting rules, replenishment triggers, count frequencies and fulfilment KPIs. The final application plan identifies specific actions, owners, measures and review dates for use after the course.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The five days progress through inbound, storage, order fulfilment, inventory control, labour management, performance analysis, returns and 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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