Supply Chain Management

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
2763 Students

Master the fundamentals of supply chain management and prepare for internationally recognised certification examinations.

Supply chain management professionals play a key role in capturing customer demands, creating forecasts, developing schedules, ordering and managing inventory, controlling production orders, and maximising customer satisfaction.

This course will help you succeed in the supply chain management field. You will learn which actions to take when confronted by almost any situation. You'll understand how to represent top management's interests on the shop floor, and you'll know how to translate such initiatives as strategic planning, sales and operations planning, and new product introduction into achievable, operational plans.

You'll understand all the necessary elements to fulfill the requirements of a formal supply chain cycle beginning with developing long-range production, sales, and capacity plans and ending with planning, implementing, and controlling daily manufacturing schedules. You'll master the fundamentals of supply chain management, including customer demand forecasting, master production scheduling (MPS), material requirements planning (MRP), capacity planning, and production activity control (PAC).

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

In this lesson, we'll discuss professional certification and get acquainted with APICS, the professional society for supply change management (SCM) practitioners. You'll find out about the concept of an operating system and the use of a supply chain. You'll also learn about Material Resources Planning (MRPII) and the role that it plays in an organization.

MRPII creates a logical structure for information, activities, and material to flow. While beneficial, MRPII represents only half of what an organization needs to succeed. Today, you'll see the other half of the picture—Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP). It's a dynamic process that can make your company a world-class organization. You'll learn how to successfully use S&OP, identify key focus areas, and appreciate the benefits of following the S&OP cycle.

In this lesson, we'll examine forecasting—defined as a prediction based on scientific observation. We'll explore the history and nature of forecasting, and discuss customer demand. You'll learn how to set forecasting objectives and create a process to develop and update weekly or monthly forecasts.

Today, we'll examine the components of demand: averages, linear trend, seasonality, and cyclical, irregular, and random factors. We'll cover many qualitative forecasting techniques, including the Delphi method, panel consensus, and historical analogy. You'll learn about quantitative forecasting by working on problems involving time series (simple and weighted moving average and exponential smoothing) and associative methods (linear regression and multiple regression analysis). You'll start to get a sense of which forecasting methods to use for which situations.

In this lesson, we'll conclude our discussion of forecasting. You'll find out about macroforecasting and two forecasting techniques that really fit in the quantitative or qualitative categories: focus forecasting and pyramid forecasting. You'll discover how to develop forecasts for new products, and learn how to use techniques to effectively control your forecasts before they get too far off track.

All manufacturing operations have strategies, which are represented by a business plan and a production plan. A sound business plan identifies processing methods (technology and equipment), manufacturing facilities, human resource needs, material requirements, distribution methods, and warehouse locations. A production plan defines how products will be made available so that marketing can satisfy customer demands and the company can make a profit. Today, you'll learn all about manufacturing strategy. We'll look at the elements of the production plan as essential requirements to support the other elements in an MRPII system.

The topic of today's lesson is the master production schedule (MPS). An MPS breaks down the production plan in greater detail. To manage your MPS effectively, you'll need a master scheduler. We're going to look out how the master scheduler converts the production schedule to an MPS, applies a final assembly schedule, and uses available-to-promise (ATP) to satisfy customer orders. You'll learn how critical it is to measure and control your MPS and methods to keep it moving in the right direction.

The process called material requirements planning (MRP) is one of the great inventions of the 20th century. Today, you'll discover how MRP can help your company. You'll learn about the basics—dependent demand, bills of materials, and inventory records—and study the various reports and schedules. You'll also find out how to lot-size MRP orders and what it takes to implement MRP.

To succeed with capacity planning, you must manage the present and the future. You need to balance flexibility (being able to meet new and diverse needs in different ways) with capability (doing what you must do now). In this lesson, you'll learn about the goals and requirements to effectively manage capacity. You'll also discover how to use strategic capacity management, rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP), and capacity requirements planning (CRP) to define, plan, measure, and control output.

Starting today, (and continuing for the remaining three lessons), we'll be discussing production activity control (PAC). PAC is vital because it activates all of your plans, including the MPS, MRP, and your capacity plan. We're going to look at the PAC cycle and its requirements and benefits. You'll learn how to apply backward and forward scheduling, manage bottlenecks, and optimize set up management. Then we'll cover linear programming as a way to schedule products when you face supply and demand constraints.

Today, we'll examine another method with an acronym: production scheduling and control (PSC). PSC is the part of PAC that carries out all of your planning, going all the way back to the business plan. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll know how to develop and use a Gantt chart, understand basic scheduling principles, and know how to overcome production schedule challenges. You'll also learn how to use priority rules to sequence work orders, use shop loading, and manage work orders.

In this final lesson, you'll learn all about lead-time. We'll identify its components and discuss how you can successfully control it. Then we'll conclude the course by studying operation overlapping as a way to improve production and keep materials flowing smoothly.

Tony Swaim

Tony Swaim has helped many clients, colleagues, and students reach their professional and personal goals. He has been an online instructor since 1998 and has taught at colleges and universities across the United States since 1981. His focus areas ... Read more

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Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

What people are saying about our courses

Great class! Excellent material and presentation. This class has been a tremendous benefit to me. I can apply the lessons learned in this class to my current and future work environment. I look forward to more classes covering this topic. Thank you very much for providing excellent material and the presentation.

Verified Student

It was definitely a good course and I would recommend it to others interested in the topic.

Verified Student

I want to thank to the professor and for his interest in all the practical exercises and examples given. They will be a great support in my career.

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The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Supply Chain Management you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

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Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

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There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

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At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

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Supply Chain Management

$599

$389AUD

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Manufacturing Applications

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$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
483 Students

Increase efficiencies and productivity by learning to apply the principles and concepts of manufacturing.

Learn to apply the principles and concepts of manufacturing. Discover the nature of strategy and learn how it leads to the development of manufacturing strategy. Understand the purpose of customer demand forecasting and find out what forecasting methods are suitable for which situations. Explore the nature of planning and learn how to effectively use Gantt charts and the precedence diagram method. Determine how purchasing, production and inventory control, and logistics support a manufacturing operation. Discover the basics of lean manufacturing and see how capacity management converts production plans into concrete products. Learn why manufacturing, industrial, and quality engineering are so essential to any firm. Understand the true meaning of productivity and how to improve it.

In this self-paced online course, you will learn how successful organisations effectively use master production scheduling (MPS), production activity control (PAC), material requirements planning (MRP), and inventory management. You'll also discover how the application of Six Sigma, and statistical process control (SPC) increase customer satisfaction, and you'll learn about the elements of a logistics system, including warehousing and receiving.

We'll begin our first lesson by exploring the essential area of manufacturing strategy. We'll consider a firm as a system, look at a few key strategic terms, and talk about market analysis. Then, we'll review the background of manufacturing strategy and discuss its foundation. And finally, we'll finish up by identifying what's involved in developing and implementing a manufacturing strategy and investigating strategic choices.

If there's one area that's caused problems for manufacturers over the years, it's forecasting. Today, we'll start with the characteristics of forecasting and see how you can use a qualitative, quantitative, or a hybrid approach that follows certain types of rules. Then, we'll discuss the requirements for developing and implementing a sound forecast, exploring how to forecast new products. We'll finish by examining various ways to control your forecasts.

Now that you have a good understanding of manufacturing strategy and demand forecasting, you need to perform manufacturing planning. Planning is a pervasive activity. It gives rise to just about everything. Today we'll talk about how planning and control work together, discuss the nature of manufacturing planning, and explore a few planning techniques, including Gantt charts and the network diagram scheduling method.

Purchasing employees contribute greatly to the success of manufacturing organizations. Every dollar saved by purchasing equals a dollar of profit. It's too bad that many firms don't realize the value of purchasing. They view it as a clerical function—simply a matter of sending purchase orders to suppliers. In this lesson, we'll take a whirlwind tour through the world of purchasing. We'll briefly discuss the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), look at the way for purchasing to be proactive instead of reactive, and explore the seven steps of the purchasing cycle.

Today, we'll discuss lean manufacturing. This topic has an interesting history. It originally came from Henry Ford's operations in the United States in the early 1900s. Japanese industry popularized it in the 1970s, and it was later introduced in the Western world as just-in-time (JIT) during the early 1980s. By the early 1990s, the terms lean production or lean manufacturing began to appear. Few firms use the JIT label these days. So, lean manufacturing it is. We'll discuss its benefits and the various elements of it, starting with good housekeeping (5S) and concluding with quality at the source. After that, we'll close with a discussion on how to implement lean manufacturing.

Someone once called production and inventory control (P & IC) "organized foresight plus corrective hindsight." It begins with receipt of a sales order and ends with delivery to the customer. It requires knowledge of what should happen and what did happen. For many years, P & IC personnel have played a valuable role in completing manufacturing schedules and satisfying customers. So, today, we'll examine the primary duties of P & IC: master production scheduling, shop floor scheduling, production activity control, material requirements planning, and inventory management.

Of all the concepts we've discussed so far, none is more important than capacity. After all, if you don't have sufficient capacity, you won't manufacture much! In this lesson, we'll start out with an overview of capacity and define a few terms, including design and effective capacity, and actual output. We'll explore how rough-cut capacity planning and capacity requirements planning (CRP) help measure available capacity. Then, we'll move on and examine a few capacity-use strategies as they relate to customer demand, technology, and other variables. And we'll finish up by discussing three essential tools to help with capacity management: break-even analysis, decision trees, and decision theory.

Today, we'll begin our three-part discussion on how engineering and manufacturing work together. Manufacturing engineering brings a certain level of sophistication to a production environment. We'll take a tour through the manufacturing engineering function, starting with its history, its relationship with other departments, and its major functions. Then, we'll explore the essential activity of process planning and review the various elements. We'll also examine key manufacturing engineering focus areas including computer-aided process planning (CAPP), value analysis, design for manufacturability (DFM), concurrent engineering (CE), rapid prototyping, and expert systems.

Since we spent the entire last lesson discussing manufacturing engineering, I think it's only fair that we give equal time to our friends in industrial engineering (IE). IE joins people, machines, materials, and information to bring efficiency and effectiveness to a production operation. IE views human beings as a vital component of a system. Today, we'll start out with a brief overview and history of industrial engineering. Next, we'll discuss work measurement and explore ways to develop work standards. We'll determine how earned value performance measurement helps you control costs and performance. Then, we'll wrap things up by looking at flowcharts and examining their benefits.

In this lesson, we'll finish up our trilogy on engineering by tackling quality engineering. Quality engineers are responsible for assuring a high performing, quality system. To achieve this, they need a good understanding of quality costs, Six Sigma, and statistical process control (SPC), including its main components, which are run charts, control charts, and process capability. Today we'll discuss each of these topics.

Manufacturing companies must know the ins and outs of physical transportation (otherwise known as traffic or logistics). Since your company either directly or indirectly pays for transportation, you need a good command of the basics. We'll start out today with an overview of the logistics system and briefly review each element. Then, we'll move on to discuss warehousing and examine many transportation concepts such as tracing, carrier modes and types, and the receiving process.

Our topic for this last lesson is productivity. Quality and productivity form a potent one-two punch for manufacturers. When both are present to the right degree, your chances for success are high. Like quality, the journey for productivity improvement is never-ending. We'll begin with an overview of productivity. We'll look at the basic productivity calculation, talk about historical global productivity trends, and examine the experience curve. Next, we'll look at measurements of productivity and review how quality and human effort affect productivity. Finally, we'll explore the various productivity factors and discuss the elements of a productivity improvement system.