From massive open online courses (MOOCs) to education developed by universities in concert with third-party providers, to courses that transcend foundation concepts and technical knowledge, the #SupplyChainEducation landscape after the global pandemic of 2020 looks much different than it did just five to 10 years ago.
Keep up with the ever-changing industry and be a part of this change by taking these online courses for supply chain management. This compiled list of online courses aims to equip learners with the required depth and balance of technical and managerial competencies to succeed in this domain.
Summary of Best Logistics and Supply Chain Management Courses Online
| Course Provider | Course name | Best For | Duration | Enrollment | Learn More |
| Master Control in Supply Chain Management and Logistics | Flexible Learning | 7 Weeks | Free to audit | Learn More | |
| Supply Chain Fundamentals: Understanding the Basics | Starter/Crash Course | 3 hours | Paid | Learn More | |
| Supply Chain Management Specialization | Specialization | Approx. 6 months | Upon Subscription | Learn More | |
| Become a Supply Chain Manager | Career driven /Working professionals | 19 hours | Upon Subscription | Learn More | |
| Supply Chain Technology and Systems | Technical Perspective | 13 Weeks | Free to audit | Learn More | |
| Certificate Programs | Masters Program/Advanced level | Varies | Paid | Learn More |
edX- Master Control in Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Offered by: Chalmers University of Technology
Get a chance to sharpen your supply chain planning, forecasting, and management skills by taking this course. The course is recommended to anyone who wants to grasp a more comprehensive view of all processes in SCM. The course delivers a practical understanding of exciting digitization and information systems that are heavily used in the supply chain and logistics industry. Moreover, the course teaches essential SCM techniques or methods such as ABC analysis to find the best product mix, Kanban, Cross-docking, Merge-in-transit for optimizing operations, and basic forecasting and planning methods.
Key learnings:
- Manufacturing planning control
- The procurement process
- Supplier evaluation
- Transport planning
- Digitization in supply chain management
Pros
- The course is free to audit self-pace on your time.
- Learn from real-world examples and authentic case studies.
- The course provides thorough knowledge regarding SCM, the understanding of which you can easily apply to your organization.
Cons
- There are some basic prerequisites for this course like a good grip over algebra, and basic mathematical concepts
It was a very demanding course but such an eye-opener for me, and I am thankful for edX and Chalmers for providing this amazing experience.Giulia Caliani- LATAM Compliance & Quality Intern at Novo Nordisk, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Udemy- Supply Chain Fundamentals: Understanding the Basics
This course by Udemy is perfect to refresh your supply chain skills. The course is taught by Mr. John Mandic, MBA, Certified Supply Chain Professional, CPIM, CLTD, CCLP explaining all the trendy concepts of supply chain and manufacturing in a quite coherent way. You’ll go through various examples, exercises, and principles that you can easily apply in a real setting. If you’re a working professional then learnings from this course will help you to optimize your organization’s performance and return on investment. The course also helps anyone preparing for the APICS certification exam.
Key learnings:
- Manufacturing strategies and process
- Production- Planning, Scheduling, and Activity Control.
- ABC Analysis and Pareto’s Law
- Resource Requirements Planning (RRP)
- Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP)
- Material Requirements Plan (MRP).
Pros
- Short and straight lectures to the point.
- Interesting course content
- Good for beginners looking for a crash course on supply chain management.
Cons
- There is not much engaging visualization in the course
Fortunate enough to have the opportunity of completing a course on Supply Chain Management in 3 hours. The course has helped in understanding the basics and fundamentals of SCMSiddharth Gupta- Intern at TATA Consultancy Services, Maharashtra, India
Coursera- Supply Chain Management Specialization
Offered by: Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
The specialization covers five essential aspects of supply chain management namely logistics, operations, planning, sourcing and, SCM strategy and also other important topics such as transportation, warehousing, inventory control, and logistic network design. The specialization is made with five different supply chain courses namely; Supply Chain Logistics, Supply Chain Operations, Supply Chain Planning, Supply Chain Sourcing, and Supply Chain Management Strategy.
In the supply chain logistics course, you’ll learn about transportation, warehousing, inventory, and logistics network design. In the supply chain operations course, you’ll learn different techniques used to optimize supply flow using six sigma principles. In the supply chain planning course, you’ll learn about different forecasting approaches. The Supply Chain Sourcing course deals with strategies to create productive supplier relationships. And finally, in the capstone course on Supply Chain Management Strategy, you’ll develop a rich understanding of the complexities that companies are facing in today’s global networked economy.
Note: A great entry point for anyone who wants to step into the world of supply chain having little or no prior knowledge of the field and plans to work in the future.
Key learnings:
- Concrete data analysis skills and tools to improve supply chain performance.
- Warehouse Management
- Supply Chain Risk Management
- Microsoft Excel
- Six Sigma
Pros
- The course provides you with a piece of well comprehensive knowledge of SCM with video lessons, reading materials, quizzes, assignments, and a capstone project.
- The course is good for anyone looking to start a new career.
- 18% got a pay increase or promotion after completing this course as Coursera claims.
Cons
- It is a lengthy and challenging course.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” […] Special thanks to Rudolf Leuschner for the wonderful deliverance of lectures. It was not an easy journey, but it gives me a lot of confidence and motivation.Imane Yaddas- Industrial engineering at Mohammadia School of Engineers, Rabat, Morocco
LinkedIn Learning- Become a Supply Chain Manager
Highly recommended for all aspiring supply chain or manufacturing enthusiasts, this course helps you further strengthen your knowledge of logistics, purchasing, and process improvement amongst many other topics. The course is a part of the LinkedIn Learning path and is consists of 13 different short courses on supply chain namely:
- Careers in Supply Chain and Operations
- Job Skills: Supply Chain and Operations
- Supply Chain Foundations
- Purchasing Foundations
- Logistics Foundations (2015)
- Inventory Management Foundations
- Implementing Supply Chain Management
- Process Improvement Foundations
- Quality Management Foundations
- Lean Six Sigma Foundations
- Supply Chain and Operations Management Tips
- Leading Projects
- Finance for Non-Financial Managers
You can also take each course separately but it is suggested to go through the entire learning path as you’ll get an in-depth understanding of supply chain management and you will be familiar with the role of supply chain manager concerning his daily duties and responsibilities in the organization. The course is a great stepping stone towards your career.
Key learnings:
- Inventory- management, control, analysis
- Manufacturing and operations
- Integration and coordination of the entire supply chain
- Creating a sustainable supply chain
- Purchasing functions
- Management of suppliers
- Strategic Sourcing
- Statistical Process Control (SPC)
- Strategic Cost Management
- Logistics Management- Key decisions
- Quality Management- Tools, Frameworks, and strategies
- Implementing Lean Six Sigma
- Emerging Supply chain trends- Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Robotics, drones, etc
Pros
- This course will lay a solid foundation for your journey towards supply chain management.
- You’ll be taught by industry-leading experts, eminent authors, and professors
- The course helps you for long-term career growth and employability.
Cons
- You’ve to subscribe to LinkedIn Learning to access this learning path or you can purchase each course individually but upon subscription, you’ll get unlimited access to the entire library. You can sign-up for a 30-day free trial also.
As a supply chain manager who enjoys continuous & lifelong learning, I would like to express my sincere appreciations to Daniel Stanton, Steven Brown, Eddie Davila, Chris Croft, and Jim Stice for offering such a refresher, informative, instructive learning path by which I have significantly sharpened my skills and know-how while enjoyed every minute of its around 19-hours insightful contents.Amir Ebadi- End-to-End Supply Chain Manager, Kanematsu Corporation, Hesse, Germany
edX- Supply Chain Technology and Systems
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9NYdesQlir8%3Ffeature%3Doembed
Offered by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
From getting an understanding of the technology stack to getting a tour of different supply chain industries, the course explains the best practices that one should do to get increased sales and increased productivity. You’ll get hands-on experience while doing assignments like case studies in which a situation is given with a set of questions regarding a particular company and you as a supply chain specialist have to cater them with your best possible solutions.
The course is a great overview of how all the systems should work hand in hand for the prosperity of the enterprise. Through this course, you’ll learn crucial things about the application of tools and technologies, ranging from databases to machine learning, to systems like ERP, CRM, etc in supply chain management.
So, if you are from a business side looking for a supply chain course or from a technical background with experience in Machine learning/Deep Learning then this course is going to be fun and will open new dimensions to you.
Key learnings:
- Database management and modeling
- Database, SQL, and Data visualization
- Large scale analysis and Advanced machine learning
- CRISP-DM
- Data Modeling
- Database queries
- Supply chain systems- ERP/Modules
- Warehousing, transportation, Inventory Management Systems, and MES
- Understanding how the supply chain acts as a system and interact and how technology is used within it.
Pros
- Make a great impact in supply chain space. Engage in any role along the value chain and see the tremendous progress you make daily.
- The course is a part of the edX MicroMasters Program and is free to audit.
- A really career booster course that can’t be missed.
Cons
- The course compared to others is very challenging and required much effort with a very strict timeline.
Excited to apply concepts of CRISP-DM, SQL, data management and supply chain systems, and many more to my current SC role. What I gained more from this were contacts of like-minded individuals from all over the world that took this course together with me, sharing our own experiences, expertise, and extra training materials!Huei Shuen Puah- Supply Chain Strategic Procurement Analyst at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Singapore
Michigan State University- Supply Chain Management Certificate Programs
Supply chains are complex, varied, and unique to every organization. An effective SCM strategy can be crucial to overall organizational success. See how Michigan State University can make that success happen. Michigan State University is ranked #1 for Supply Chain Management/ Logistics undergraduate and graduate programs by World Report 2019. Learn from the leaders in the supply chain industry, no matter where you are, with 100% online SCM certificate programs.
One of the interesting things about Michigan State University and its reputation in supply chain management is no matter where you go in the world, people recognize that MSU brand. They recognize the type of education that we provide in supply chain management today.David Frayer, Ph.D.,
Assistant Dean,
Executive Development & Professional Programs