OUR TAKE: This specialization program consists of five courses, each developed to introduce you to supply chain management and equip you with the insights and tools you need to understand the many trends in the global networked economy.
Provider: Coursera
Description: Designed to be an entryway to the more advanced Supply Chain Excellence MasterTrack Certificate, this specialization program covers all of the fundamental basics of supply chain management that aspiring professionals need to understand. The five courses included in the program can also be taken individually and cover topics like supply chain logistics, operations, planning, sourcing, and management strategies. The program is offered by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and is taught by Rudolf Leuschner, Ph.D., an associate professor specializing in supply chain management.
OUR TAKE: Offered by the Georgia Institute of Technology, this course offers a more condensed introduction to the foundational principles of supply chain management, planning, and strategy.
Provider: Coursera
Description: Students can complete this online supply chain training course in approximately twelve hours and work through the material at their own pace. It covers integrated supply chain models, extended supply chains, emerging trends in the supply chain industry, industry-specific supply chains, and a holistic approach to incorporating people, technology, and processes. The course is taught by Timothy M. Brown, the managing director of the Supply Chain & Logistics Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
OUR TAKE: Expand your supply chain analytics skills and knowledge base with this four-hour training course, which introduces you to PuLP, an optimization modeling in Python that can help optimize and improve your supply chain processes.
Provider: DataCamp
Description: Analytics is an essential tool in any supply chain strategy, as it helps professionals make more informed decisions, identify areas for optimization, and experiment with new ideas via sensitivity and simulation testing. This course can help supply chain professionals improve their analytics skills with four hours of material covering PuLP, a Linear Program optimization modeler in Python, supply chain optimization, evaluating existing models, testing prospective models, and improving supply chain decision-making.
OUR TAKE: Geared toward new and aspiring supply chain operations professionals, planners, analysts, and supervisors, this program will refresh your understanding of the fundamentals of supply chain management and help you learn to see the “bigger” picture.
Provider: Skillshare
Description: Supply chain professionals of all experience levels can take this comprehensive, introductory training course, regardless of whether they’re new to the industry or looking to fine-tune their expertise. Topics include a summary of supply chain components, value-stream mapping, inventory management, types of supply chains, demand forecasting, sales & operations planning, the bullwhip effect, demand management, supply chain KPIs, measuring performance with various metrics, and how to integrate with other software like ERP, MRP, and more.
OUR TAKE: Learn about the best tactics, techniques, and tools you need to move an end-to-end global supply chain into the future with this comprehensive, 30-hour training course.
Provider: Udemy
Description: Featuring over thirty hours of on-demand video lectures and nearly 70 downloadable resources, this highly-rated course will teach students about the intersection between supply chain and logistics operations. Upon completion, students will have developed a practical skillset to help them create, launch, and manage the many activities involved in the global supply chain. Other topics include supply chain integrations, procurement, inventory management, logistics strategies, controlling the flow of materials, and strategies for managing transportation, warehouses, and capacity.
OUR TAKE: If you’re looking for a shorter overview of supply chain operations and management, this course can be completed in under two hours and will teach you to identify important factors and trends in supply chains.
Provider: Udemy
Description: Taught by Sorin Dumitrascu, who has taught over 250,000 students on the Udemy platform, this entry-level course covers the essential characteristics found in many supply chain strategies, teaches them to identify the criteria used when selecting a process, and introduces students to the key performance metrics used in supply chain management. While short, students will be tasked with completing all of the course’s video lessons alongside various quizzes, exercises, written documents, and a small course project.
OUR TAKE: Developed specifically for supply chain professionals who use or want to use the SAP platform, this course will introduce you to multiple SAP products, tools, and best practices relevant to supply chain logistics.
Provider: Udemy
Description: Taught by Abdul Maulud, an SAP Solution Architect with over 15 years of experience in the logistics and supply chain management consulting market, this course is best suited for active and aspiring supply chain professionals looking to deepen their understanding of SAP’s solutions. The course includes twenty hours of on-demand videos that cover SAP’s Sales and Distribution (SD), Purchasing, Handling Unit Management, Material Management (MM), Warehouse Management (WM), and Shipping (LE-TRE) functionalities.
OUR TAKE: Included as part of the Udemy for Business collection, this 3-hour training course uses a mixture of lectures, examples, and exercises to equip you with the building blocks you need to begin your supply chain expertise.
Provider: Udemy
Description: This course is described as a “starting point” in the supply chain and manufacturing field and is taught by John Mandic, who has nearly thirty years of experience in various engineering, manufacturing, customer relationship management, and supply chain roles. With three hours of video and fifteen downloadable resources, students who enroll in Mandic’s class will learn about foundational supply chain topics like master scheduling, S&OP, production activity control, materials management, demand planning, inventory, manufacturing planning, and more.
OUR TAKE: This higher-level course is designed for supply chain managers, analysts, and consultants looking to analyze a supply chain and identify new, innovative ways to improve it.
Provider: Udemy
Description: This course uses a combination of video lectures, practical case studies, and almost fifty downloadable resources to help supply chain professionals optimize or learn the skills they need to manage and optimize supply chains across industries. According to instructor Asen Gyczew, the primary things students should learn from the course are understanding supply chain activities, finding savings in supply chain management, calculating those potential savings in Excel, and optimizing a supply chain to boost productivity and quality.
OUR TAKE: If you want to become comfortable with important supply chain tasks like manufacturing, planning, control, demand management, and scheduling, this entry-level course can get you started. It can be completed in under 3 hours and has no prerequisites.
Provider: Udemy
Description: Successful supply chain planning strategies require a thorough understanding of the interconnected web of activities, tools, and systems that make a supply chain function. This beginner-level course will familiarize students with essential supply chain functions. These include inventory valuations, supplier relationships, rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP), strategic business planning, S&OP, forecasting techniques, load profiles, types of inventory, and the hierarchy of manufacturing, planning, and control (MPC).
OUR TAKE: Learn what it means to create value, drive success, and improve the performance of a supply chain management system with this 90-minute course developed for business professionals and supply chain students.
Provider: Udemy
Description: In under two hours, supply chain students and business professionals can expect to learn how to refine a supply chain strategy, define its structure, manage processes, and maintain performance. Specific topics covered include supply chain metrics, KPI models, risk management, supply chain planning, supplier/partner relations, cost control, and customer support. The only prerequisite is a basic understanding of supply chain terminology.
By
William Jepma
, Writer, Editor, and Analyst at Solutions Review 
Supply chain management is a complex process that requires a wealth of skills and experience in various fields. While there are plenty of technologies to help—like supply chain management ERP systems and supply chain planning (SCP) software—nothing can replace the value of well-earned expertise. With the supply chain training courses listed below, you can continue developing your existing skills and knowledge or prepare yourself with the qualifications companies seek in their employees.
