Streamlining Supply Chain Success #253003

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Diagnose inefficiencies and vulnerabilities within their current end-to-end supply chain.

• Apply lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies to eliminate waste and reduce costs.

• Design and implement strategies for optimal inventory management, accurate demand planning, and strengthened supplier relationships.

• Evaluate and select appropriate digital technologies (e.g., ERP, IoT, AI) to enhance supply chain visibility and decision-making.

• Develop a risk management framework to build a more resilient and agile supply chain.

• Create a actionable roadmap for streamlining operations and driving measurable value within their organization.

This course is designed for professionals involved in the management, operation, and optimization of supply chain functions:

• Supply Chain and Logistics Managers/Directors

• Operations Managers

• Inventory and Demand Planning Managers

• Procurement and Sourcing Specialists

• Business Analysts focused on operations

• Consultants advising on operational efficiency

• Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners managing their own supply chains

• Pre-assessment
• Live group instruction
• Use of real-world examples, case studies and exercises
• Interactive participation and discussion
• Power point presentation, LCD and flip chart
• Group activities and tests
• Each participant receives a binder containing a copy of the presentation
• slides and handouts
• Post-assessment

Day 1: Foundations of a Streamlined Supply Chain

• Morning Session: Mapping the End-to-End Value Chain

  • Understanding the Core Components: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return.

  • Identifying Bottlenecks, Waste, and Hidden Costs through value stream mapping.

  • The Trade-off Triangle: Balancing Cost, Speed, and Quality.

• Afternoon Session: The Principles of Lean & Continuous Improvement

  • Introduction to Lean Thinking: Identifying and eliminating the 8 wastes (DOWNTIME).

  • Kaizen and PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) for continuous improvement.

  • Workshop: Map a key process from your organization and identify non-value-added activities.

Day 2: Mastering Planning: Demand & Inventory

• Morning Session: Forecasting for Accuracy

  • Demand Planning vs. Forecasting: Moving from guesswork to data-driven planning.

  • Quantitative and Qualitative Forecasting Techniques.

  • Managing the Bullwhip Effect and improving forecast accuracy.

• Afternoon Session: Inventory Optimization Strategies

  • Right-Sizing Inventory: ABC Analysis, Safety Stock calculations, and Economic Order Quantity (EOQ).

  • Implementing Just-in-Time (JIT) and Lean Inventory principles.

  • Practical Exercise: Calculate optimal safety stock levels for a given product based on historical data and variability.

Day 3: Optimizing Execution: Sourcing & Logistics

• Morning Session: Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

  • Moving from Adversarial to Collaborative Supplier Relationships.

  • Developing a Supplier Segmentation Matrix (Strategic, Leverage, Routine, Bottleneck).

  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for supplier performance.

• Afternoon Session: Logistics & Transportation Efficiency

  • Designing efficient distribution networks.

  • Mode Selection and Route Optimization to reduce costs and lead times.

  • Case Study: Analyze the logistics network of a major retailer and propose optimization strategies.

Day 4: The Digital & Resilient Supply Chain

• Morning Session: Leveraging Technology for Visibility

  • The Role of ERP, WMS, and TMS systems as a single source of truth.

  • Introduction to AI, IoT, and Blockchain for enhanced tracking, prediction, and transparency.

• Afternoon Session: Building Resilience and Managing Risk

  • Conducting a Supply Chain Risk Assessment.

  • Strategies for Building Resilience: Diversification, nearshoring, and buffer strategies.

  • Developing a Business Continuity Plan for the supply chain.

  • Workshop: Perform a risk assessment on a critical component of your supply chain and develop mitigation tactics.

Day 5: Integration, Leadership & Capstone

• Morning Session: Leading Change and Measuring Success

  • Key Supply Chain Metrics (KPIs): OTIF, Days of Inventory, Cash-to-Cash Cycle.

  • Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement and cross-functional collaboration.

• Afternoon Session: Capstone Project

  • Final Assignment: Participants develop a “Streamlining Action Plan” for their own organization or a provided case study. The plan must include: a current-state analysis, specific improvement initiatives, a technology recommendation, and a projected ROI.

  • Presentation: Participants present their action plans to the class for feedback.

  • Course Recap: Key takeaways and resources for ongoing learning.

  • Certification of Completion.