Supply Chain and Logistics Optimization Training Course

Supply-chain optimization treats sourcing, production, storage, and distribution as one connected system instead of a set of separate departments. Seen through this analytical lens, the question is not how to run a warehouse on any given morning, but how the whole flow of goods, cash, and information can be shaped to minimize total landed cost while meeting agreed service levels. This course looks at that system from above: where facilities should sit, how much inventory belongs at each node, and which lanes and modes move product most efficiently.

Across twelve units you work with the quantitative methods that specialists use to redesign supply networks: economic order quantity and safety-stock formulas, ABC and XYZ classification, multi-echelon inventory logic, route and mode optimization, and the digital tools that make near-real-time visibility possible. The material stays grounded in documented company cases and reasoned worked examples, and it connects naturally to the deeper quantitative techniques covered in Supply Chain Analytics and AI Optimization, so you leave able to frame optimization problems, choose the right method, and defend the trade-offs to decision makers.

Why this matters

For most manufacturers and retailers, the supply chain is the largest controllable cost line and the single biggest driver of customer experience. Inventory ties up working capital, transportation eats into margin, and a poorly placed distribution center quietly adds cost to every order for years. The disruptions of recent years, from the Suez Canal blockage to semiconductor shortages and port congestion, exposed how fragile lean but unbalanced networks can be, and pushed boards to treat resilience as a measurable design objective rather than an afterthought.

The discipline now sits at the intersection of operations research and everyday commercial pressure. Frameworks such as the SCOR model give a common vocabulary for plan, source, make, deliver, and return, while sales and operations planning links financial targets to physical flow. Standards including Incoterms 2020 govern where risk and cost transfer across borders, and carbon accounting under the GHG Protocol is turning emissions into a design constraint alongside cost and service.

What you will be able to do afterwards

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Frame optimization problems by cost to serve and risk exposure
Design distribution networks using center-of-gravity analysis
Calculate reorder points, safety stock, and EOQ by ABC/XYZ segment
Evaluate transport modes and routes to cut cost per unit
Combine Lean and agile principles to cut waste and boost response
Build and communicate a defensible optimization case to stakeholders

Course outline

Unit 1: Introduction to supply chain and logistics optimization

Core flows: product, information, and cash cycles
Optimization's role in cost to serve and working capital
Global chain risks: variability, lead times, bullwhip effect
Case studies: Amazon, Zara, and Toyota networks

Unit 2: Supply chain strategy and design

Cost-leadership vs responsiveness strategy alignment
Network design: center-of-gravity and facility trade-offs
Centralized vs decentralized: inventory and transport cost
Strategic roadmap: capacity, footprint, node placement

Unit 3: Demand forecasting and planning

Forecasting: moving averages to ARIMA and causal models
Demand-supply balance via S&OP cadence
Forecast error metrics: MAPE and bias tracking
Applied forecasting exercises with demand histories

Unit 4: Inventory optimization and management

ABC/XYZ classification by value and demand variability
Just-in-time logic vs buffer stock protection
EOQ, reorder points, and safety-stock formulas
Case studies: multi-echelon inventory optimization

Unit 5: Transportation and distribution networks

Transport planning: full-truckload vs less-than-truckload
Multi-modal strategy: road, rail, ocean, and air
Route optimization: vehicle routing and load consolidation
Distribution modeling with shipment and lane data

Unit 6: Lean and agile supply chains

Lean logistics: waste identification and value-stream mapping
Agile methods for volatile demand responsiveness
Waste elimination: transport, handling, inventory
Hybrid leagile chain design: stable vs variable demand

Unit 7: Supplier and partner collaboration

Supplier relationship frameworks and strategic segmentation
Performance monitoring: scorecards and service metrics
Strategic sourcing and total cost of ownership assessment
Collaborative partner ecosystems: shared forecasts and data

Unit 8: Risk and resilience in supply chains

Risk identification: supply-chain mapping and visibility
Risk mitigation: dual sourcing and buffer strategy
Business continuity planning and recovery-time objectives
Case studies: port closures and supplier failures

Unit 9: Digital transformation in supply chain and logistics

IoT, AI, and blockchain in traceability and control
Big data analytics for planning decisions
Digital control towers and visibility dashboards
Industry 4.0 applications: digital twins of the network

Unit 10: Global supply chain and trade considerations

Trade regulations and compliance across jurisdictions
Customs procedures, HS codes, and documentation
Cross-border logistics under Incoterms 2020
Case studies: tariff and duty regime management

Unit 11: Sustainability in supply chains

Green logistics and carbon reduction under the GHG Protocol
Circular-economy thinking in network and packaging design
Sustainable procurement and supplier environmental criteria
ESG reporting and accountability frameworks

Unit 12: Capstone supply chain optimization project

Group redesign of an optimized logistics network
Integrated network, inventory, and transport design
Strategy presentation to a stakeholder panel
Action roadmap for real-world implementation

How the course is delivered

Sessions blend instructor-led explanation with worked optimization examples, walkthroughs of documented end-to-end supply chain cases, and facilitated reading of the numbers behind each model. Each technique is practiced on documented data. The course is educational in purpose; it does not certify systems, audit a supply chain, or represent a formal compliance sign-off.

Who should attend

It is intended for supply-chain and distribution managers, logistics planners, demand and inventory analysts, procurement and sourcing specialists, operations and S&OP leads, network design analysts, and consultants who advise on end-to-end optimization. It also serves finance and commercial professionals who need to understand how network, inventory, and transport decisions shape cost and service.

About EuroQuest International Training

Since 2015, EuroQuest International Training has grown into a professional training company with a catalog of more than 1,000 courses. It is based in Bratislava, Slovakia, and has trained over 15,000 professionals from around the world. Its network of hubs takes in Dubai, Istanbul, Vienna, Geneva, Barcelona, Paris, and London.

Frequently asked questions

Is any certificate or award given for this course?

On finishing, you receive a EuroQuest certificate of completion. It attests to your attendance and engagement with the material. It is not a qualification granted by an external certification body, and is intended as evidence of continuing professional development.

Is a mathematics or analytics background necessary to keep up?

No advanced background is required. The course explains each model, from economic order quantity to safety stock and route optimization, from first principles and builds up through worked examples, so professionals from planning, procurement, and operations can follow the reasoning and apply it to their own numbers.

Which optimization models and analytics tools are taught?

You work with forecasting techniques, ABC and XYZ segmentation, EOQ and safety-stock formulas, multi-echelon inventory logic, vehicle routing and mode selection, network design methods such as center-of-gravity analysis, and the digital visibility tools associated with Industry 4.0. The emphasis is on choosing the right method for a given optimization problem and interpreting its results.