Inventory Management Fundamentals
Inventory is not simply stock sitting in a warehouse. It is a supply chain decision. Every item held in stock should have a reason, a policy and a review point. Too little inventory can create shortages, poor service and operational failure. Too much inventory can tie up cash, consume space and create obsolescence. This course helps learners understand the fundamentals of inventory management, including stock policy, safety stock, reorder points, stockholding cost, slow-moving inventory and availability.
Overview
Inventory is one of the most important assets in any supply chain. Too little stock creates shortages, lost sales, operational failure, poor customer service and reduced availability. Too much stock ties up cash, consumes warehouse space, increases handling costs and creates the risk of slow-moving, obsolete or expired items.
This course provides a practical introduction to inventory management for UK supply chain professionals. It explains the core principles behind stock policy, safety stock, reorder points, inventory cost, slow-moving stock, obsolescence and availability. The course is designed for online self-study and assumes no instructor is present. Each lesson explains the concepts clearly, provides practical examples and includes activities that help learners apply the material to their own organisation.
By the end of the course, learners will understand how inventory decisions affect service, cost, working capital and operational resilience. They will be able to explain why stock exists, how stock levels are controlled, how reorder decisions are made, why safety stock is needed, how stockholding cost is calculated, and how slow-moving and obsolete inventory should be managed.
Curriculum
- 4 Sections
- 20 Lessons
- 10 Weeks
- Section 1: Understanding Inventory and Stock Policy6
- Section 2: Safety Stock and Reorder Points6
- Section 3: Stockholding Cost, Slow-Moving Inventory and Obsolescence6
- Section 4: Availability, Performance and Better Inventory Decisions7
Instructor
FAQs
Requirements
- Basic understanding of supply chain or business operations
- No specialist software required
- Calculator optional for simple reorder point examples
- Willingness to apply examples to workplace inventory decisions
Features
- Practical UK-focused inventory management training
- Covers stock policy, safety stock and reorder points
- Explains stockholding cost and inventory risk
- Includes slow-moving and obsolete stock management
- Links inventory decisions to availability and service
- Includes knowledge checks and final assessment
Target audiences
- Supply chain coordinators
- Inventory planners
- Warehouse supervisors
- Procurement professionals
- Demand planners
- Logistics managers
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Course Features
- Lectures 20
- Quizzes 5
- Duration 10 weeks
- Skill level All levels
- Language English
- Students 4
- Certificate No
- Assessments Yes
A clear, practical and highly useful introduction to inventory management. The course explains the key concepts in plain English and helps learners understand how stock decisions affect cost, service and availability.