New Start Date! Essentials of Operations and Supply Chain Management - Online @ PDC - Begins March 3, 2026
Essentials of Operations and Supply Chain Management
8 weeks, 32 hours from 5-7 pm, on Tues & Thurs through Professional Development Center, March 03 to April 28, 2026 - led by APICS recognized instructors
Instructor for this course is Bob Ratcliffe. Click here for the instructor's bio
Course Description
The introductory course addresses the fundamental principles and practices of Operations and Supply Chain and business processes and systems. Major topics covered in this course include: Demand Management, Sales and Operations Planning, Master Production Scheduling, Material Planning (MRP), Capacity Planning, Inventory Management and Control, Production Planning and Control, Purchasing, and Lean Management practices. Students will be introduced to accepted APICS Body of Knowledge concepts and terminology. While this class is not designed as an APICS Certification preparation course it provides a strong foundation for students to prepare for the CPIM Certification exam.
Audience
This course is developed for Operations and Supply Chain professionals and practitioners who want to gain practical knowledge and skills that can be applied immediately in jobs and that will prepare them for additional professional development and certification. Planners, Buyers, Master Schedulers, Demand Planners, Production Planners, Material Planners, Production and Inventory control coordinators, cost accountants, Quality Control personnel, and others who are involved in the day-to-day activities of operations and supply chain management.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites for this course. It is strongly recommended that students have some experience or knowledge in the field of supply chain and operations management activities (ie Production and Inventory Control, Purchasing, Demand Management, Sales and Operations Planning, Master Production Scheduling, Material Planning (MRP), Capacity Planning, Lean, etc.)
Topics and Course Content
Key Concepts |
Essential Job Skills |
| Demand Management Principles and Practices Fundamentals of Sales and Operations Plan Master Scheduling Foundations Basics of Material Planning Capacity Planning and Management Fundamentals of Inventory Management Fundamentals of Purchasing Introduction to Distribution & Logistics Lean Production Management Process Improvement and Performance |
Forecasting techniques and evaluation Customer order management MTS vs MTO production & inventory planning Master Scheduling techniques MRP mechanics and order management Inventory accuracy and cycle counting Capacity Requirements Planning CRP Purchasing, buyer/planner role Production Activity Control activities PAC Lean scheduling techniques |
Learning Goals and Results
On completion of the course students will be able to:
- Explain fundaments concepts related to Operations and Supply Chain Management
- Be familiar with the terminology of Operations and Supply Chain Management
- Complete simple exercises demonstrating their understanding of the subject matter
- Apply the skills and practices that they have learned to their own jobs and companies
- Develop the foundation for taking APICS exams.
Registration
Questions about the class content: email [email protected]
Click here for more information or to register with our college partner.
Are you interested in our other Essential Skills Training courses for Planners, Buyers, Warehouse, and Inventory Control personnel? Then click here to download our flyer of upcoming courses. Plan your education for yourself and your employees for the coming year!
ASCM is an unbiased partner, connecting companies around the world with industry experts, frameworks and global standards to transform supply chains.