Effective Inventory Planning

Course details

📘 Course Overview

Course Overview

This course teaches practical, easy-to-understand methods for optimizing inventory decisions using clear, logical frameworks. You’ll learn how to balance ordering frequency, stock levels, storage costs, and demand variability to minimize costs and maximize customer satisfaction. Through real-world examples and hands-on exercises, you’ll develop the skills to make smarter inventory choices without complex formulas or confusing jargon.

Ideal For

Small business owners managing inventory
Retail managers looking to reduce stockouts and overstock
Supply chain and operations professionals seeking practical inventory tools
Entrepreneurs wanting to improve cash flow by optimizing stock
Anyone interested in inventory management with a focus on clarity and simplicity

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Understand key inventory concepts such as reorder points, safety stock, and order quantities using straightforward logic.
Apply the 2–4 week rule and other simple heuristics to determine optimal order sizes.
Balance delivery costs and storage costs to reduce total inventory expenses.
Identify inventory problems such as overstock, stockouts, and slow-moving items, and recommend actionable fixes.
Adjust ordering strategies based on demand variability, seasonality, and lead times.
Communicate inventory decisions clearly to stakeholders using intuitive reasoning.
Use scenario-based exercises to reinforce decision-making skills for inventory optimization.

Course curriculum

1

Module 1: Why Inventory Decisions Matter
- Lesson 1: The Inventory Balancing Act
- Lesson 2: Real-World Impacts of Inventory Mistakes
- Lesson 3: Inventory Touches Every Part of the Business Free Preview
2

Module 2: Understanding Demand in Simple Terms
- Lesson 1: What Is Demand, Really?
- Lesson 2: 3 Simple Ways to Spot Demand Patterns
- Lesson 3: Estimating Future Demand — The Easy Way
- Practice Activity:
3

Module 3: The Logic Behind When to Reorder (Reorder Point)
- Lesson 1: What Is a Reorder Point?
- Lesson 2: Adding Safety Stock (Buffer)
- Lesson 3: Putting It All Together — Simple Formula
- Practice Exercise
4

Module 4: How Much to Order (Economic Order Quantity – Simplified)
- Lesson 1: The Cost of Ordering Too Much vs. Too Little
- Lesson 2: What Is EOQ (Economic Order Quantity)?
- Lesson 3: A Simplified EOQ Rule of Thumb
- Practice Exercise:
5

Module 5: Safety Stock Without Stress
- Lesson 1: What Is Safety Stock Really For?
- Lesson 2: How Much Safety Stock Should I Keep?
- Practice Activity:
6

Module 6: Interpreting Inventory Reports
- Lesson 1: What Inventory Reports Tell You
- Lesson 2: Spotting Red Flags in Reports
- Practice Scenario
7

Solutions to Practice Exercises
- Module 1-Lesson 1
- Module 1-Lesson 2
- Module 2- Lesson 1
- Module 2- Lesson 2
- Module 2-Lesson 3 Free Preview
- Module 2-Practice
- Module 3- Practice
- Module 4-Lesson 1
- Module 4-Lesson 2
- Module 4-Lesson 3
- Module 4-Practice
- Module 5-Lesson 1
- Module 5-Lesson 2
- Module 5-Practice
- Module 6-Lesson 2
- Module 6-Practice Scenario

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Access to preview lesson only