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Global Supply Chains and Managing Inventory Location

Build your knowledge of geographical regions and learn how they affect modal choice, inventory positioning and location decisions.

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    10 hours

Assess how different geographical features affect key logistics decisions

Throughout this course, you’ll learn to identify the main influences on market development and gain the knowledge you’ll need to outline the key geographic global markets by block.

You’ll also study inventory strategies, and a wide range of tools and approaches to the positioning of inventory are examined in detail. Types of distribution structures such as echelon and direct are also assessed.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1

  • Influences on global market development
  • Geographic market profiles of Europe, North and South America, the Asia Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East
  • Where to locate global distribution centres in a primary or secondary global network
  • How to decide where to locate manufacturing plants, a warehouses and a retail outlets

Week 2

  • The function of inventory in deciding a global distribution network
  • An outline of inventory control tools
  • Facilities network location choices and where to position inventory to benefit logistics operations
  • How transport affects inventory positioning
  • An assessment of echelon, direct, flexible or combined facilities structure choices

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Recognise the effect of terminal and distribution assets and how they affect modal choice
  • Describe and identify geographical market profiles of each major economic block
  • Evaluate where to locate distribution centres
  • Assess the effect of centralisation of distribution on major global markets
  • Assess the importance of positioning inventory in relationship to customers
  • Identify and hypothesise where to locate a manufacturing plant/warehouse and retail outlets

Who is the course for?

This course is for business professionals aiming to improve their logistics, supply chain or distribution skills. It aims to help anyone seeking to analyse and hypothesise the ideal inventory location on both an operational and geographical level.

Who developed the course?

Coventry University

Coventry secured 5 QS Stars for Teaching and Online Learning in the QS World University Ranking 2020 and has received No. 1 in the world for Massive Open Online Courses in MoocLab’s World University Ranking 2021.

  • Established

    1992
  • Location

    Coventry

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

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