Warehouse Operations and Management

Course Outline
Course Title: Warehouse Operations & Inventory Management.
Course Preamble.
Inventory management, or inventory control, is an attempt to balance inventory needs and requirements with the need to minimize costs resulting from obtaining and holding inventory. There are several schools of thought that view inventory and its function differently. These will be addressed in this course, but first we present a foundation to facilitate the reader’s understanding of inventory and its function.
The course provides an outline on the importance of an effective inventory management system. Inventory is looked at in terms of the overall cash flow of a business entity. The course also looks at methods of applying an effective inventory management system and more current approaches to inventory management.

Inventories can reach many millions of dollars. You need a good warehouse to store, keep and protect all those millions of dollars. In this course, we will discuss the best and the latest methods to store and protect high value inventories. We will also discuss the best characteristics of a modern warehouse. Knowing what you have and how much you have are the keys to proper warehousing management. We will explore the various methods to achieve record accuracy and successful cycle counting. A scientific method of auditing the warehouse will be applied.

Course Objectives
On completion on the course participants should be able to:
 Improve efficiency, productivity and ultimately to manage the store and warehouse profitably
 Effectively organize the store and reduce time wasted in locating stocks
 Use codification and classification to improve stock control
 Get a thorough grasp of the safety and security features in warehouse
 Increase knowledge on good housekeeping or store functions
 Adopt and install a systematic and updated approach to store and warehouse operations.
 Explain the challenges, objectives and functions of warehousing
 Perform ABC inventory classification and cycle counting and calculate record accuracy and discrepancies
 Identify the different types of storage and material handling systems
 Improve supervisory skills and deal more effectively with warehouse staff issues
 Develop better skills for housekeeping and safety within the warehouse
 Measure warehouse productivity using the right KPIs and conduct a scientific audit of the warehouse
 Identify inefficiencies in existing layouts and show how space economies can be achieved.

Target Groups
 Logistics Managers
 Materials, Purchasing, Warehousing and Distribution Managers
 Store Supervisors and Clerks
 Stock or Inventory Controllers
 Stockists, Distributors and Traders
 Importers and Exporters

Course Methodology
This course uses a mixture of interactive learning tools such as videos, questionnaires, case studies, team exercises, individual exercises and group discussions.

Course Outline
 Objectives of warehousing
 The modern warehouse
 The warehousing cycle
 Problems and challenges in warehousing
 Warehousing and inventory costs
 Customer service in warehousing
 General Management Skills and Practices
 Understanding Stock/Inventory Management and its Importance
 Store Planning, Operations and Management
 Duties and Functions Of Stores Personnel
 Stock Control Systems
 Inventory Planning
 Demand Forecasting
 Types of inventory
 The ABC classification
 Uses of the ABC classification
 Inventory record accuracy ü Reasons for poor accuracy ü Periodic and cycle counting
 Systems and methodology of counting
 Knowing what is inside the warehouse
 Knowing how much is inside the warehouse
 Lead-Time Management
 Inventory Categorization Techniques
 Measuring and Valuation of Inventory
 The Financial Implications Of Holding Inventory
 Systems to Replenish Inventory
 How Much to Order and When to Place an Order
 Store Organization Functions
 Order-Picking Methods and Techniques
 Ordering and tracking inventory
 Receiving Procedures, Storing and Shipping
 Inspection and Quality
 Control of stock
 Managing Stores
 Stock pricing and valuation
 Monitoring Inventory Movements
 Checking Suppliers Invoices and Delivery Notes
 Stock Counts and Accuracy
 Inventory Coding Systems and identifying stock items
 Stock taking and cycle counting
 Expiry Dates and Damaged Stock
 Scrap and Obsolescence Dispositions
 Efficient Operation Systems
 Stock-Locator System
 Store Equipment Selection and Maintenance
 Determine Operating Costs
 Store Design and Layout
 Accountability and Store Procedure
 Security of Stock and Stores
 Maintenance, Safety and House Keeping
 Insurance
 Receipt and Issue Of Inventory
 Systems to Replenish Inventory
 Store Design and Layout
 Materials Handling and Equipment
 Record Keeping and Communication
 Management Of Receipts – Receipt and Issue Of Inventory
 Stores Documentation
 Layout of the warehouse
 Size and shape of the warehouse
 Storage utilization and organization
 Types of storage systems
 Fixed versus random location
 Material handling equipment
 Material handling equipment checklist
 Improving the receiving/issuing material operations
 Record Keeping and Communication
 Database Management

Way forward After the Training
Participants will develop a work plan through the help of facilitators that stipulates application of skills acquired in improving their organizations. ASPM will monitor implementation progress after the training.

Training Evaluation:
Participants will undertake a simple assessment before the training to gauge prior knowledge and skills and another assessment will be done after the training in-order to demonstrate knowledge gained through the training.