Distribution and logistics management is a critical company function. Professionals in this field play a key role in fulfilling customer demands, ordering and managing inventory, controlling inbound and outbound shipments, reducing costs, saving time, and meeting company objectives. This course will not only show you how to create and operate a logistics function, but it will also show you how to achieve success through a combination of strategies and tactics.

All elements of distribution and logistics management will be covered, including physical distribution, warehouse selection, material handling, packaging, order fulfillment, customer service, inventory management, receiving, production stores, and returned goods. The course will also address key technology issues such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), bar coding, electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic commerce (e-commerce), and distribution resource planning (DRP).

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Tony Swaim.

Tony Swaim has helped many clients, colleagues, and students reach their professional and personal goals. He has been an online instructor since 1998 and has taught at colleges and universities across the United States since 1981. His focus areas are project management, purchasing, continuous process improvement (CPI)/Six Sigma, and supply chain management. Tony manages a successful consulting firm, and his industry experience includes 20 years of supply chain management. He earned an MBA from California State University, Long Beach, and holds professional certifications in six disciplines, including the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI®).

“ Great and interesting course. The is the right course for me to enhance my career. A good and expert instructor. Thank you for a job well done. ”

“ I am very glad that courses like this are available to help those of us that have been in this field many years, catch up with the latest trends and refresh our knowledge of the basics. ”

“ I completed this class just in time to receive the assignment to write a paper on our logistics operation. I am an inventory management specialist. Thanks to you, I am so ready to write this paper as well taking a greater role in the Logistics and not just inventory. ”

“ I enjoyed this course, as I am in transportation and felt that I needed this course. ”

“ I enjoyed this course very much. It was informative and helpful. I will recommend it to others without hesitation. Thanks! ”

“ I learned a lot from this course and plan to take the supply chain courses next. ”

“ It was a great and useful experience for me. I learned a lot. The course was well written and fully accessible for me. The instructor is an expert with practical knowledge displayed through the course. Also the fees related to the course are to my knowlege unbeatable!!! I am eager to enroll for another course. ”

“ I work in a small warehouse that is controlled by the customer. The customer buys and ships to my facility. I stock, label and maintain a database and issue at the request of the customer very seldom do I make purchases. This course will help me with my setting up my warehouse and keeping records. I will continue to read the information in my work book and plan to take more courses. Thank you for all of the great information. ”

“ Overall, the course is excellent. I have worked in logistics for eight years, and this course has given me a greater understanding. ”

“ Some of the areas covered were much tougher than I expected. I have been in Logistics for many years and have not ever been involved with some areas covered. Thanks for the very enlightening course. ”

“ Thank you for an interesting course. It helped me a lot on some subjects that I was not really familiar with. It was very informative. Again thanks for a great course. ”

“ Thank you for your time on this course.I had a lot of fun and this class helped out a lot.I know a lot more now than ever about my job and about logistics. ”