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Online Supply Chain Management Certificate (Noncredit)

Format

Online

Number of modules

3

Duration

4 Months
(Five weeks per module)

Registration

Open to all
(single module option)

Next Start Date

1 October 2023

Program Fees

$3,799
(or $1,400 for a module)

In light of the ongoing supply chain crisis, there is a critical and immediate need for a better understanding of all aspects of supply chain management and its flow across the board. Gain the knowledge needed to keep up with contemporary demands by obtaining a credential from a recognized institution that equips professionals with skills that can be applied to logistics, manufacturing, procurement and quality assurance positions.

The noncredit Supply Chain Management Certificate from Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) gives participants a better understanding of how supply chains are currently being reshaped by firm-driven innovation, consumer preferences, emerging technology and evolving public policy. Participants will also investigate how big data and other emerging technologies are impacting the future of the supply chain. Darden EELL gives participants the flexibility to register for the full certificate, which can be completed in four months, or register for one five-week module at a time.

Noncredit Supply Chain Management Certificate participants will study alongside Doug Thomas, a supply chain thought leader and expert researcher who also teaches coursework in the UVA Darden School of Business MBA, Executive MBA and Ph.D. programs.

Download a Brochure

To learn more about the Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) noncredit Supply Chain Management Certificate and to download a brochure, fill out the fields below. You can also call +1-844-322-2742 to speak with an enrollment representative.

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Man in classroom

“The COVID-19 crisis, post-pandemic economic effects and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have exposed the vulnerabilities of today’s global supply chains. They have also made heroes of the teams that keep products flowing in a complex, uncertain and fast-changing environment.”

McKinsey & Company,
Future-proofing the supply chain, 2022

Program Video

In this video, faculty member Doug Thomas dives into some of the main benefits of our noncredit Supply Chain Management certificate program. You’ll get a quick introduction to what the curriculum covers and how you can apply this knowledge to your supply chain career.

Program Outcomes

By the end of the noncredit supply chain certificate, participants will have the tools needed to help create supply chains of the future. They will be able to:

  • Understand the supply chain from end-to-end, including customer demand, distribution and suppliers.
  • Use key models and methods of analysis to analyze supply chains.
  • Investigate how big data and other emerging technologies will impact supply chains.

Frequently Asked Questions

This noncredit Supply Chain Management Certificate allows you to hone your expertise in order to design and manage supply chain plans with future needs in mind. The program provides an opportunity for supply chain management professionals to develop the solutions-oriented mindset needed to advance within the industry.

Those who continue their path in supply chain management can head towards titles such as:

  • Logistics coordinator
  • Supply chain specialist
  • Procurement analyst
  • Logistics manager
  • Transportation logistics specialist
  • Purchasing manager
  • Warehouse manager
  • Senior logistics manager

The noncredit certificate in supply chain management is an excellent investment for anyone who wants a better understanding of the end-to-end supply chain and to develop an analytical skill set to work more strategically within the industry. In addition, you will gain a better understanding of how big data and other emerging technologies affect the supply chain, which will allow you to prepare for inevitable changes in the supply chain.

Participants will complete this noncredit certificate in four months, or they may opt to register for one module at a time and complete the certificate on their own schedule. The certificate is made up of three modules, each taking five weeks to complete. Participants should expect to dedicate three to five hours per week to the noncredit certificate program.

Yes. You will receive a certified, noncredit digital certificate issued by the Darden School Foundation by email within a few weeks of successfully completing the program.

Coursework

The noncredit Supply Chain Management Certificate is asynchronous, with coursework consisting of video modules, readings, discussion forums and quizzes. The program may also include live sessions. This certificate utilizes NovoEd, a collaborative, cohort-based learning platform. Participants will leave the program with relevant know-how of the evolving supply chain landscape, including the end-to-end cycle of a supply chain and the tools used to analyze it.

The certificate is taught by Doug Thomas, a leader in the field, and coursework stems from the UVA Darden School of Business MBA, a highly ranked national program.

Request BrochureStart Registration
Doug Thomas

94%
The increase in demand for supply chain skills over the last five years.

Lightcast, 2023

In this module, we trace the supply chain from the end consumer all the way back to the supplier. We cover appropriate terminology, identify key decisions and learn how to make those decisions. We will also discuss how supply chains are currently being reshaped by firm-driven innovation, shifting consumer preferences, emerging technology and evolving public policy.

Topic 1 – Intro to Supply Chain
This section explains what the supply chain is, why it’s important and how supply chain content is used and applied.

Topic 2 – Order Fulfillment, Distribution and Transportation
This section discusses warehouse and fulfillment center operations.

Topic 3 – Make-to-Stock and Make-to-Order/Managing Production and Inventory
This section focuses on the planning and control of make-to-stock and make-to-order manufacturing.

Topic 4 – Procurement
This section focuses on procurement and the approaches to managing suppliers.

In this module, we learn how to manage uncertainty in a supply chain to effectively meet customer demand. We will first understand the demand planning and forecasting process, learn how to generate statistical forecasts and how to measure forecast performance. In addition, we cover how to use demand forecasts to make inventory decisions in several contexts and techniques for managing inventory for large portfolios of items.

Topic 5 – Demand Planning and Forecasting
In this section, we measure forecast performance, case study, useful forecast analysis and summary.

Topic 6 – Inventory Management Pt. 1
This section covers managing inventory for different kinds of items and managing seasonal items.

Topic 7 – Inventory Management Pt. 2
In this section, you learn how to manage inventory for regularly selling items, periodic model review, continuous review, product differentiation and centralizing storage.

Topic 8 – Inventory Management Pt. 3
This section covers continuous review, product differentiation and centralized storage.

Topic 9 – Managing Inventory for a Portfolio of Items
This section discusses using the Pareto Principle to segment items.

In this module, we learn how to make capacity decisions to best balance cost with customer service. We analyze how information flows in a supplier chain and how these information flows can be managed to improve overall supply chain performance. We also examine how incentives of different departments within a firm or different firms in the same manufacturing supply chain can be managed to improve overall supply chain performance.

Topic 10 – Managing Capacity Decisions
This section covers manufacturing planning and capacity decisions.

Topic 11 – Managing Supply Partners Part 1 (Spend Analysis and Total Landed Cost)
In this section you will learn about spend analysis, supplier segmentation and total landed cost.

Topic 12 – Managing Supply Partners Part 2 (Coordinating the Supply Chain)
In this section, you will learn about coordinating the supply chain.

Topic 13 – Implications of Emerging Technologies on Supply Chains
This section is an overview of technologies that will have an impact on supply chains including 3D printing, the Internet of Things, Blockchain and AI.

Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning (EELL) is provided by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation.