Custom Courses Procurement and Supply Chain Management

Stock Management, Forecasting and Demand Planning Training

SAQA US AATICD-0133 | NQF 5 | Credits 10 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to effectively manage stock levels, forecast demand, and plan inventory to optimise supply chain efficiency. Participants will learn to apply quantitative and qualitative forecasting techniques, analyse demand patterns, and implement stock control measures to reduce costs and improve service levels.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply stock management principles to maintain optimal inventory levels
  • Analyse historical data and market trends to forecast demand accurately
  • Evaluate different forecasting methods and select appropriate techniques for given scenarios
  • Design a demand planning process that aligns with organisational objectives
  • Implement stock control measures to minimise waste and stockouts
  • Demonstrate the ability to use inventory management software for tracking and reporting

Target Audience

This course is ideal for inventory managers, supply chain coordinators, procurement officers, and operations supervisors who are responsible for stock management and demand planning in their organisations.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Stock Management

Objectives:
• Understand the role of stock management in supply chain operations
• Define key stock management terminology
• Identify different types of inventory and their characteristics
• Explain the costs associated with holding stock
• Recognize the importance of accurate stock records

Topics:
• Overview of supply chain management
• Types of inventory: raw materials, WIP, finished goods, MRO
• Stock management objectives: availability, cost, turnover
• Holding costs, ordering costs, and stockout costs
• Stock record accuracy and cycle counting

Day 2: Stock Control Systems and Techniques

Objectives:
• Compare periodic and perpetual inventory systems
• Apply ABC analysis to classify inventory items
• Use EOQ and reorder point formulas
• Implement safety stock calculations
• Evaluate stock control methods for different item types

Topics:
• Periodic vs perpetual inventory systems
• ABC classification and Pareto analysis
• Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model
• Reorder point and safety stock determination
• Just-in-Time (JIT) and vendor-managed inventory (VMI)

Day 3: Forecasting Fundamentals

Objectives:
• Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative forecasting methods
• Apply time series forecasting techniques (moving average, exponential smoothing)
• Measure forecast accuracy using MAD, MSE, and MAPE
• Understand the impact of seasonality and trends
• Select appropriate forecasting models for different demand patterns

Topics:
• Importance of demand forecasting in stock management
• Qualitative methods: market research, expert opinion
• Quantitative methods: naive, moving average, exponential smoothing
• Trend and seasonality decomposition
• Forecast error metrics and model selection

Day 4: Demand Planning and Inventory Optimization

Objectives:
• Integrate forecasting with inventory planning
• Develop a demand plan using historical data and market intelligence
• Apply inventory optimization techniques (e.g., min-max, DRP)
• Understand the role of collaboration in demand planning (CPFR)
• Use safety stock and service level trade-offs

Topics:
• Demand planning process: data collection, forecasting, planning
• Inventory optimization: min-max systems, periodic review
• Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP)
• Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR)
• Service level optimization and safety stock adjustment

Day 5: Practical Application and Integration

Objectives:
• Apply learned concepts to a real-world case study
• Use spreadsheets to model inventory and forecasting scenarios
• Present a demand plan with supporting analysis
• Evaluate the impact of forecasting errors on stock levels
• Develop an action plan for improving stock management

Topics:
• Case study: demand forecasting and inventory planning for a product line
• Spreadsheet modelling: EOQ, safety stock, forecast accuracy
• Group presentation: demand plan and recommendations
• Sensitivity analysis: impact of forecast error on service level
• Continuous improvement in stock management

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Jan 2027 Fri 08 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Feb 2027 Fri 05 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
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Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
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Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 426 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 03 Aug 2026 Fri 07 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
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Mon 17 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Harare, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
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Mon 12 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
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Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 10 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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