Overview

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Designed for aspiring operations and supply chain professionals, this course builds the skills needed to improve operations, manage quality, and optimize processes across supply chain environments. No prior AWS experience is required. Familiarity with business operations, logistics, analytics, or supply chain concepts may be helpful, but is not essential. Learners examine how continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma are used to identify inefficiencies, reduce waste, and improve operational performance. Through practical scenarios, learners explore workflow bottlenecks, process variability, quality management activities, and operational performance challenges across supply chain operations. The course also introduces structured risk and optimization approaches, including Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), process capability evaluation, automation considerations, and operational improvement planning. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on operational analysis, continuous improvement, quality evaluation, and operational decision-making across supply chain operations. By the end of the course, learners will be able to identify operational improvement opportunities, apply quality management tools, assess operational risks, and support optimization initiatives across supply chain workflows.

Syllabus

Lean and process improvement fundamentals
- This module introduces Lean and process improvement fundamentals, focusing on how inefficiencies are identified and eliminated in supply chain operations. You will examine the principles of Lean and the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) framework used in Six Sigma methodologies. The module introduces common process improvement tools used to visualize workflows, identify waste, and analyze root causes of operational issues. It also emphasizes how structured approaches to process improvement support operational efficiency, cost reduction, and service performance. By the end of the module, you will be able to interpret Lean principles, apply process improvement tools, and identify opportunities to improve supply chain operations.
Process analysis and flow optimization
- This module develops capability in analyzing process flow and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency within supply chain operations. You'll examine how material and information flows are mapped and analyzed to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. The module introduces value stream mapping as a method for visualizing end-to-end processes and understanding how activities contribute to overall performance. The module also focuses on time-based analysis, including how time-study data is used to measure task duration, identify constraints, and estimate improvements. You'll examine how flow optimization techniques support better resource utilization and improved operational performance. By the end of the module, you will be able to map process flows, analyze bottlenecks, and evaluate opportunities to improve efficiency.
Quality management and process capability
- This module develops capability in quality management and process capability analysis within supply chain operations. You'll examine how quality is maintained through inspection processes, sampling methods, and structured quality control systems. The module introduces key quality management concepts, including ISO terminology such as Non-Conformance Reports (NCR), Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA), and Acceptable Quality Limits (AQL). The module also focuses on how process capability is measured using indices such as Cp and Cpk, and how these metrics are used to evaluate whether processes meet required performance standards. By the end of the module, you will be able to interpret quality metrics, apply inspection processes, and analyze process capability to support quality management decisions.