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Quick Look Course Summary:Logistics and Distribution Management Course (2 days)
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Length: 2 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 14,642 EX VAT 3 Person R 9,476 EX VAT 10 Person R 6,474 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
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Logistics and Distribution Management Course (2 days)
Supervisors and managers run warehousing, transport and delivery on clear numbers – the right stock in the right place, fuller trucks, fewer failed deliveries and a lower cost to serve each customer.
Logistics is where a business keeps or breaks its promises to customers, and it carries a large share of the cost of every order. Late and incomplete deliveries, stock in the wrong depot, half-empty trucks, damaged goods and failed last-mile drops all eat into margin. In South Africa the pressure is higher: with rail capacity constrained, most freight moves by road, port and border delays stretch lead times, and diesel prices change every month. This logistics management course gives supervisors and managers a practical, numbers-based way to run distribution better.
Over two days, delegates follow goods from the supplier to the customer's door. Day one covers how logistics and supply chain management fit together, designing the distribution network, positioning inventory, and running and measuring a warehouse. Day two covers transport modes and routing, last-mile delivery and returns, cross-border and port logistics for SADC trade, logistics costs and KPIs, working with third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and planning for theft, delays and power outages.
It is a hands-on logistics short course, not a lecture. Delegates work through safety-stock, cost-per-drop and cost-to-serve calculations, map their own distribution network, and leave with a one-page KPI dashboard and a 30-day improvement plan for their own operation.
Why this course
For your organisation
- More orders delivered on time and in full
- Lower transport and warehousing cost per order
- Fewer stock-outs, damages and failed deliveries
- Clearer agreements and tougher performance reviews with carriers and 3PL providers
- Contingency plans for theft, port and border delays and power outages
For your delegates
- A clear picture of how logistics and distribution fit into the supply chain
- Practical calculations: safety stock, reorder points, vehicle utilisation and cost-to-serve
- A logistics KPI dashboard you can use the following week
- Confidence to question carriers, 3PL providers and internal teams on cost and service
- A 30-day improvement plan for your own operation
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain how logistics and distribution fit into the wider supply chain and where they add cost and value
- Map your distribution network and the flow of goods and information from supplier to customer
- Set reorder points and safety stock, and decide where stock should be held
- Improve warehouse layout, picking and dispatch to raise accuracy and speed
- Choose transport modes, load types and routes on cost, speed and reliability
- Plan last-mile deliveries and returns that customers can rely on
- Prepare cross-border shipments with the right Incoterms, documents and lead-time buffers
- Calculate logistics costs and cost-to-serve, and track performance on a one-page KPI dashboard
- Select, brief and review carriers and third-party logistics providers
- Build a logistics risk register and contingency plans for theft, delays and power outages
Who should attend
Logistics, distribution, warehouse and transport supervisors and managers; dispatch, stock and fleet controllers; operations, supply chain and procurement staff who depend on reliable delivery; customer service teams who handle delivery queries; and business owners and new appointees who need a solid grounding in logistics. It suits manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, e-commerce businesses, distributors and public-sector stores and fleet units.
Course outline
Day 1 – Logistics foundations, inventory and warehousing
Logistics and distribution in the supply chain
- What logistics covers: inbound, outbound, internal and reverse flows
- Logistics, distribution and supply chain management: how they relate
- The seven rights: product, quantity, condition, place, time, customer and cost
- Service level versus cost: the total-cost trade-off
- The South African picture: road-dominated freight, constrained rail, port and border delays
- Opening case: following one late order from warehouse to customer
Designing the distribution network
- Direct delivery, a central warehouse, regional depots and cross-docking
- Where to hold stock: closeness to customers versus the cost of extra depots
- Order cycle time and the delivery promises you make to customers
- Information flow: orders, stock visibility and proof of delivery
- Exercise: mapping your own distribution network and its weak points
Inventory in the distribution network
- Why stock is held at each point: cycle stock, safety stock and stock in transit
- ABC analysis: focusing control on the items that matter most
- Lead times, reorder points and safety stock, with a worked example
- Order quantities and the economic order quantity in plain terms
- Slow-moving, obsolete and expired stock
- Cycle counts and keeping stock records accurate
Warehouse operations
- The warehouse flow: receiving, put-away, storage, picking, packing and dispatch
- Layout and slotting: placing fast movers close to dispatch
- Picking methods: order, batch, zone and wave picking
- FIFO and FEFO for dated and perishable stock
- Barcodes, scanners and warehouse management systems
- Safety, housekeeping and shrinkage control
Measuring warehouse performance
- Order accuracy, pick rate, dock-to-stock time and inventory accuracy
- Space and labour utilisation
- Cost per order, per pallet and per line picked
- Own warehouse, shared warehousing or a third-party provider
- Exercise: finding three improvements in a sample warehouse
Day 2 – Transport, delivery, cost and risk
Transport and routing
- Road, rail, sea and air: cost, speed, reliability and capacity
- Full loads, part loads, consolidation and backhauls
- Route planning, drop sequencing and delivery windows
- Own fleet or contracted carriers
- Vehicle utilisation, fuel use and driver hours
- Tracking and telematics: what to monitor and act on
Last-mile delivery, returns and customer service
- Why the last mile is the most expensive and most visible part of delivery
- Delivery windows, customer communication and proof of delivery
- Failed deliveries: causes, cost and prevention
- Addressing and access in townships, rural areas and secure complexes
- Collection points, lockers and click-and-collect
- Returns and reverse logistics
Cross-border, port and import logistics
- Incoterms: who pays, who insures and where risk passes
- Commercial invoices, packing lists and customs declarations, in general terms
- Working with freight forwarders and clearing agents
- Trade routes into SACU and SADC countries and border posts such as Beitbridge
- Planning lead-time buffers for port and border delays
Logistics costs and KPIs
- The main cost blocks: transport, warehousing, inventory holding and administration
- Total landed cost of an imported or transferred product
- Cost-to-serve: which customers and channels make money
- Delivery KPIs: on time in full (OTIF), order cycle time, fill rate and damage rate
- Building a one-page logistics KPI dashboard
- Worked exercise: cost per drop and cost-to-serve
Working with carriers and 3PL providers
- When to outsource logistics and when to keep it in-house
- Selecting carriers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers
- What the agreement must cover: scope, service levels, rates, liability for loss and damage, and insurance
- Monthly performance reviews and improvement plans
- Building a working partnership while keeping control of cost and service
Logistics risk, continuity and action plan
- Key risks: cargo theft and truck hijacking, strikes, floods, and port, rail and border delays
- Power outages and load-shedding: cold chain, scanners, systems and backup power
- Diesel price changes and fuel surcharges
- A simple risk register and contingency plans: alternative routes, carriers and buffer stock
- A 30-day improvement plan for your own operation
- Evaluation and close
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; examples are drawn from your sector – manufacturing, wholesale and retail distribution, FMCG, e-commerce or the public sector – and private groups can work on their own distribution network. Workbook, worked calculations, a KPI dashboard template and a 30-day action plan included; delegates need a calculator.
What our clients say
“[The organisation] was satisfied with the quality and professionalism of the training services provided by BOTI and would recommend Business Optimization Training Institute (PTY) Ltd as a competent and reliable training provider”
“BOTI provided professional and structured training focused on strengthening participants’ practical knowledge and understanding of contract management, service level agreements, contract administration, managing service providers, monitoring performance, and managing contractual obligations”
“All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa. We can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Is this a logistics and supply chain management course?
It focuses on the logistics part of the supply chain: warehousing, inventory positioning, transport, last-mile delivery and logistics costs. For an overview of the whole chain – plan, source, make, deliver and return – book the one-day Supply Chain Management Course. Procurement Supply Chain Management Training covers buying and supplier contracts, and Mastering Service Level Agreements and Contracts goes deeper into the agreements you sign with carriers and 3PL providers.
Can it be tailored to our operation?
Yes. Tell us how you distribute – own fleet or contracted carriers, one warehouse or several depots, local or cross-border, ambient or cold chain – and send a few of your KPIs. The facilitator builds the examples and exercises around your operation.
Does it cover customs and cross-border trade?
Yes, at a practical level: Incoterms, the main shipping documents, working with freight forwarders and clearing agents, and planning for port and border delays. It is not a customs compliance course and does not replace advice from your clearing agent.
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