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Introduction to Supply Chain Analytics using Microsoft Excel (Udemy.com)

Learn supply chain analytics with Excel: forecasting, optimization, and data-driven decisions without complex math

4.6
2,889 reviews

Created by: Ray Harkins

Last updated August 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 2,889 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in August 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short, four-section Excel course for people in supply chain, inventory, planning and operations. It runs about 6 hours across 63 lectures and moves in three steps: descriptive statistics, forecasting with regression and seasonality, then optimization with Solver and Economic Order Quantity. Ray Harkins, a manufacturing and quality leader, teaches it. The level is listed as beginner, but the requirements assume basic Excel and some feel for manufacturing or logistics, so it suits working professionals more than people brand new to the field.

Reviewers mostly like the teaching. They describe clear explanations, step-by-step walk-throughs of the Excel functions, and an instructor who pauses at the points where a question might come up. Several say it matched problems they face at work, especially demand forecasting. The ratings back that up, with about 1,600 of the 2,889 reviews at five stars. The complaints are few but real. One reviewer expected supply chain data analysis and felt too much time went on basic functions like mean, median and quartiles. Another dismissed it as beginner level and questioned the instructor's background.

At under six hours, and refreshed in August 2026, it is a quick way in rather than a deep one. Only three quizzes check your progress, so most of the learning depends on following along in the downloadable exercises. Think of it as a starting point for analytics, not a full data analysis course. It fits planners and analysts who want to see how Excel handles forecasting and Solver. Anyone already comfortable with statistics will find the descriptive section slow.

Best forSupply chain or operations staff with basic Excel who want forecasting, Solver and EOQ explained step by step.
Skip it ifYou want real supply chain datasets and KPI interpretation, or you already use regression and Solver at work.

Pros

  • Step-by-step Excel walk-throughs that reviewers call clear and easy to follow
  • Covers forecasting, Solver optimization and EOQ in one short course
  • Instructor pauses where questions are likely and encourages exploring on your own
  • Downloadable exercises plus a 110+ term glossary for later reference

Cons

  • The descriptive section spends time on basic Excel stats like mean, median and quartiles
  • Light on real supply chain datasets and metrics, according to one low review
  • Labeled beginner, but assumes some manufacturing or logistics background
Excellent and engaging course. Great explanation of concepts and step-by-step walk through the functions used.
Karin MCVICAR, a student

Listed as beginner, but it expects basic Excel plus some supply chain or operations experience.

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What you will learn

  • Fundamental tools of descriptive, predictive and descriptive analytics
  • How to answer the questions, "What happened?", "What will happen?", and "What should we do?"
  • Analytical tools for assessing demand forecasts, production outputs and product mix strategies
  • Introductory time series analysis tools
  • Baseline, Trend, Seasonality and Error
  • Linear programming using Excel Solver
  • Statistical tools in Excel like quartiles, the data analysis tool kit, Norminv, linear regression, mathematical programming, and more!
  • How to use the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)
  • "Launch points" for further study in analytics

Course content

4 sections · 63 lectures · 5.9 hours of video 3 quizzes

  1. 1Introduction to Supply Chain Analytics 4 free previews5 lectures · 27 min
  2. 2Descriptive Analytics23 lectures · 1 quiz · 2.1 hours
  3. 3Predictive Analytics15 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.6 hours
  4. 4Prescriptive Analytics20 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.8 hours

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Supply Chain Analysts, Supply Chain Managers, Inventory Analysts, Demand Planners
  • Procurement Analysts, Materials Planners, Production Planners, Logistics Analysts
  • Business Analysts, Manufacturing Analysts, Data Analysts, Forecasting Analysts
  • Supply Chain Coordinators, Operations Analysts, Operations Research Analysts, Continuous Improvement Professionals
  • Planning Managers, Logistics Managers, Inventory Control Managers, Procurement Managers
  • Industrial Engineers, Quality Engineers, Quality Managers, Six Sigma Black Belts

What you need before you start

  • Basic Microsoft Excel skills
  • Basic understanding of manufacturing or logistics
  • Basic business acumen
  • Some supply chain or operations experience would be helpful.

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Course Description

Learn the analytical tools that drive better decisions in supply chain and operations—without needing advanced math or specialized software. This practical, Excel-based course has helped over 9.800 students build real-world skills in analytics.

4.7 stars average rating
1,500+ five-star reviews
Designed for professionals in supply chain, inventory, or operations roles
Practice with Excel-based downloadable exercises

Why Take This Course?

Analytics and supply chain management are two of the most in-demand skills in today’s job market. This course helps you build capability in three key areas:

Descriptive Analytics – What happened?

  • Parametric and nonparametric statistics

  • Measures of central tendency and dispersion

  • Process capability using the normal distribution

  • Calculating process yield

  • Combining normal random variables

  • Practical applications in manufacturing and inventory

Predictive Analytics – What will happen?

  • Time series basics

  • Building linear regression models in Excel

  • Seasonality and trend analysis

  • Forecasting techniques using real data

  • Excel Data Analysis Add-in walkthroughs

Prescriptive Analytics – What should we do?

  • Introduction to optimization and mathematical programming

  • Excel’s Solver Add-in step-by-step

  • Objective functions, constraints, and real-world modeling

  • Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)

  • Policy-driven models and product mix problems

What You’ll Get:

  • 5+ hours of instructor-led content

  • Step-by-step walkthroughs in Microsoft Excel

  • Downloadable exercises for each major topic

  • A 110+ term glossary to reinforce your learning and support continued study

  • Lifetime access to the course and all future updates

What Students Are Saying:

“Very great course if you are starting out in the Supply Chain field. Found it very informative and engaging.” – Isabel B.

“I’ve learned things about inventory I never heard of before. Outstanding course.” – Jerry O.

“Easy to understand, recommended for beginners. One of the better courses on Udemy.” – Clifford C.

“Great tools for the Supply Chain professional! Engaging and very knowledgeable of the overall subject.” – Stephanie M.


Build Skills That Advance Your Career

Whether you're new to analytics or want to sharpen your decision-making tools, this course will help you:

  • Understand the numbers behind your supply chain

  • Use Excel to perform real-world analyses

  • Communicate more confidently with data

Introduction to Supply Chain Analytics using Microsoft Excel will serve as the starting point to your career in supply chain analytics and management. No intimidating math. No complicated jargon. Just practical analytics for real professionals.
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 5.9h

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Instructor Details

Ray Harkins

Ray Harkins is a senior manufacturing leader, educator, and founder of The Manufacturing Academy, with more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, quality engineering and management, and operations leadership. He currently serves as a General Manager in manufacturing, overseeing operations, quality, engineering, and continuous improvement while remaining actively engaged in solving the day-to-day challenges faced by manufacturers.

After beginning his career in manufacturing engineering, Ray expanded into quality and operations leadership, working alongside leading industry professionals throughout North America and Japan and touring hundreds of manufacturing facilities. These experiences shaped his belief that manufacturing professionals deserve practical training that they can immediately apply to improve quality, productivity, and their careers.

That philosophy has guided the development of more than 60 online courses covering Lean Six Sigma, Statistical Process Control, Supply Chain Analytics, Manufacturing Leadership, Reliability Engineering, and Operations Management. His courses are used by individual professionals and corporate training departments worldwide and have helped more than 140,000 students build practical skills and advance their careers.

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Reviews

4.6

2,889 ratings on Udemy

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By Ashu Colin Arong on 7/20/2026

This course is actually what I needed to add to my supply chain skills, especially the part of production and demand forecasting. It is very important to me.

By Adhava Raj T on 5/21/2026

Supply chain analytics relies on Microsoft Excel. It enables the processing and visualization of large-scale operational data with agility. Analysts can handle the core pillars of supply chain management, descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, with its flexibility that bridges the gap between raw data and actionable strategy.

By VK Sourya Yallapragada on 2/5/2026

The Teacher has properly set the expectations and the roadmap to learning Supply Chain Management and Analytics. Supply Chain Domain knowledge is given equal weight as the Analytical skills. This helps me understand how to apply my analytical tools in a "given" domain. Professor, my previous version of the review was at the start of the course. I did not know that the review was for the whole course. I thought it was only for the first Part of the course. Thanks for teaching me, and Cheers!

By LaPorchia Collins on 1/9/2026

Very clear explanations. Practical examples. Useful resources. I also appreciated the guidance on learning more beyond the course. The instructor took great care to ensure clear and visually appealing presentation of Excel content. Recommend for anyone interested in an introduction to supply chain analytics.

By Aidan Carney on 12/18/2025

Its good, only problem is that the worksheets so far are a little bit different that the ones he uses in the videos. Also they are completed, so I have to delete parts of it so I can do it myself.

By Khatn Min Thu on 12/5/2025

Actually I'm in Dubai, I don't have any experience in Logistics, but currently work field is cargo that's why I was find on Chatgpt , I found your course and start this morning I really like it, if you see my comment please give me any suggestions for my future career

By Harender Kumar Khatri on 10/26/2025

This is my 3rd course from Ray Harkins and his method of teaching is very good. The lectures are filled with examples and practice material which are super helpful.

By Kevin Collins on 10/9/2025

As a procurement specialist, I found this course to be relevant and practical. The instructor does a great job breaking down supply chain analytics concepts and showing how to apply them using Excel. Highly recommended.

By Ahsan A on 3/10/2025

The course was quite useful but i wish the instructor had added more assessments/practice questions to really drill the concept in. This would have elevated the course to 4.5 stars.

By Leo Sarkpa Gray on 7/27/2023

This course has enhanced my understanding on solving manufacturing problems. Also, it gives me the clue to solving and analyzing analytical problems. Thanks to Udemy for such a fabulous course.

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Overall Score : 92 / 100

Introduction to Supply Chain Analytics using Microsoft Excel
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 5.9h
  • Price: $10.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon August 2026
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:63 in 4 sections
  • Practice:3 quizzes
  • Students:11,500
  • Subtitles:5 languages
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
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