Inventory Analytics

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Rutgers the State University of New Jersey

Inventory Analytics

This course is part of Supply Chain Analytics Specialization

Instructor: Yao Zhao

23,170 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

274 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

92%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

274 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

92%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

For which industries is inventory important and relevant?
How may inventory drive a company’s financial performance?
How do I know that I have an inventory problem?
How to classify and manage inventory?

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Supply Chain Analytics Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Inventory analytics is the corner stone of supply chain analytics. A company in trade industries may have 30-50% of their assets tied up in inventory. An effective inventory management can improve revenue by increasing product variety and availability, and reduce cost and speed up cash cycle by reducing excessive inventory and waste.

Through real-life examples (e.g., Macy’s vs. Ross Stores), you will learn hands-on tools and skills to discover and solve inventory problems by data analytics. Upon completion, you can answer the following questions: 1. For which industries is inventory important and relevant? 2. How may inventory drive a company’s financial performance? 3. How do I know that I have an inventory problem? 4. How to classify inventory and manage it accordingly? Note: This course is for beginners and practitioners, and so it provides practical data-driven analytics for business inventory management, including inventory metrics, inventory problem diagnosis, the financial impact of inventory, and practical techniques of inventory management, rather than the mathematical models of inventory control that you can find in many other courses.

Welcome to inventory analytics - the corner-stone of supply chain analytics. In this week, you will first learn the story of Macy’s and Ross Stores, then get an overview of the course, including the value, trend, breakdown, and economic indication of inventory in the US and around the world.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

The importance of inventory is industry and country dependent but time independent. In this week, you will learn to identify the importance of inventory in various industries (and countries) by two metrics: Inventory over total assets and inventory turns (or days).

What's included

8 videos2 readings1 assignment

8 videos Total 33 minutes

Assessing industries by inventory over total assets 5 minutes
Assessing industries by inventory turns and days 7 minutes
Introduction to GCPS 1 minute
Screenshots: Create a New Project 2 minutes
Screenshots: Business GEOINFO 5 minutes
Screenshots: Industry Analysis and Enterprise Diagnosis 6 minutes
Screenshots: Navigator and Supply Chain Mapping 4 minutes
Screenshots: Preview, Search and Cite 3 minutes

2 readings Total 90 minutes

The importance of inventory: One size doesn't fit all 60 minutes
Software Tools 30 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Inventory turns and days 30 minutes

Why do companies hold inventory and why not? How may inventory drive a company’s financial performance? How do I know that I have an inventory problem? You will be able to answer these questions in this week.

What's included

3 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

3 videos Total 14 minutes

Why (or why not) hold inventory? 5 minutes
How may inventory drive a company’s financial performance? 3 minutes
How Do I Know If I Have An Inventory Problem? 6 minutes

2 readings Total 40 minutes

Assessing the financial impact of inventory 10 minutes
Diagnosing Inventory Problems 30 minutes

2 assignments Total 50 minutes

Why (or why not) hold inventory? 30 minutes
Impact of inventory and inventory problem diagnosis 20 minutes

1 peer review Total 100 minutes

Inventory Analytics Mini-Project 100 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 20 minutes

Share the findings and insights from peer reviewed project 20 minutes

Some products are more important than others for inventory management; the inventory of different products may be managed in different ways. In this week, you will learn how to classify inventory and manage it accordingly.

What's included

5 videos1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

5 videos Total 24 minutes

Classifying inventory 6 minutes
ABC Analysis by Excel 7 minutes
ABC Analysis by Google Sheets 4 minutes
Managing inventory by class or type 4 minutes
Inventory Management in Practice 3 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Managing inventory by class or type 30 minutes

1 peer review Total 90 minutes

Mini project: classifying food inventory 90 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 30 minutes

Inventory Classification and Management in Practice 30 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(88 ratings)

Yao Zhao

6 Courses 111,201 learners

Offered by

Rutgers the State University of New Jersey

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Showing 3 of 274

Reviewed on Jan 31, 2026

Informative and practical, with clear real-world inventory applications.

Reviewed on Jul 2, 2020

This is an excellent course for those who would like to get the exact knowledge of how inventory is classified and its importance in industry

Reviewed on Jan 1, 2024

The course changed my perspective about Inventory management and analysis.

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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

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