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
Have you ever wondered how companies know how much to produce in advance so that they do not make too much or too little? Matching supply and demand requires planning. This course introduces you to the exciting area of supply chain planning. Part of a broader specialization on Supply Chain Management, you will master different forecasting techniques, essential for building a Sales and Operations Plan. At the completion of this course you will have the tools and techniques to analyze demand data, construct different forecasting techniques, and choose the most suitable one for projecting future demand.
Welcome to the exciting world of planning! This module introduces you to the professor who is teaching the courses in the Supply Chain Management Specialization. You will also construct forecasting models that enable you to predict future demand. By the end of this short module, you'll know what to expect in the course and hopefully be as excited to learn about Supply Chain Planning as I will be to teach you. In this module, learners will review two simple forecasting methods, the naive method, and the cumulative mean. Finally, you will create forecasts of your own based on a data set and provide the correct answers in the quiz.
Naive Method and Cumulative Mean Quiz Instructions•20 minutes
3 assignments•Total 70 minutes
Naive Forecast Practice Quiz•10 minutes
Cumulative Mean Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Naive Forecast and Cumulative Mean Assessment•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 30 minutes
Simple Forecasting Methods•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
Introductions•10 minutes
Simple Forecasting Methods•10 minutes
Forecast Accuracy and Moving Average
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, learners will cover two more sophisticated forecasting methods, the moving average and exponential smoothing.
What's included
4 videos7 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 21 minutes
Forecast Accuracy Measures•4 minutes
Forecast Accuracy Measures Screencast•5 minutes
Moving Average•4 minutes
Screencast on Moving Average•8 minutes
7 readings•Total 95 minutes
Notes on Forecast Accuracy Measures•15 minutes
Forecast Accuracy Solution•15 minutes
Forecast Accuracy Quiz Instructions•20 minutes
Moving Average Notes•10 minutes
About Rounding•10 minutes
Moving Average Solution•5 minutes
Moving Average Quiz Instructions•20 minutes
4 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Forecast Accuracy Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Moving Average Practice Quiz•30 minutes
Forecast Accuracy•10 minutes
Moving Average•20 minutes
Exponential Smoothing and Forecast Selection
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will master one more forecasting method - exponential smoothing. In addition, you will learn how to pick the best forecasting approach and what to do with the forecast once it is implemented.
In this module you will put your new forecasting skills to the test. You will analyze a real-life dataset and make recommendations on the different forecasting methods.
What's included
1 video1 reading1 peer review1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
1 video•Total 3 minutes
Supply, Manufacturing and Distribution Planning•3 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Sales and Operations Planning•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 180 minutes
Supply Chain Planning Assessment•180 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Sales and Operations Planning•10 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor
Instructor ratings
Instructor ratings
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Learner reviews
4.7
3,058 reviews
5 stars
80.58%
4 stars
15%
3 stars
2.32%
2 stars
0.91%
1 star
1.17%
Showing 3 of 3058
W
WM
5·
Reviewed on Oct 9, 2024
Great course, one opportunity of improvement is to explain the philosophy behind using such forecasting model and what's next after utilizing such model. Anyways, it's a great course.
J
JL
5·
Reviewed on Jun 24, 2025
It is a good course on supply chain management, but it is also a bit challenging too. It'd be better with good writing and good algebra knowledge to understand, especially on supply chain planning.
M
MD
5·
Reviewed on Aug 27, 2025
The explanation is well details and the examples and formulas given were clear and easy to understand I learn alot, I personally enjoy the overall course thank you a lot.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
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.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.