Best Free Supply Chain & Supply Management Courses Online in 2026 (Top Picks for Careers)
Supply management and supply chain skills are essential for ensuring that goods and services flow efficiently from suppliers to customers. These skills include inventory control, logistics, procurement, demand forecasting, and process optimisation.
Learning supply management helps professionals streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve organisational performance — especially in manufacturing, retail, logistics, and operations roles.
These courses provide high-quality online training in supply chain and supply management fundamentals, designed to help beginners and professionals alike build practical skills.
Top Online Supply Management Courses in 2026
1. Free Supply Chain Management Courses – Great Learning
Delivery: Online self-paced (Free)
Duration: ~3–4 hours
Great Learning’s Supply Chain Management course teaches essential supply chain concepts including demand forecasting, inventory management, procurement strategies, and logistics optimisation used in real business settings.
Key Highlights:
- Free supply chain and supply management training
- Learn demand forecasting and inventory techniques
- Understand procurement and supplier coordination
- Practical examples and certificate option
2. Supply Chain Fundamentals – Coursera (Free Audit)
Delivery: Online certificate programme (Free audit)
Duration: ~5 weeks
This Coursera course covers core supply chain topics such as logistics, planning, sourcing, and delivery. You can access course materials for free by auditing the lesson content.
Key Highlights:
- Supply chain planning and logistics basics
- Learn sourcing and delivery management
- Real case studies in supply functions
- Free audit with certificate available
3. Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management – edX (Free Audit)
Delivery: Online self-paced
Duration: ~6 weeks
This edX programme teaches key operations and supply chain essentials, including process design, quality management, and performance metrics. Audit access is free.
Key Highlights:
- Operations and supply chain fundamentals
- Quality and performance measurement
- Process design insights
- Certificate available with upgrade
4. Supply Chain Analytics – FutureLearn (Free Access)
Delivery: Online self-paced
Duration: ~3 weeks
FutureLearn’s free access course focuses on applying analytics to supply chain data for decision-making, forecasting, and optimisation of operations.
Key Highlights:
- Supply chain data analysis techniques
- Forecasting and decision support
- Practical supply chain examples
- Certificate available with upgrade
5. Demand Forecasting and Planning – Alison (Free)
Delivery: Online self-paced (Free)
Duration: ~3–5 hours
This free course teaches demand forecasting methods, planning strategies, and inventory balancing techniques that help organisations maintain efficient supply levels.
Key Highlights:
- Free demand forecasting training
- Learn planning strategies for inventory
- Practical forecasting tools
- CPD-accredited certificate option
6. Logistics and Supply Chain – LinkedIn Learning (Free Trial)
Delivery: Online self-paced (Free trial)
Duration: ~6–8 hours
LinkedIn Learning’s free trial gives access to this course on logistics, warehouse operations, transportation planning, and supply coordination fundamentals.
Key Highlights:
- Learn logistics and transportation basics
- Warehouse operations overview
- Supply coordination strategies
- Certificate during trial
7. Procurement and Supplier Management – Skillshare (Free Trial)
Delivery: Online self-paced (Free trial)
Duration: ~3 hours
Skillshare’s free trial period provides lessons on supplier selection, negotiation, contract management, and procurement lifecycle insights.
Key Highlights:
- Procurement process fundamentals
- Supplier relationship techniques
- Contract management basics
- Certificate with free trial
8. Sustainable Supply Chains – OpenLearn (Free)
Delivery: Online self-paced (Free)
Duration: ~4–6 hours
OpenLearn’s course explores sustainable practices in supply chains, including green logistics, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact reduction.
Key Highlights:
- Free sustainable supply chain training
- Focus on green logistics and ethics
- Real-world sustainability examples
- Free certificate option
9. Supply Chain Strategy – Harvard Online (Professional)
Delivery: Online self-paced
Duration: ~6–8 weeks
Harvard Online’s professional course covers strategic supply management, risk mitigation, and alignment of supply operations with business goals.
Key Highlights:
- Strategic supply chain frameworks
- Risk and performance metrics
- Real industry examples
- Certificate available
10. Lean Supply Chain – Udacity (Free Content Available)
Delivery: Online self-paced (Free content)
Duration: Variable
Udacity provides free instructional content focused on lean supply chain principles such as waste reduction, efficiency improvements, and continuous process optimisation.
Key Highlights:
- Lean methodologies for supply chains
- Efficiency improvement techniques
- Practical lean examples
- Free learning content
Conclusion
Supply management and supply chain skills are vital for operational excellence and organisational success. These courses cover core planning, logistics, procurement, and analytics skills needed by professionals across sectors.Great Learning also offers free online courses, helping learners begin their journey in this field at no cost before progressing to more advanced programmes.
