What exactly does "logistics" mean inside a company that never ships a single container across an ocean — a retailer, a hospital, a government office? That question is where this Logistics Systems Fundamentals and Terminology programme from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy begins, because most confusion in this field traces back to people using the same words to mean different things.

Logistics systems form a branch of systems engineering focused on the scientific organisation of purchasing, transport, storage, and the distribution of raw materials and finished goods. On its own, logistics is a cost-centre service activity, but it creates real value by improving efficiency and customer satisfaction — value that disappears quickly the moment a customer becomes dissatisfied. In recent years, a broader and more popular term has taken over from "logistics" in everyday use: supply and demand chains, which this course also unpacks in detail.

Who Should Attend?

• Logistics managers and warehouse and store supervisors.
• Business owners and commercial company managers responsible for logistics systems.
• Staff working in the logistics function within institutions, and purchasing-committee members.
• Business administration graduates from various universities new to the field.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define and correctly use the core terminology of logistics and supply chain systems.
• Apply inventory and materials management basics within a warehouse environment.
• Explain how purchasing and storage costs affect a company's income and planning.
• Identify workplace risks in logistics and apply appropriate governance and precautions.

Module 1: What "Logistics" Actually Means Inside a Company

• The concept, definition, basics, and types of logistics.
• Defining desktop (office-based) logistics as a distinct category.

Module 2: Where Logistics Sits Relative to Supply Chains

• Defining supply and support processes and their importance, and how logistics itself has developed.
• The reasons the logistics function emerged, and its importance and objectives.

Module 3: Connecting Logistics to Other Functions

• How logistics relates to other institutional functions and to marketing specifically.
• The development of logistics thinking in institutions and the role of technology in logistics management.

Module 4: Inventory and Materials Management Basics

• Inventory definition, significance, types, timing, and regulatory procedures, plus how to build inventory reports.
• An overview of materials management, its importance, planning, control, and effective execution.

Module 5: Purchasing, Storage, and Cost Basics

• The basic concepts of purchasing, storage, and logistics together, and how their costs affect company income.
• The responsibilities and duties of staff working in procurement and logistics, and how inventory control and purchasing are evaluated.

Module 6: Risk, Governance, and the International Perspective

• Risk and its importance, along with assessment methods, categories, precautions, and the relationship between risk and institutional policy.
• Certification methods, handling corruption-related risks, proper timing for precautions, logistics services from an international perspective, and how logistics services management supports development.