Every manufacturing or trading company eventually faces the same question: should transport, warehousing, and inventory be run in-house, or handed to a specialist? Getting this decision wrong is costly — logistics touches almost every part of an organisation's cost structure, from raw material delivery to the moment a product reaches the end customer, so a weak outsourcing choice ripples through the whole business.

This is exactly the gap the Outsourcing Logistics Operations training course, delivered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, is built to close. Participants examine how third-party logistics (3PL) providers operate — cross-docking, inventory holding, warehousing and transport handled on a company's behalf — and walk through the full lifecycle of an outsourcing decision, from sizing up the trade-offs to negotiating and managing the contract that follows.

Who Should Attend?

• Supply chain and logistics managers.
• Inventory and warehouse managers.
• Financial and purchasing managers involved in logistics decisions.
• General managers of commercial and industrial companies.
• Business unit and project managers overseeing outsourced operations.

Course Objectives:

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

• Distinguish between third-party (3PL) and fourth-party (4PL) logistics providers and what each should deliver.
• Manage and cost a client company's day-to-day logistics operations.
• Build a clear outsourcing strategy for logistics functions.
• Select the right external partner and run the tendering process while avoiding common mistakes.
• Negotiate contracts and manage the relationship after the tender is awarded.

Module 1: Why Companies Outsource Their Logistics

• The role and importance of the logistics function inside enterprises and institutions.
• Why the logistics function emerged as a separate discipline in modern companies.
• Supply chain management as the wider context for the outsourcing decision.

Module 2: Understanding Third-Party Logistics Providers

• Defining desktop logistics and the range of services a 3PL provider typically covers.
• How logistics services management links to the development of a company's operations.

Module 3: Building the Outsourcing Decision and Strategy

• Assessing when outsourcing makes sense against keeping logistics in-house.
• Selecting sources of supply and negotiating with providers.
• Structuring the tender invitation and avoiding its most common mistakes.

Module 4: Risk Assessment in Outsourced Logistics

• Methods of risk assessment and the precautions needed to avoid them.
• How risk connects to the institution's policies and procedures, and the right timing for taking precautions.
• Categories of risk assessment and the certification methods used to validate it, including risks linked to corruption.

Module 5: Contractor Selection and Post-Tender Negotiation

• A practical roadmap for choosing the right contractor.
• Field work and negotiation practices once the tender closes.

Course Delivery:

• In-house training at the organisation's premises.
• One-to-one training.
• Group training.
• Practical, hands-on training.

Note:

• We can deliver this course at the time and place that suits you.
• This course is delivered to a high standard for senior professionals. Contact the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy team for more information.