Supply Chain Analytics
Master and apply the core methodologies used in supply chain analysis and modeling, including statistics, regression, optimization and probability - part of the MITx Supply Chain Management MicroMasters Credential.
Course Information
Certificate Track
Learn for Free
About this Course
Modern supply chains generate massive amounts of data, but turning that data into insights requires the right analytical tools and capabilities. This course equips you with the core quantitative methods used by supply chain professionals to model uncertainty, analyze data patterns, and optimize critical decisions under real-world constraints.
Through realistic case studies, hands-on spreadsheet modeling, and practical applications, you’ll master essential analytical techniques: probability and statistics for modelling variability, hypothesis testing and regression analysis for data-driven decisions, mathematical optimization for planning and network design, and simulation for evaluating policies under uncertainty. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped to apply rigorous analytical methods to solve supply chain challenges and drive measurable performance improvements.
Supply Chain Analytics: SC0x is a self-paced course with a scheduled final exam. All materials are released at the start of the course so you can progress at your own pace.
This Supply Chain Analytics course is part of the MITx MicroMasters Credential in Supply Chain Management (SCM), offered by the top-ranked SCM Master's program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is an open enrollment course, making it accessible for almost anyone, anywhere in the world to enroll and learn for free.
What you'll learn
- Model uncertainty in supply chains using probability and statistical analysis
- Conduct hypothesis testing and regression analysis to support data-driven decisions
- Formulate and solve mathematical optimization models for supply chain planning and network design
- Use simulation techniques to evaluate policies, test scenarios, and assess decisions under uncertainty
- Apply algorithmic and approximation methods to solve complex problems when exact solutions are computationally infeasible
Prerequisites
None
Meet your instructors
Chris Caplice
Director, MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management
Dr. Caplice serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL) where he is responsible for the planning and management of the research, education, and corporate outreach programs for the center. He created and currently serves as Director of the MITx MicroMasters® Program in Supply Chain Management – the very first MicroMasters credential ever offered. In 2018, he was awarded the MITx Prize for Teaching and Learning, the Irwin Sizer Award for the Most Significant Improvement to MIT Education, and the MIT Teaching with Digital Technology Award.
Dr. Caplice was selected as the first Silver Family Research Fellow in 2016 in recognition of his contribution to supply chain education and research. Also in 2016, he received the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Distinguished Service Award.
He is also the founder and co-director of the MIT FreightLab – a research initiative that focuses on improving the way freight transportation is designed, procured, and managed. His primary research is in all aspects of freight transportation to include combinatorial procurement auctions, robust planning, portfolio management, performance metrics, and infrastructure design.
In addition to his work at MIT, Dr. Caplice is currently the Chief Scientist for DAT Freight & Analytics, the largest truckload freight marketplace in North America with over $120 billion in market transactions. In this role, he pioneered the concept of freight rate modeling that became Chainalytics Freight Market Intelligence Consortium (FMIC) and is now part of DAT. He leads the development and deployment of innovations and insights into the transportation industry to include the monthly FMIC Pulse Signal Report and the bi-weekly Freightvine Podcasts.
Prior to joining MIT, Dr. Caplice held senior management positions in supply chain consulting, product development, and professional services at several companies to include Logistics.com, SABRE, and PTCG. As part of PTCG/SABRE, he led the team that pioneered the concept and use of optimization-based procurement throughout the transportation industry.
Chris received a Ph.D. from MIT in 1996 in Transportation and Logistics Systems. His dissertation on Optimization Based Bidding for Transportation was selected as the winner of the Council of Logistics Management (CLM) Doctoral Dissertation Award and received an Honorable Mention in the 1996 Dissertation Award sponsored by the Transportation Science Section of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).
Prior to receiving his PhD, Dr. Caplice taught at the Virginia Military Institute for two years and served five years in the Army Corps of Engineers, achieving the rank of Captain. His writing has appeared in numerous academic and business journals and publications. In addition to his PhD, he earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
