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E-commerce manager: inventory, logistics and customer service

The complete e-commerce manager job, with an operations portfolio you can show at a job interview or to a client

  • 22 h of training
  • 8 modules · 40 lessons
  • 96 exercises
  • 8 projects
  • Certificate included

What you will be able to do

  • Managing e-commerce inventory: stock counts, ABC analysis, safety stock, reorder point, clearance
  • Handling purchasing and imports: supplier selection, landed cost, receiving and quality control
  • Organizing order picking, packing and seasonal peaks
  • Managing delivery, carriers and cash-on-delivery reconciliation
  • Organizing multi-agent WhatsApp customer service, returns and review collection
  • Building an operations dashboard and running a weekly decision meeting

What you will produce

  • An operational audit of a store and its start-of-day checklist
  • A Google Sheets inventory file with ABC analysis, reorder points and a clearance plan
  • The landed cost calculation of an import and a receiving checklist
  • The picking procedure, the packaging guide and the seasonal peak plan
  • The delivery plan, the shipping rate grid and the courier reconciliation sheet
  • The customer service kit: scripts, returns policy and review process
  • The operations dashboard and a one-page weekly update
  • Your complete operations portfolio, your CV and your freelance service offer

Possible earnings

An e-commerce manager employed by a small business in Dakar or Abidjan typically earns 150,000 to 350,000 FCFA (about $250 to $580) a month, depending on the size of the store; as a freelancer, managing a store's operations is billed at 80,000 to 200,000 FCFA (about $130 to $330) a month per client (ranges observed in Dakar and Abidjan in 2026).

Indicative estimate, depending on your market, pace and work. No income is guaranteed.

Tools used

  • Google Sheets
  • WhatsApp Business
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • Odoo
  • Zoho Inventory
  • Loyverse
  • Wave
  • Orange Money
  • Trello
  • Google Forms

What you'll learn

  • Run a store's inventory with no stockouts and no overstock: SKUs, cycle counts, ABC analysis, safety stock and reorder point
  • Select suppliers and calculate the landed cost of an import, including freight, clearing, duties and VAT
  • Organize storage, picking and packing with fewer than 1 error per 100 parcels
  • Choose and negotiate delivery options, reconcile courier cash collections every day and reduce the rate of refused parcels
  • Organize WhatsApp customer service, apply a clear returns policy and collect customer reviews
  • Build the operations dashboard and write a weekly update that leads to decisions
  • Present an operations portfolio at a job interview or sell an operations management engagement as a freelancer

Prerequisites

  • Having completed "Online store: build it, stock it and keep it running" (level 3), or having worked at least three months in a store that sells online
  • Being able to use Google Sheets for simple formulas (SUM, AVERAGE, multiplication); every formula you need is explained
  • A computer or tablet for the spreadsheets, and a smartphone with WhatsApp Business

About this course

An online store that sells well soon runs into a different problem: best-sellers out of stock, cash tied up in products that do not move, parcels refused at the door, couriers handing back the day's cash with a shortfall, customers waiting two days for a reply. The small businesses selling online in Dakar and Abidjan are looking for the person who can keep all of this under control: the e-commerce manager. This course teaches you the job from end to end. You manage inventory with SKUs, cycle counts, ABC analysis and calculated reorder points. You select and rate suppliers, and you work out the landed cost of an import from China, Dubai or Turkey, including duties and VAT (TVA) at 18%. You organize a storage space, a picking procedure and the right packaging, and you get ready for the Tabaski, Korité and Black Friday peaks. You choose and negotiate delivery, reconcile the cash collected by couriers and bring down the rate of refused parcels. You organize customer service on WhatsApp, returns and reviews. Finally, you keep the weekly dashboard and prepare your entry into the profession, as an employee or as a freelancer. Eight modules, 32 lessons, an exercise after every lesson, a PDF handout and a quiz for each module, and a graded project per module, leading up to the final project: the complete operations file of a store, which becomes your portfolio. Fictional examples set in Dakar, Thiès, Abidjan and Bamako, in FCFA. This is level 4 of the E-commerce and online selling track: it follows "Online store: build it, stock it and keep it running" (level 3) and comes before "Running an e-commerce business: margins, acquisition and team" (level 5).

Who it is for: Online store employees and assistants, salespeople who want to move into a management role, recent graduates in retail or logistics, freelancers who want to offer operations management to small businesses, and store owners who want to put structure into their business in Dakar, Abidjan, Bamako, Cotonou or for the diaspora.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

  1. Module 1· 12 exercises

    The e-commerce manager's job

    Understand what an e-commerce manager does, what the job pays, which tools it uses, and how to audit a store from day one.

    • What an e-commerce manager does every day in a small business in Dakar or AbidjanFree preview15 min
    • Salaries, freelance rates and types of employers in 2026Free preview15 min
    • The tools of the job: store back office, Google Sheets, Odoo, Zoho Inventory, Loyverse, WhatsApp BusinessFree preview20 min
    • Auditing a store in one day and building your start-of-day checklistFree preview15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
    • Quiz: the e-commerce operations manager's jobModule quiz
    • Operational audit of a store and start-of-day checklistProject to submit
  2. Module 2· 12 exercises

    Managing inventory without stockouts or overstock

    Know at any moment what you have, what is selling, what needs ordering and what is sitting idle.

    • Item records, SKUs and units: the foundation of reliable inventory15 min
    • Cycle counts and full stocktakes: method, frequency and handling discrepancies20 min
    • ABC analysis, safety stock and reorder point: the calculations that prevent stockouts20 min
    • Dead stock, unsold items and clearance: freeing up tied-up cash15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: managing stockModule quiz
    • Inventory file, ABC analysis and replenishment orderProject to submit
  3. Module 3· 12 exercises

    Purchasing, suppliers and importing

    Buy from the right supplier, at the right landed cost, and check what arrives.

    • Choosing and rating local suppliers: wholesalers in Dakar, Abidjan and Bamako15 min
    • Importing from China, Dubai or Turkey: freight forwarders, consolidated shipping, lead times and payment20 min
    • Customs and landed cost: duties, 18% VAT, clearing and local transport20 min
    • Purchase orders, receiving and quality control15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: purchasing and importingModule quiz
    • Landed cost of an import and receiving inspectionProject to submit
  4. Module 4· 12 exercises

    Storing, picking and packing

    Organize a small storage space and a picking process that keeps pace, with no errors and no breakage.

    • Organizing a storage space: coded locations, labels and put-away rules15 min
    • Picking orders: pick list, double check and turnaround times15 min
    • Packing by product type: fragile, liquid, clothing, food, and the cost of each parcel15 min
    • Getting ready for peaks: Tabaski, Korité, Magal, Christmas and Black Friday20 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: storing, picking, packingModule quiz
    • Picking procedure, packaging guide and peak planProject to submit
  5. Module 5· 12 exercises

    Delivery, carriers and cash on delivery

    Deliver at the right price, track every parcel and account for every franc collected by couriers.

    • Choosing and negotiating delivery in Dakar: independent couriers, Paps, Yango Delivery20 min
    • Shipping to the regions, across West Africa and to the diaspora: intercity buses, carriers, express services15 min
    • Reconciling courier collections every day: cash, Wave, Orange Money and discrepancies20 min
    • Reducing refused parcels: confirmation, time slot, deposit and tracking the rate15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: delivery and cash collectionModule quiz
    • Delivery plan and cash collection reconciliationProject to submit
  6. Module 6· 12 exercises

    Customer service, returns and reviews

    Reply quickly and well on WhatsApp as a team, handle complaints and turn a successful delivery into a review.

    • Running a shared WhatsApp inbox: labels, linked devices, response times15 min
    • The ten most common situations and their reply scripts20 min
    • Complaints, returns and refunds: writing the policy and applying it20 min
    • Customer reviews and retention after delivery15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: customer service and returnsModule quiz
    • Customer service kit: scripts, returns policy and reviewsProject to submit
  7. Module 7· 12 exercises

    KPIs, dashboard and written processes

    Measure what matters in operations, report on it every week and write the processes that make the store independent of you.

    • The manager's ten KPIs: stockouts, dispatch time, refusals, returns, response time15 min
    • Building the weekly dashboard in Google Sheets20 min
    • The weekly meeting with the owner: one page, three decisions15 min
    • Writing processes and preparing the handover: the store runs for a week without you15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: KPIs and dashboardModule quiz
    • Operations dashboard and weekly updateProject to submit
  8. Module 8· 12 exercises

    Getting into the profession: a job or freelance engagements

    Turn your deliverables into a portfolio, find a job or clients, pass the practical test and price an engagement.

    • Building your e-commerce manager portfolio from your projects15 min
    • Finding a job or engagements in Dakar, Abidjan and remotely15 min
    • Passing the interview and the inventory management practical test15 min
    • Pricing a freelance operations management engagement and putting it under contract15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: getting into the jobModule quiz
    • Final project: a store's complete operations fileCapstone
  9. Certificate included

Your certificate at the end

A numbered certificate with your validated skills, a public page and a verification QR code. Add it to LinkedIn in one click.

Kolonell Academy
Verified by Kolonell Academy

Certificate of skills

Your name

has completed and validated the course

E-commerce manager: inventory, logistics and customer service

Certified skills

  • Managing e-commerce inventory: stock counts, ABC analysis, safety stock, reorder point, clearance
  • Handling purchasing and imports: supplier selection, landed cost, receiving and quality control
  • Organizing order picking, packing and seasonal peaks
  • Managing delivery, carriers and cash-on-delivery reconciliation
  • Organizing multi-agent WhatsApp customer service, returns and review collection
  • Building an operations dashboard and running a weekly decision meeting

Number KOL-CERT-2026-XXXXX

Mohamed Bah

Founder, Kolonell Academy

Poster for E-commerce manager: inventory, logistics and customer service

Course poster

Download the poster to print it, send it to your employer or share it with colleagues. The full programme details every module.

This course is part of the track

E-commerce et vente en ligne

Level 4 of 5 · Career

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
See the 5 track levels

Next level · 5/5 Pro Track

Running an e-commerce business: margins, acquisition and team

Senior level, projects and leadership

Your 12-month e-commerce growth plan, costed in three scenarios and ready to present to a partner or a bank

200,000 FCFA 40 h

View the next level

Your instructor

Mohamed Bah

Founder of Kolonell, a digital agency in Dakar. He designs online stores, websites and business applications for small and medium businesses in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Dubai, and supports retailers moving from over-the-counter sales to selling online.

Questions about this course

How is this different from a community manager?

The community manager brings customers in through social media. The e-commerce manager makes sure every order is in stock, packed, delivered, paid for and followed up. Small businesses need both, and they are two separate jobs.

Do I need paid inventory software?

No. The whole course works with Google Sheets. Module 1 introduces Odoo, Zoho Inventory and Loyverse, which have free or affordable plans, and helps you decide when it makes sense to switch to dedicated software.

Does the course cover importing from China or Dubai?

Yes, from the manager's point of view: choosing a supplier, working with a freight forwarder, calculating landed cost with freight, duties and VAT (TVA) at 18%, and checking goods on arrival. Exact duty rates depend on the product, and the lesson shows you where to check them.

How much time per week?

About 4 to 5 hours a week over 5 weeks, projects included. Each module project takes 45 minutes, and the final project about 3 hours.

Can I find a job with this course?

The course gives you an operations portfolio you can present at a job interview, and module 8 prepares you for the practical test and for finding positions or freelance engagements. It does not guarantee a job: the outcome depends on your portfolio, your city and your prospecting.

Can I start directly at this level?

Yes, if you already work in a store that sells online or if you run your own. Otherwise, level 3, "Online store", gives you the foundations of the store itself.

How do I pay?

Via Wave or Orange Money. After enrolling you receive a pro forma invoice by email with the number to pay. Send the proof on WhatsApp: your access is activated within 24 business hours.

How long do I keep access?

For life, updates included. Learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as often as you need.

How do I get the certificate?

Complete the lessons and pass each module quiz with at least 70%. The certificate is generated automatically, with a unique number and a public verification page.

Our commitments

  • Lifetime access, updates included
  • Publicly verifiable certificate
  • Wave / Orange Money payment, activation within 24 business hours
  • WhatsApp support

100,000 FCFA · 152 €

Career