探花直播 of Cambridge - Mike Gregory

Keeping the supply chain flowing

lw355 — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 15:47:22 +0000

A typical supply chain can be a vast, sprawling network of producers, suppliers, 鈥榮uper middlemen鈥�, retailers and consumers that connect, for instance, a piece of mined aluminium with a finished car, or a field of wheat with a loaf of bread on the table.

Dr Jag Srai and the team he heads in the Centre for International Manufacturing like nothing better than a complex, multi-faceted supply chain, because within the connections lies a vital source of competitive advantage. Companies that can more optimally 鈥榗onfigure鈥� this complex network have the opportunity not only to improve their business but also to do so sustainably in an otherwise resource-hungry and wasteful world.

鈥淢any supply chains today have developed over time, a consequence of often short-term tactical decisions or ill-considered mergers and acquisitions,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭here may be large distances between component supply and the end product, delays in sharing information along the chain, or an excessive fragmentation of activities.

鈥淲ithin little more than a generation, the traditional model of a vertically integrated firm, which has most of its component and final product in-house, has become fragmented. Today, for manufacturing a typical consumer electronics product, dozens of firms in as many countries might be involved in its manufacture, with activities dispersed among narrowly focused companies distributed across developed and emerging economies.鈥�

Srai鈥檚 team has been mapping these global networks across multiple sectors, developing novel tools for their visualisation and for identifying opportunities to reconfigure them to meet demand more effectively.

Of particular focus has been a comparison of the food and pharmaceutical process industries, and the assembly power houses of aeronautical and automotive industries, in both the UK and India.

鈥淢anufacturing is a top priority in both countries,鈥� explains Professor Sir Mike Gregory, former Head of the Institute for Manufacturing, where the Centre is based. 鈥淚n the UK, the government has placed manufacturing at the heart of plans for economic recovery. And in India, the government launched the 鈥楳ake in India鈥� initiative in 2014 with the aim of transforming the country into a major global manufacturing hub and generating millions of new jobs.鈥�

探花直播project is funded by the UK鈥檚 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Indian Department of Science and Technology. It began a year ago but follows a previous study in which the team created a set of representations of the UK food supply chain for dairy, fruit and vegetables, and staple foods. It was painstakingly collated from industrial reports, literature reviews and first-hand case studies, as well as interviews with key industrial players.

探花直播resulting map provides a fascinating insight into the dynamics of networks that many consumers are unaware of 鈥� such as the one that links a cow on a dairy farm to a pint of milk on a UK doorstep (a seven-step process, as it turns out).

Crucially, it also identifies how new trends are being driven by an increasing demand from consumers to know where their food is coming from and for cheaper, own-brand labels. 鈥淥rganisations that are able to align these complex networks with their own strategic aims have an opportunity to set themselves apart from their competitors,鈥� explains Srai.

One of the researchers鈥� main interests is how maps such as this can be used to foster a more sustainable approach to manufacturing, as Dr Mukesh Kumar explains: 鈥淔ood security, for instance, is a global challenge as populations continue to grow, yet 30鈥�40% of food in the UK is currently wasted, mostly at the retail and consumer end of the chain.鈥�

Working with their collaborators in India, the team has now generated comparable maps of the Indian food supply chain. 探花直播comparison could help each to explore the key differences and identify how multinationals from one country looking to do business in the other might need to adapt a supply chain to work best.

鈥� 探花直播UK food retail chain is dominated by a few large, organised retailers who control 73% of UK grocery sales, and as a result exert considerable influence over upstream partners in the chain, whereas in India this type of organised retail accounts for only 12% of sales,鈥� Kumar explains.

鈥淏ut the largest difference is where the wastage happens. In India, most wastage occurs at the early stages of the supply chain, with tonnes of fruit and vegetables perishing due to poor handling and storage facilities and lack of cold chain infrastructure.鈥�

According to estimates by the United Nation鈥檚 Food and Agriculture Organization, each year about 40% of India鈥檚 fresh fruit and vegetables rot before reaching consumers鈥� plates, as does an amount of wheat almost equal to Australia鈥檚 total annual production.

鈥淪upply chains that link the UK and India incur waste up- and downstream. 探花直播figures are quite scary 鈥� you sometimes wonder how anything ends up on a plate!鈥� observes Srai.

He highlights how crucial it has been to work closely with Indian researchers, industry and policy makers, helped by funding through the UK India Education and Research Initiative: 鈥淲e have chosen partners in India who complement our skills. It鈥檚 like a supply chain in action! It has seen a continuous stream of collaborations emerging out of this, none of which would have been possible without this project.鈥�

For instance, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar and the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow have been looking at how simulation and modelling of operations could be used to flag up sustainability challenges.

鈥淥ur Centre鈥檚 research on 鈥榥etwork mapping鈥� tools and close links to industry have meant that we have provided methods and industry contacts to our partners, while leveraging their specialist skills in the specific areas that we require. We have also taken the combined output to inform our wider work in the 探花直播鈥檚 Strategic Research Initiative on Global Food Security,鈥� says Srai.

鈥淭echnology, supply chains and the way markets and regions develop become interesting change agents. I believe that our research network will be able to anticipate these changes,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only by understanding a company鈥檚 overall global supply network 鈥� a 鈥榳hole system鈥� approach 鈥� that it鈥檚 possible to appreciate the opportunities and the benefits that can emerge for doing things better, wherever you are in the world.鈥�

Inset image: Distribution centre (Nick Saltmarsh).

In this age of rapid and escalating change, what can businesses do to flourish? Take a look at their supply chains, say researchers in the Centre for International Manufacturing, based on their research in the UK and India.

Supply chains that link the UK and India incur waste up- and downstream 鈥� you sometimes wonder how anything ends up on a plate!

Jag Srai

Neil Palmer (CIAT)

Increasing the efficiency of food supply chains can decrease wastage

探花直播text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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New Head for Institute for Manufacturing

th288 — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 13:39:02 +0000

Andy is the founding director of the Cambridge Service Alliance and is currently Royal Academy of Engineering Professor of Complex Services. He is internationally recognised for his work on the servitization of manufacturing, organisational performance measurement and management.

Andy has previously held appointments at Cranfield 探花直播, London Business School and the Universities of Cambridge and Nottingham.

He was Deputy Director of the Advanced Institute of Management (AIM) Research and elected a Fellow and then President of the European Operations Management Association.

He has written more than 100 books and articles, including Measuring Business Performance and 探花直播Performance Prism, and has won numerous awards for his research.

Andy will be taking over as Head of the IfM from Professor Sir Mike Gregory. Mike has been the driving force behind the IfM, creating an environment in which world-class researchers work closely with industry and governments to understand the challenges facing manufacturers around the world, and to educate new generations of manufacturing leaders.

This included setting up IfM Education and Consultancy Services Limited (IfM ECS) to help transfer new ideas and approaches developed at the IfM to companies and policymakers.

All IfM ECS profits are used to fund future research.

Andy comments: 鈥淚 am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead the IfM and to build on the foundation laid by Professor Sir Mike Gregory and all of our colleagues. It is a real honour to be asked to help further develop our portfolio of research, education and practice.鈥�

Mike said: 鈥淚 am pleased聽to welcome Andy Neely to his new role. He knows IfM well and is highly regarded in the wider manufacturing community. He is ideally placed to lead the next stage of development at the IfM.鈥� 聽聽聽聽

Professor Andy Neely (pictured right) has been appointed as the new Head of the 探花直播 of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and Professor of Manufacturing on the retirement of Professor Sir Mike Gregory (pictured left) on 30 September.聽

He is ideally placed to lead the next stage of development at the IfM.

Professor Sir Mike Gregory

探花直播text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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Cambridge Service Alliance

lw355 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:25:29 +0000

探花直播multinational firms are founding members of the Cambridge Service Alliance 鈥� a global partnership between business and academia. 探花直播Alliance is designed to develop new understanding of 'servitisation', a trend which has seen businesses from a wide range of sectors develop innovative services to meet the changing needs of customers.

In particular, the Alliance will examine complex service solutions which integrate technology, processes, organisations and information in an environment where competition and pressure on public finances ensures the need for ever-increasing effectiveness. These solutions are already being utilised by major organisations such as the British armed forces.

探花直播new body will investigate how the transition to service can be improved and how it can benefit business. As well as undertaking research into the design and delivery of service excellence, it will develop education programmes and supporting tools and techniques.

Andy Neely, Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance, explains: 'Through-life services can offer customers greater value and reduce costs, while increasing the predictability of future revenue. We鈥檙e delighted that BAE Systems and IBM have agreed to be core partners in this new project. Both companies recognise the importance of improving our knowledge of service systems in order to tackle the organisational challenges this brings.'

探花直播Cambridge Service Alliance builds upon the success of BAE Systems and IBM's previous partnership with the 探花直播 of Cambridge that investigated new service-related business models. Business-led, the Alliance brings together the Institute for Manufacturing's expertise in the servitisation of high value manufacturing and the Judge Business School's experience in improving business models in a range of industries.

For more information, please contact Rob Halden-Pratt (rwh26@cam.ac.uk), Communications Officer, Institute for Manufacturing.

BAE Systems and IBM have joined forces with the 探花直播 of Cambridge to launch a new research initiative designed to equip business with the skills needed to deal with complex service systems.

Through-life services can offer customers greater value and reduce costs, while increasing the predictability of future revenue.

Andy Neely

danyrolux from Flickr

Shaking hands

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Making the most of ideas: Institute for Manufacturing

bjb42 — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:19:25 +0000

Turning ideas and opportunities into products and services has traditionally been seen as the role of business and industry. But all too often, new ideas have failed to make the journey to creating substantial new industries. 探花直播Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) is dedicated to bridging the gaps between academia, industry and government, to provide a more connected approach to manufacturing and industrial innovation.

From its inception in 1998, the IfM, embedded in the Manufacturing and Management Division of the Department of Engineering, has adopted a broad view of manufacturing to include understanding markets, research, design, product development, production, distribution, services and, increasingly, sustainability. 探花直播Institute brings together expertise in engineering, management and policy under one roof, and combines this broad scope within a unique structure that integrates education, research and practice.

鈥業ntroducing people to the challenge and excitement of turning ideas and opportunities into products and services is enormous fun,鈥� said Professor Mike Gregory, Head of the IfM, 鈥榓nd our new purpose-designed building is a perfect home in which to accomplish this.鈥� Opened in November 2009, IfM鈥檚 new 拢15 million building was made possible by donations from philanthropist Dr Alan Reece, after whom the building is named, 探花直播Gatsby Charitable Foundation and local industry. It combines an innovation and design studio, process and automation labs, and state-of-the-art teaching facilities, all leading off a large common room for staff, students and visitors, providing the maximum opportunity for new ideas to spark and spread.

An emphasis on collaboration

Research at the IfM seeks to bring together different fields of knowledge to tackle larger-scale questions that typically lie at the interface between traditional disciplines, as Professor Gregory explained: 鈥楿niversities are great at developing new ideas and Cambridge is clearly no slouch in this regard. But, for those outside the world of academia, ideas are only as good as what you can do with them.鈥�

探花直播IfM started as an exciting 鈥榚xperiment鈥� in bringing theory and practice closer together; it embodies a ground-up approach to addressing some of the major challenges of the day, such as healthcare and sustainability. 鈥� 探花直播opening of our new building marks the end of the first phase of this experiment and the work we have done so far suggests we are only at the beginning of what this configuration can achieve,鈥� asserted Professor Gregory.

鈥� 探花直播emphasis here is on collaboration 鈥� locally, nationally and internationally across disciplines, across centres, across the 探花直播 and across industries. Indeed, informal networks are already beginning to form spontaneously 鈥� just as we hoped they might.鈥� Professor Gregory argues that the ethos of integration and collaboration provides an excellent complement to the centres of deep expertise within the IfM, around the 探花直播 and beyond.

Engagement with industry and government is a key distinguishing feature of the Institute. 鈥� 探花直播IfM model is designed to fill a gap in the traditional 探花直播 structure and allows academics to work with companies of all types and sizes 鈥� from helping start-ups and small and medium enterprises, to advising on the global configuration of major corporations,鈥� explained Professor Gregory. Engagement with policy is just as important, as governments become increasingly focused on industrial innovation and its global context.

Themes on a global scale

鈥榃e see ourselves as a 鈥榗ommunity centre鈥� for all those involved with manufacturing 鈥� students, industrialists, policy makers and other academics. To engage with this community, we need to support the core interests of community members and that鈥檚 reflected in our research activities [see panel] and broader themes,鈥� explained Professor Gregory. 探花直播big themes to have emerged at the IfM over the past two years have indeed been global in their scale: Services, Industrial Innovation, Emerging Industries and Industrial Sustainability.

探花直播IfM is already taking a national lead in Services 鈥� particularly the design and operation of complex technology-based services. In the recent S4T (Service Support Solutions: Strategy and Transition) project, the IfM headed a consortium of 10 British universities working with BAE Systems to study the continuing transformation of the UK economy towards increasing value generation from product-related services. Under the Industrial Innovation theme, another IfM-led consortium of leading businesses is seeking to identify the skills required, and the barriers that need to be overcome, to implement open innovation models.

探花直播Emerging Industries programme is already shedding new light on the evolution of new industries and identifying ways in which the translation of ideas into action might be accelerated. And, the Industrial Sustainability theme is attracting huge interest and involvement from staff and students alike as the IfM seeks to tackle one of the vital questions of the age 鈥� how to provide people across the planet with the goods and services they need without irrevocably damaging the environment.

Inspire, engage, educate

IfM鈥檚 new building is a major addition to the 探花直播's West Cambridge campus for science and technology. It joins an existing concentration of related research centres, as well as the Hauser Forum a focal point for entrepreneurship and technology transfer. Professor Gregory believes that new challenges and opportunities are now possible after the move to the new facilities: 鈥楾hrough the generosity of benefactors Dr Reece and Lord Sainsbury, we have a wonderful platform to inspire, engage and educate people in the excitement and challenge of manufacturing and industrial innovation.鈥�

For more information about research at the IfM, please visit www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/

聽

Cambridge has never been short of ideas but the Institute for Manufacturing is dedicated to putting ideas into action.

探花直播emphasis here is on collaboration 鈥� locally, nationally and internationally across disciplines, across centres, across the 探花直播 and across industries.

Professor Mike Gregory

IfM

Manufacturing

Research activities at the IfM

Professor Mike Gregory, Head of the IfM, outlines the scope of research activity at the Institute:

R&D

鈥楿nderstanding how R&D is conducted and how this is transformed into actual applications is important. Too often R&D is represented at the beginning of the value chain. Work at the IfM has illustrated how it can have impact all along the process.鈥�

Design

鈥� 探花直播IfM鈥檚 Design Management Group aims to improve the ways in which design can be managed and exploited, at product, firm and national levels. 探花直播group鈥檚 Design in Science project is looking at how scientists can benefit from working with designers to aid research.鈥�

Production

鈥楢ll of the IfM鈥檚 research has real-world benefits. In terms of production, it鈥檚 vital that industrial processes are as efficient as possible. 探花直播IfM鈥檚 Inkjet Research Centre is looking at how manufacturing can be conducted using techniques familiar to anyone who has used a computer printer. Photonics researchers are looking at the impact lasers can have on manufacturing, which could lead to new industrial developments over the next 20 years.鈥�

Distribution

鈥榃e live in an interconnected world and UK business needs to know how to operate on a global level. Our work, such as looking at supply chains in emerging firms and industries, helps facilitate this understanding.鈥�

Services

鈥楬elping companies to understand how to sell their business as a service rather than just a product is a major element of our work. Our research is helping companies understand important issues like risk and cost mitigation, and the impact of transition towards service provision, which is increasingly an integral part of manufacturing.鈥�

聽

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Call to drive the next industrial revolution

bjb42 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

探花直播authors of Towards a Sustainable Industrial System are calling for an industrial equivalent of the human genome project in order to help business address the threat of global warming.

Some of the world's leading manufacturing experts have combined to produce the report published by the 探花直播 of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing (IfM).

探花直播ambitious venture aims to understand how essential elements of industrial systems - resources, processes and organisation - could be integrated to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining acceptable standards of living without damaging the planet.

A global co-operative research effort would provide an opportunity to pool expertise in industrial design, production research and regulation.

探花直播project would help speed change through the rapid sharing and application of environmentally-sound manufacturing practices as well the systematic development of new green technologies and approaches.

探花直播report, to be launched today (September 23rd), is designed to highlight the benefits and opportunities which can flow from a more integrated approach to industrial sustainability.

It recommends a radical integrated approach to the analysis and design of industrial systems, many of which have grown in piecemeal fashion with little regard for overall impact.

Significant work has taken place targeting elements of the system, such as the use of raw materials, adopting frugal production processes and paying close attention to reuse and recycling.

But these can be dramatically enhanced if applied in the context of a broader view of the industrial system.

Following in the footsteps of the original human genome project, the project will take an 'open source' approach, enabling rapid dissemination of findings.

Initial areas of focus for the programme will include:

鈥� 探花直播development of a handbook of examples of global best practice

鈥� Support for short intensive programmes to enable companies to make immediate 10% environmental improvements

鈥� Support re-education of existing workforce to swiftly implement changes

鈥� Facilitate rapid adoption of industrial sustainability principles in workplaces, schools and universities

探花直播report's authors are Professor Steve Evans of Cranfield 探花直播, Professor Mike Gregory of the IfM, Professor Chris Ryan of the 探花直播 of Melbourne and Professor Margareta Norell Bergendahl of the King's Technical School, Sweden.

Lead author Prof Evans described the importance of the report: "Groups like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have identified the environmental problems caused by industrial activity, but they lack the expertise and knowledge of industry.

"For years industrial academics have focused on efficiencies and technologies to speed production and save cash, now there's an opportunity to focus these efforts on solving the greatest issues of our time.

" 探花直播opportunity and responsibility to effect change rests with those of us who work within the industrial system and that includes industrialists, policy makers and academics.

"Companies like Toyota, Philips, Xerox have led the way, making huge strides towards sustainability, now we in academia need to join forces to speed the change.

"There are major opportunities for companies that learn to do more with less. Not only will it add more to the firm's bottom line, but by learning these new 'green' skills it makes them more adaptable in the future."

He said the vision for the new industrial revolution was to create a system which delivers commercial success but uses a quarter of the current resources.

探花直播paper will officially be launched on September 23rd ahead of the Institute for Manufacturing's 14th annual Centre for International Manufacturing Symposium.

Industrialists, academics and government should join forces to drive a new industrial revolution which would help tackle climate change, says a new report.

Companies like Toyota, Philips, Xerox have led the way, making huge strides towards sustainability. Now we in academia need to join forces to speed the change.

Professor Steve Evans

CJ Isherwood from Flickr

Industry

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