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Professor David Zhang's research into agility strategies and the analysis and optimisation of complex supply chain networks in the manufacturing sector has led to significant economic impact. Reductions have been made in inventory and cost of goods sold, amounting to an estimated £80M per annum for CIFUNSA, one of the world's largest engine block and head manufacturers. The entire senior management team has been trained in agility strategies and techniques at China's largest non-ferrous metals research and industry complex GRINM, leading to major corporate-level restructuring and growth. The senior management of solder-specialist COMPO has also been trained based on Zhang's research to help the company quadruple turnover in four years and become global market leader. Finally, these same strategy and analysis techniques have generated cost savings and performance improvements worth an estimated £375k for UK engineering solutions company J+S Ltd (http://www.jands.co.uk).
This case study concerns the economic, commercial and organisational benefits gained from the application of original research undertaken between 1999 and 2013 by the Operations & Supply Chain group at the University of Liverpool Management School. The research has provided significant new thinking concerning the design of agile organisations and supply chains through the creation of frameworks and tools for the development of SME-focused, resilient business strategies. Since 2008, the application of the research has supported a priority component of the Future North West regional productivity strategy for the North West of England through the implementation of a wide range of economy-driving and productivity-enhancing industrial applications. These applications have: boosted the region's economy and the prosperity of its citizens; facilitated the growth of the region's manufacturing SMEs; supported the participation of SMEs in global networks; equipped SME owner-managers with the knowledge and skills to facilitate business growth; improved the professional behaviour and cognitive characteristics of employees, and led directly to 117 jobs and several businesses safeguarded, and 31 new jobs created.
Research at the University of Sheffield has led to the development of a Reverse Logistics Toolkit that enables companies in the retail sector, together with members of their supply chain, to improve management of the flow of surplus or unwanted products returned by customers. Companies using the toolkit have seen a reduction in returns of up to 40%, a significant figure given that total UK retail returns have been valued at around £6 billion per annum. The toolkit has enabled companies to reduce costs, improve service provision and reduce transport movements.
This interdisciplinary research work in the areas of Knowledge Management (KM), e-Business, enterprise systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Supply Chain Management resulted in socio economic impact through improved organisational performance in 90 companies in the North West, resulting in process improvements, enhanced productivity, marketability, increased revenues, employment, reduced costs, enhanced knowledge capital, profitability, and sustainability. This positive regional impact included an ERDF funded project (£1.4m), 5 KTPs (£500,000), an ESRC project, and other bespoke collaborative company projects. This research work in collaboration with industry encompassed a knowledge sharing regional network that included BAE Systems, Daimler, Northwest Aerospace Alliance, APPH Group — BBA Aviation, Hyquip Limited, Alliance Learning Limited, Darts Corner Limited etc.
Developing sustainable consumption and production policies and practices in industry requires analysis of technical, environmental, economic and social performance of supply chains delivering goods and services. In a programme covering the 20 years since its foundation, the University of Surrey's Centre for Environmental Strategy (CES) has played a major role in developing a systematic "whole system" approach to assessing and managing supply chains, starting from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Management (LCM) and progressing to sustainability analysis.
This approach underpins current national and international standards and policy and is embodied in the corporate strategies of a number of major companies (for example Unilever and M&S); the approach is also starting to be adopted in guiding the development of new consumer products.
Research within Sheffield University Management School (SUMS) into supply chain management and carbon reduction has delivered economic and environmental impacts by helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint through lower-cost resource efficiencies. The supply chain management tool, SCEnAT, developed from SUMS research, has helped businesses change their operations to reduce CO2 emissions, make cost savings of up to £250k per company and improve their business performance through, in one case, winning additional contracts worth £1.75m. The research has also been used by regional business organisations in developing and implementing growth strategies to support low carbon businesses in Yorkshire and Humber.
The research outlined in this case study has led to (1) an understanding of the complexities of shipping containerisation in the real world, embracing container fleet sizing, container leasing, repositioning of empty containers, ship scheduling, and shipping emissions; (2) innovative concepts and approaches such as inventory-based threshold policies and integrated container management; (3) development of a formal model and associated decision-support tools for use in the management of containers by key industry players - shipping companies and port authorities - in collaboration with local academic partners. The research has been translated into impact on shipping lines and container ports in several countries.
Research at Heriot-Watt University led to the development of a Knowledge Transfer Project (CALM) between the University and Caledonian Aerotech, known as Caledonian Alloys (CA). The KTP enabled CA to deliver material on-time and provide real-time information on the progress of shipments which led to existing customers purchasing greater proportion of their material requirements from CA over competitors. Customers Rolls Royce in the UK and Allvac in US awarded new long term processing contracts in 2009 worth $4m annually in which the CALM capability had a major influence. The company increased from 119 employees in 2004 to 309 in 2009 and currently employs 280 worldwide, reflecting the impact of the research on the company's performance.
Research from Northumbria University's Business School into environmental issues surrounding food supply chains has informed national policy in relation to local food systems. Research showed that the argument for supporting local food systems to achieve greater environmental benefits through reduced "food miles" was misconceived particularly in light of an almost uncontested notion that the more "local" food produce is, the better it must be for the environment. Our research has challenged this notion, showing that deliberately localising the supply of any product when economies of scale are available defies basic theories of comparative advantage and creates greater, not less, environmental burden. This informed the Department for Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) decision in 2010 not to implement policy interventions that would promote a more local food supply.
The retail industry and its supply chain represents the largest private sector employer in Northern Ireland and is a major employer across Europe. With the vast majority of enterprises in the retail supply chain being small in size, they traditionally lack sufficient resources, formal procedures and expertise to effectively develop new market opportunities. Our research focuses on how SMEs in the retail supply chain can develop a strong market orientation. This industry-focused research has had a direct impact on a range of beneficiaries, through the development of new products, services and networks for SMEs, and a significant contribution to policy development and implementation.