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PhD Project: Food Waste in Qatar
Supervisor: Dr Emel Aktas
Applications are invited from potential PhD students with a background in operations research, industrial engineering, logistics and supply chain management.
Cranfield School of Management is leading an exciting research project on food waste in Qatar, with particular focus on waste incurred in the food supply chain due to associated operations as well as demand of customers including the hospitality sector and end-consumers. As part of this research project we invite applications from researchers with exposure to soft and hard operational research methods, including problem structuring and simulation. The research work is expected to have strong elements of quantitative data analysis and modelling. You are expected to provide a research proposal of maximum 20 pages including Introduction, Literature Review and Methodology sections.
If successful, along with your PhD you will be working in an international team of seven unpacking the food waste situation in Qatar from a logistics and supply chain management point of view.
Please contact Dr Emel Aktas with your CV to receive applicant information pack and guidelines for proposal preparation.
Admission requirements:
- A minimum of a 2:1 (or equivalent) at first degree level is preferred.
- Candidates should satisfy Cranfield School of Management admission criteria. Please see Admission Requirements for English language requirements.
Deadlines:
- Funding is available for the project. Deadline for submitting PhD research proposals is 7th August 2015.
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Mohamed Aljunaibi: My #CranfieldDBA Research
Mohamed Aljunaibi, Cranfield International Executive Doctorate (DBA) Researcher explains his research interest around talent management in the procurement function.
The VUCA World
Prof Richard Wilding OBE talks to James Lennon, Procter & Gamble about today’s VUCA World (Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, Ambiguous World) and P&G’s strategy for improving dynamics using collaboration and Business Intelligence and creating agility across total supply chains.
Agility in Supply Chains
Prof Richard Wilding OBE talks to John Carr from Flextronics about how the business operates in a collaborative way with their customers in order to access information and data which enables them to move products through the global supply chain in an agile and dynamic way. Another key part of the business environment is tasked with ensuring a resilient, robust, reliable supply chain for their customers.
Future of Procurement
Client or sponsors: Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
Time period: November 2011, one year
Academics involved:
Dr Soroosh Saghiri, Dr Carlos Mena
Organisations need to be prepared for the future and ready to reshape their internal operations and external relationships. The procurement function in organisations also needs to cope with the fast-changing business climate, where sources of supply and demand are increasingly volatile. This may include, but is not limited to, securing reliable sources of material, developing adequate purchasing and supply management talents and capabilities and employing advanced technologies.
Procurement and supply management are being influenced by many factors as well. Procurement in the future will continue to face constant changes in industry. Changes may occur in consumer behaviour, relationships with suppliers, information flows and material flows. Future relationships with suppliers may need new types of contracts and business models, where material and information flows will perform in redesigned supply networks. External forces will affect future procurement too. Ecological trends, demographic trends, new technologies, and economic trends will make the future of procurement and supply management significantly different from its past.
The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the future of procurement and supply management as a professional discipline.
The central question addressed by this research is:
“What will be the main focus, activities and challenges of procurement and supply management over the next 5 -10 years?”
This research was conducted at the Cranfield/CIPS Centre for Strategic Procurement and Supply Management. The Delphi technique was employed to collect and analyse the predictions of a sizeable group of procurement experts about the future of procurement and supply management. The predictions have been collected in a multi-round web-based survey, where predictions were made for two time horizons: 3-5 years and 6-10 years.
This study reveals that procurement and supply management will be a major driving force in organisations in future. The role of procurement will be more strategic and its scope will be wider. In the future procurement will not just focus on cutting cost, but also on enhancing value to the final customer and protecting the organisation from external risks.
In the future the procurement profession will play an increasingly strategic role in organisations. Procurement decisions have a significant impact on performance, not only in terms of cost reduction, but also on revenue generation and risk management. Increasingly, procurement professionals will be involved in business process improvement efforts across the supply base, with a greater contribution to measured objectives and their performance frequently reported to the organisation’s top management. At the same time, the role and seniority of procurement will be developed and matured in multiple levels.
This Delphi study also indicates that in the medium-term future, the main focus of procurement will be on establishing robust processes within its functional area, while in the long-term future, it will expand its scope towards strategic level decisions within the organisation and across the supply chain.
The final outcomes of the Delphi study revealed 70 predictions for the future of procurement. Based on the similarities and relevance in the subject of the predictions, they were synthesised into 9 content areas: Transparency/Information Sharing/E-Business, Sourcing/Supply Base Design, Procurement contribution to key processes & performance, Contract management, Supplier Relationship Management, Supplier Evaluation, Selection and Development, Innovation, Procurement skills and talent, Procurement standing in the organisation.
Details of the research outcomes and the relevant analyses can be found in the full report of this study.
About the Strategic Procurement and Supply Forum
The overall mission of the forum is to address current and upcoming business challenges from the procurement perspective and provide a forum for exploration and debate. The network will include procurement, purchasing and supply managers from across sectors and industries, creating rich conversations and encouraging knowledge-sharing from diverse perspectives. Depth of content will be provided via on-going research into areas of particular interest to our members.
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The challenges of multichannel and omnichannel supply chains
Prof Richard Wilding OBE talks to Dr John Lockton, Managing Director of LCP Consulting about the differences between multichannel and omnichannel. Many brands are already having multichannel interactions with customers, but an integrated approach – across offline and online – is the next destination on the map for many. As the internet and eCommerce has developed, businesses have realised that operating models need to be reviewed in order to maintain a consistent brand and offer an efficient and effective service level for the customer. Having a clear vision across all the functions and effective communications with employees is vital to embark on the journey of becoming truly omnichannel.
Coffee sourcing at Nestlé
Dr Gabriela Alvarez, Director at Latitude talks about her research, which focuses on sustainable value chains within Nestlé and its portfolio of very different brands. For example, Nespresso have developed a sustainability approach from the farmer, community and a quality perspective, whereas Nescafé and other, larger brands within the organisation have other considerations, such as mobility, securing raw materials, etc.
Building relationships to manage carbon emissions
Andrea Abrahams, General Director, talks about the carbon management programme, BP Target Neutral, which works to the framework of reduce, replace and neutralise. Andrea also gives an example of where offsetting is a part of the carbon management strategy.
Advanced information solutions in procurement management
Harshal Gore, Membership Services Manager at GS1 outlines how retailers and suppliers have been struggling with product information management within the Supply Chain. Where trust may have previously been an issue with regards to sharing data, the availability and importance of consumer information is now driving a change of approach in order that consumer needs can be met.
Driving supply chain innovation
Andrew Haworth, Supply Chain Director explains how Balfour Beatty’s Innovation Programme is an important strategic business initiative. From a Supply Chain perspective, their Open Innovation Programme is about engaging with innovation at the grass roots of the supply chain and investing in technology solutions which enable collaborative working across the supply chain. They have also invested in the creation of a Supply Chain Solutions team who are dedicated to working consistently with the Supply Chain and relevant project teams within Balfour Beatty.
SoM Research Insights 