Contact Professor Heather Skipworth
Background
Heather is the lead author on a key logistics text influencing academics and practitioners entitled "Logistics Management and Strategy" (edition 6, 2019), which is ranked as one of the top ten supply chain books of all time on www.supplychainopz.com.
Prior to her academic career she worked in the manufacturing sector where she gained valuable insights into the challenges faced in practice.
Research opportunities
Her specific areas of research interest include agile and responsive supply chains and supply chain risk and resilience and she has published her findings in leading journals including International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, International Journal of Production Research.
Current activities
Heather Skipworth is a Professor of Supply Chain Management and Strategy and is also Director of the Agile Supply Chain Research Club, which provides a collaborative forum where member companies can share promising supply chain practices and participate in Cranfield University research. She works with companies from a range of sectors, including automotive, fast moving consumer goods, logistics services and defence to produce research findings, which are highly relevant to supply chain management practice.
Clients
Current Clients include:
Ball, DHL, Ecolab, Nestle, Pitney Bowes, Port of Tilbury, PPG, Specsavers, St-Gobain, Travis Perkins, VW Logistics
Past Clients include:
Applied Materials, BAE Systems, Bausch & Lomb, CEVA Logistics, Environment Agency, Kongsberg Automotive, MOD, O2, Proctor & Gamble, Siemens Magnet Technology, TNT Fashion
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Moradlou H, Skipworth H, Bals L, Aktas E & Roscoe S. (2025). Geopolitical disruptions and supply chain structural ambidexterity. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 45(4)
- Bastl M, Cerruti C, Mena C & Skipworth HD. (2025). The interplay of agile capabilities in crisis response. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
- Aitken J, Deakins E, Skipworth H & Cole R. (2024). Temporal perceptions and tensions in production management. European Management Journal
- Skipworth H, Bastl M, Cerruti C & Mena C. (2023). Supply networks for extreme uncertainty: a resource orchestration perspective. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 43(5)
- Roscoe S, Aktas E, Petersen K, Skipworth H, Handfield RB, .... (2022). Redesigning global supply chains during compounding geopolitical disruptions: the role of supply chain logics. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 42(9)
- Kuhl C-C, Skipworth H, Bourlakis M & Aktas E. (2022). The circularity of product-service systems: the role of macro-, meso- and micro-level contextual factors. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 43(4)
- Kühl C, Bourlakis M, Aktas E & Skipworth H. (2022). Product-service systems and circular supply chain practices in UK SMEs: The moderating effect of internal environmental orientation. Journal of Business Research, 146(July)
- Moradlou H, Reefke H, Skipworth H & Roscoe S. (2021). Geopolitical disruptions and the manufacturing location decision in multinational company supply chains: a Delphi study on Brexit. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 41(2)
- Moradlou H, Fratocchi L, Skipworth H & Ghadge A. (2021). Post-Brexit back-shoring strategies: what UK manufacturing companies could learn from the past?. Production Planning & Control, 33(14)
- Roscoe S, Skipworth H, Aktas E & Habib F. (2020). Managing supply chain uncertainty arising from geopolitical disruptions: evidence from the pharmaceutical industry and brexit. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 40(9)
- Skipworth H, Delbufalo E & Mena C. (2020). Logistics and procurement outsourcing in the healthcare sector: a comparative analysis. European Management Journal, 38(3)
- Kühl C, Bourlakis M, Aktas E & Skipworth H. (2019). How does servitisation affect supply chain circularity? – A systematic literature review. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 33(4)
- Søgaard B, Skipworth H, Bourlakis M, Mena C & Wilding RD. (2018). Facing disruptive technologies: aligning purchasing maturity to contingencies. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 24(1)
- Skipworth H. (2016). Exploring political risk in offshoring engagements. International Journal of Production Research, 55(7)
- Cerruti C, Mena C, Skipworth H & Tavoletti E. (2016). Characterizing agile supply partnerships in the fashion industry. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 36(8)
- Skipworth H, Godsell J, Wong C, Saghiri S & Julien D. (2015). Supply chain alignment for improved business performance: an empirical study. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 20(5)
- Wong CY, Skipworth H, Godsell J & Achimugu N. (2012). Towards a theory of supply chain alignment enablers: a systematic literature review. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 17(4)
- Skipworth H & Harrison A. (2008). Implications of form postponement to manufacturing: a cross case comparison. International Journal of Production Research, 46(1)
- Skipworth H & Harrison A. (2006). Implications of form postponement to manufacturing a customized product. International Journal of Production Research, 44(8)
- Skipworth H & Harrison A. (2004). Implications of form postponement to manufacturing: a case study. International Journal of Production Research, 42(10)