Webinar:  Multi-Tier Supply Chain Relationships
Date:  22nd January 2024

Buyer-supplier relationships are essential to the success of many businesses.  The analysis of these relationships has evolved, with traditional approaches such as transactional and relational models giving way to more complex, hybrid models that consider the dynamic and multifaceted nature of modern business environments.  The important research question is: how can buyer-supplier relationships be designed and managed to meet the demands of contemporary business contexts?

View the webinar video here.

MBDA UK Contracts Cranfield University for Team Tempest Supply Chain Study
Date: December 2023

As part of its work with Team Tempest, MBDA has announced a new partnership with Cranfield University, supported by Rolls-Royce, to develop a solution to validate supply chain maturity.  

The aim of the project is to develop a new digital toolset that will provide a greater level of granularity on the state of readiness of a supply chain across the programme lifecycle, enabling earlier intervention in future potential supply chain risks.

Latest Issue of the Logistics, Procurement & Supply Chain Management Newsletter
Date: December 2023

Take a look at the Centre’s latest activities in our latest newsletter.

25th Anniversary Conference of the Agile Supply Chain Research Club
Date: 27th November 2023

On the 27th November 2023 we hosted the 25th Anniversary Conference of the Agile Supply Chain Research Club, which aims to improve supply chain practice through sharing the output of Cranfield University's research and providing a cross sector, collaborative forum where promising supply chain practices can be shared.  The conference focussed on 'Supply Chain Challenges and Opportunities', and featured an impressive line-up of speakers including: Emeritus Professor Martin Christopher (Cranfield), Dr Thomas Schulte (Bosch, Senior VP, Head of Governance Supply Chain Management and Procurement), Kieron O'Connor (Sony Playstation, Senior Supply Chain Risk and Security Manager) to name just a few, covering the following themes:

  • Supply chain risk and resilience
  • People are our most important asset
  • Supply chain digitalisation
  • Sustainability and decarbonisation
  • Collaborative supply chains and relationship management

The conference was well attended by 75 representatives and an evening Gala Dinner was held where awards were made to those making the most enduring contribution to the club over its 25 year history: Emeritus Professor Martin Christopher OBE, Emeritus Professor Richard Wilding OBE, Visiting Professor Alan Waller OBE and Sean Culey (Head of Value Chain at the Manufacturing Technology Centre).  

If you are interested in the Agile Supply Chain Research Club please contact Sue Gregory.

Webinar: Green Logistics
Date: 13th October 2023

As logistics contributes considerably to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, addressing logistics environmental sustainability is a big concern for practitioners and policymakers.

View the webinar video here.

New Scholarship for the Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc
Date: 2023/2024

Global Clinical Supplies Group and Cranfield University have partnered to launch a new scholarship for the Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc.

The scholarship will start in the next academic year, 2023/2024, and will run for 4 years.  Each year, one student will receive £5,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Global Clinical Group annual conference for development and networking.  Read more here.

Industrial Forum at Cranfield Discusses the Future of Digital Twin Technologies
Date: June 2023

Last week, Cranfield hosted a workshop with 23 senior managers ranging from Food & Beverage, Aerospace, Automotive, Retail, Global Logistics Service Providers, E&HT, Rail and Technology consultancy to explore the scope and application of Digital Twins (DT's) in supply chain networks.

Following keynote presentations from Dr. Abhi Ghadge and Antony Lovell from Anaplan, Mike Bernon facilitated a workshop evaluating the wide range of potential applications associated with this exciting transformative technology.  However, as a nascent technology, the forum also deliberated the challenges involved with its adoption.

If you wish to be involved in future debates/workshops in relation to digital twins, please email Mike Bernon at m.p.bernon@cranfield.ac.uk

EFESO Best Thesis Award
Date: June 2023

Congratulations to Michael Sedgwick, our Executive MSc student, on being awarded the EFESO Consulting Prize for the Best Thesis 2022.  Michael was supervised by Dr Heather Skipworth, and the title of his thesis was 'An Investigation into the Measurement of Social Value during Construction Delivery'.   

Webinar: Humanitarian Supply Chain Management
Date: 7th July 2023

On the 7th July we ran a webinar which looked at how humanitarian supply chain operations help build efficient system designs for the delivery of goods and services to disaster- and conflict-stricken regions. The webinar provided an understanding of the challenges in building humanitarian systems while managing chaos and ensuring survival in insecure situations characterised by a lack of resources and a practitioner’s advice on how to overcome barriers in humanitarian relief operations was provided. You can view the video here.

Supply Chain Sustainability Workshop
Date: March 2023

The Centre recently ran a Supply Chain Sustainability Masterclass in conjunction with Inchainge at Cranfield which was huge success.

The 3 day workshop saw a diverse group of professionals experience dynamic learning filled with valuable insights and sustainable takeaways. This exclusive workshop was attended by employees of companies such as Manutan, Citwel, Argon & Co, Circular Clarity and Hitachi.

Read more here.

In the News: Food Shortages/Rationing 
Date: February 2023

The Centre for Logistics, Procurement & Supply Chain Management have been active this month after being invited to contribute in the media about the current food shortages for fresh foods.  Professor Aris Matapoulos and Associate Professor Abhi Ghadge have contributed to The Guardian, BBC Three Counties, LBC London News as well as a Cranfield blog.

FT MSc Student - Finalist in CIPS Competition
Date: January 2023

Congratulations to our FT MSc in Logistics & Supply Chain Management student, Trisha Jain, who was recently selected as a CIPS competition finalist.  Trisha had to produce a 3-minute video about her thesis, a company project on disaster logistics.

CIPS first launched their CIPS Symposium in 2022 to celebrate students from more than 100 CIPS-accredited programmes across the globe. Students were given the chance to share their thoughts, discuss current challenges and engage with leading voices from the world of procurement and supply in some thought-provoking sessions. Those selected as finalists also had the opportunity to present their research. Ranging from lessons learned from the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic to the benefits of blockchain in procurement, there were a great number of entries from the profession’s rising stars.

Hosting a Cranfield MSc Thesis Project
Date: January 2023

If you or your organisation are interested in sponsoring 1 or multiple projects from May to August 2023 within the topic of logistics, procurement, transportation and supply chain management, please find out more here.

Webinar:  Digital Transformation in Supply Chains: Collaboration and Culture Change
Date: 27th January 2023

Labour availability constraints, rapidly rising labour costs and the residual impact of COVID-19 are compelling supply chain leaders to increase investment in digital technologies and systems to transform supply chains and address the current global environment. Digital technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, cloud/edge computing, AI and machine learning have demonstrated their ability to create new agile business processes at enterprise level. To fully leverage the benefits of digital technologies across supply chains, trusted collaboration is needed to secure information sharing that maximises the innovation capabilities of multiple tiers of the supply chain network. Digital transformation in supply chains requires the interplay of AI, advanced data analytics, digital culture change, trusted collaboration, data governance, and system interoperability.

This webinar will:

  • Demonstrate the benefits of digital transformation in supply chains
  • Discuss the challenges related to digital transformation in supply chains,
  • Discuss the importance of culture change and collaboration to digital transformation
  • Showcase the success of digital transformation achieved by R2-factory

For further information and to register for this event, click here.

Recent Projects
Date: 2022/2023

We currently have a number of research projects within the Centre:

Leonardo Project - research study to identify 'What the Art of the Possible' could be for their supply chain over a 5-to-10-year period.

Inchape PLC Project - the project will attempt to develop a thought leadership report consolidating the understanding of their global supply chain and potential future opportunities.

ECO-READY: New European Project - this project will develop a real-time surveillance system, an Observatory offered as an e-platform and as a mobile application aiming to provide real-time assessments for the food system, and update forecasts frequently and consistently.

Blockchain for Supply Chains: Research Developments - Exploring the true potential of this disruptive technology in the food supply chain.  

ReSChape (Reshaping Supply Chains for Positive Social Impact) - this project will analyse social (as well as economic and environmental) changes and disruptions impacting on supply chains at levels ranging from the relationships between countries to the impact on employment.

Latest Issue of the Logistics, Procurement & Supply Chain Management Newsletter
Date: December 2022

We have just published the last issue of our Newsletter for 2022, Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for 2023.

Webinar: Additive Manufacturing in Future Supply Chains
Date: 30th November 2022

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also called 3D printing, is one of the biggest disruptive technological developments of recent years. Parts are manufactured layer-by-layer directly from the digital design file without product-specific setup and tooling.

By printing the objects layer by layer, AM provides greater freedom in design, with little or no added cost for greater complexity, resulting in less waste. AM can contribute to recent industry competitiveness from: enhanced operational flexibility, speed-to-market, plant productivity, supply chain resiliency and circular economy by the ability of creating lighter, well performing, greener and potentially cheaper industrial products.

Webinar: Big Data and Analytics for Defence Operations
Date: 30th September 2022

This webinar was co-sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Defence Forum, whose aims include engaging with leading logisticians from commerce and academia, promoting collaboration and professional development, and facilitating the transfer of knowledge through debates and conferences.

The application of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is an exciting and growing area.

The potential of big data analytics in defence operations is perhaps less visible. In this webinar we bring together academic and industry perspectives to gain a better understanding of the role of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in boosting logistics capability to meet current and future defence challenges.

Cranfield University Announced as Academic Partner at IMHX 2022
Date: August 2022

The Centre for Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management has been named as the Academic Partner of the multi-track conference agenda at IMHX 2022, which will run alongside the three-day exhibition of materials handling and intralogistics solutions at this year's event, which takes place from 6 - 8 September at the NEC, Birmingham.

With two conferences at this year’s IMHX – The Logistics Conference 2022 and The Logistics Solutions Conference – sessions will be expert-led. They will feature a range of high profile speakers chosen for their ability to provide valuable insights into achieving optimal performance within warehouse, fulfilment and distribution centre environments as well as across the wider supply chain.

Supply Chain Stars Compete for a Masterclass on Sustainability
Date: 21st July 2022

Since its creation in 2011, the Global PRO Challenge run by Inchainge has witnessed displays of supply chain strategies from SCM professionals worldwide. Champions have come from around the world - from Pakistan to Canada, from motivated individuals to global corporations.

This year’s edition of the event is awaiting SCM stars to gather and compete for the title of The Fresh Connection World Champion 2022. The top three winning teams of the Global PRO Final 2022 will also receive a tailor-made masterclass on sustainability from Cranfield University.

The course will be co-designed by Inchainge and the Centre for Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management (CLPSCM), and will focus on sustainable supply chains.

Read more.

Workshop: Enabling SMEs to Survive & Prosper in a Platform Business Environment
Date: 28th June, 29th June & 14th July 2022

The Centre for Logistics, Procurement & Supply Chain Management will be running a webinar looking at how platform companies and business models are now becoming increasingly pervasive across a broad range of sectors spanning both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business markets (B2B). From platforms like Amazon and Alibaba to recent contenders like Shopify, Agroclub, Fresha, and Teachers Pay Teachers, the aim is to efficiently connect directly consumers with producers, making it possible for consumers to buy products cheaper and for producers to increase their market share.

This workshop aims to address the skills gap amongst executives in UK SMEs regarding the unique dynamics of platforms, the changing competitive landscape, and how they should react.

The workshop will be running on three dates.  To find out more and to register for one of the dates, please follow this link.

Building Resilient Supply Chains for Effective Risk Management Online Course
3rd May 2022

Professor Richard Wilding OBE has just published with LinkedIn Learning an online course titled 'Building Resilient Supply Chains for Effective Risk Management: Why Supply Chain Risk Management Matters.  

Supply chain resilience is an incredibly important factor for every company.  It can reduce risks to shareholder value and provide companies with a competitive advantage. In this course, Professor Richard Wilding shows how you can build supply chain resilience by learning about the external sources of risk and disruption, the internal risks, and the relationship between the elements of the complexity triangle, which create uncertainty.  He also explains how to build a supply chain strategy, and build products and services that promote a resilient supply chain, and how agility and flexibility can help you respond to risks and minimize disruptions.  Other important topics covered include relationships, culture, transparency, and risk monitoring. In the latter half of the course, Richard takes a look at international risk management standards; how to identify, analyse, and evaluate risks; and how to monitor and review risks.

Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference - Blog by Professor Emel Aktas

Following Cranfield's recent hosting of the Supply Chain & Logistics Stage at the Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference, Milton Keynes, Professor Emel Aktas of the Centre for Logistics & Supply Chain Management has wrote a blog about the day.

Professor Wilding OBE Awarded the 'Sir Robert Lawrence Award"
23rd March 2022

Professor Wilding OBE has been awarded the "Sir Robert Lawrence Award" by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

'"The Sir Robert Lawrence Award", the premier award of the Chartered Institute of Logistics of Logistics and Transport.  First presented in 1986, it recognises an individual's outstanding and sustained contribution to the profession of logistics and transport.  Awarded to an individual judged to have made a major contribution to, and raised the status and recognition of, the logistics and transport industry. 

In it's 36 year history previous winners from Cranfield include Professor Martin Christopher OBE and Professor Alan Waller OBE.

Micro-Fulfilment & Warehousing Conference
Tuesday 8th March 2022

Dr Hendrik Reeke and Dr Banu Ekren will be presenting at the forthcoming Micro-Fulfilment and Warehousing Conference speaking about how projects are enabled, what the future holds and where to start implement micro-fulfilment solutions.  Further information can be found in the Logistics Point Magazine.

Navigating the Complexity of Supply Chain and Procurement
Date: January 2022

After being invited to speak at the 'Procurement and Supply Chain Live' event in September 2021, Dr Soroosh Saghiri was subsequently interviewed by Supply Chain Digital Magazine and has published an article in their latest issue on 'Navigating the Complexity of Supply Chain and Procurement'.

Current & Previous Logistics Colleagues Support Cranfield School of Management to Become 6th in the World for Teaching Power
Date: 5th January 2022

We are delighted that three books led by current and previous logistics colleagues have supported Cranfield School of Management to become 6th in the world for teaching power (and 3rd in the UK).

Find out more at: Business School Teaching Power

Prepare for the Post-Pandemic World
Date: 4th January 2022

Associate Professor Yannis Koliousis, Professor Richard Wilding OBE and Associate Professor Mike Bernon recently published their article on 'Prepare for the Post-Pandemic World' which shares their Top 10 Tips to upgrade and prepare your supply chain for a 'new better..