Improving Supply Chain Integration for Infrastructure Projects

On Tuesday 27th November 2018 the Centre for Systems Engineering & Innovation hosted Professor Jan Godsell, University of Warwick for our seminar series.

Presentation download

Abstract:

Lack of demand visibility, late involvement of contractors and suppliers, design changes, adversarial relationships, lack of trust, risk transfer upstream, reliance on a large, and a fragmented supply base of SMEs. These are just some of the adverse effects of a poor understanding of the basic principles of supply chain management (SCM) in the construction industry. Whilst the potential of SCM to improve the productivity of the construction industry has been recognised since the Egan report in 1998, the industry has been slow to embed the principles.

This session will discuss the fundamental principles of SCM, and their relationship with the more common forms of portfolio, programme and project management found in the construction industry. Drawing on leading practice from Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) supply chains, the application of the demand profiling to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of infrastructure projects will be explored.

Bio:

Jan Godsell CEng MIMechE MEng & Man MBA PhD, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, WMG, University of Warwick

A chartered engineer with over 25 years’ experience of operations and supply chain management across a broad range of industrial sectors.  Sponsored through University by ICI, Jan continued to work in Zeneca Pharmaceuticals on graduation. The skills and capabilities she learnt from a large corporate perspective, she transferred to support the successful growth of Dyson, at the time a fast-expanding SME. This taught her the importance of looking beyond the factory, and that successful growth required visibility and co-ordination across the end-to-end supply chain. An Executive MBA at Cranfield University provided a transition into an academic career, which has focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of end-to-end supply chains by adopting a demand driven approach. Leveraging her industrial experience, Godsell has sought to find ways to work with industry to turn supply chain theory into practical solutions with demonstrable results. Godsell has worked with more than 100 companies.

Jan founded and leads the Supply Chain Research Group and Supply Chain in Practice (SCiP) industrial collaborator forum and network at WMG, University of Warwick. With a strong focus on public engagement SCIP runs a successful series of quarterly networking events, and the bi-annual Global Supply Chain Debate.  She seeks to be innovative in the way she engages industry, policy makers and the public at large in the largely invisible world of supply chains. Jan has commissioned physical artwork, poems, storytelling and demonstrators to help improve understanding of supply chains and drive societal change.

Jan has served on a number of boards that set the direction for academic and government policy in operations and supply chain. These include the Manufacturing Advisory Group (Department for Business Innovation and Skills), Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme (Ministry of Defence), Smart Specialisation Hub (Innovate UK) and European Operations Management Association.