WMG’s Supply Chain team, led by Professor Jan Godsell, is looking to understand the readiness of industry to embrace the opportunities of the cyber-physical age. To do this SMEs are invited to take part in a short survey that will assess your organisation against a range of different dimensions. The results will be aggregated to identify the readiness for Industry 4.0 of different countries, industries, and business types.

The results will be discussed at a special Supply Chains in Practice (SCIP) networking event on 20^th June. Company specific results will also be available after the event.

The term Industry 4.0 originates from the high-tech strategy of the German government, which sought to redefine the role of manufacturing post global economic downturn.

It is estimated that moving manufacturing back to the UK could create up to 20,000 jobs and boost UK GDP by 0.8% in the next decade. And more important, keeping manufacturing in the UK can actually save you money from total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective.

Where is the best location for your manufacturing activities? Should you supply globally, regionally or locally? Is moving back or increasing production in the UK a smart decision?

We are inviting those involved in making decisions on the location of manufacturing activity to participate in our special survey, which aims to discover the best fit between strategy and locations, in order to achieve the best performance.

Have you ever stopped to consider how competitive your supply chain really is? Our expert, Jan Godsell, Professor of Supply Chain Operations and Strategy, has been working with industry to develop leading practice in customer responsive or demand driven supply chains for more than 15 years.

Professor Godsell and her team at WMG are currently undertaking a study to understand the current level of adoption of supply chain segmentation within Europe.

Professor Godsell explains: “Segmentation or differentiation of the supply chain has been identified as critical, and most companies are sitting on key supply chain data that could give them that crucial competitive edge if they made use of it.”

Bridget Jones first showed us her “absolutely enormous panties” 15 years ago - and since then, global sales of support pants have soared, according to joint research by WMG at the University of Warwick and the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka.

Support underwear is currently so popular that the supply chain involved in making of a typical pair covers almost 71,000 miles and 16 different manufacturing sites, across three continents.

The research shows that this massive growth in sales is a direct result of manufacturers making significant investments in the design and production of shapewear over the last few years.

WMG, University of Warwick has launched a free online MOOC course exploring exactly 'how things get to you' through the invisible world of supply chains.

Jan Godsell, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy at WMG explains: “Rarely a day goes by when supply chains aren’t featured in our news in some shape or form, so it seemed only natural that they should be the focus of our course.

“Our course will give people the opportunity to explore the complex web of supply chains, enabling them to understand where they fit in. Our ultimate aim is that by improving understanding they will go on to do ‘one thing differently,’ whether that be for example buying seasonally or avoiding BOGOF offers.”

Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, Jan Godsell, will be representing WMG at a special Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum in London, on Wednesday 27 April.

Professor Godsell will join other experts in the field to discuss priorities for the UK food supply chain including issues of integrity and assurance, and how best to ensure a fair price for suppliers to large supermarkets. Also up for discussion will be improving awareness, of and compliance with, the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.

WMG’s Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, Jan Godsell, will be speaking at the 2016 NFU conference, on Wednesday 24th February.

The two-day Backing the Future of British Farming conference takes place from 23-24 February at the ICC in Birmingham. Professor Godsell is joining speakers including George Eustice MP on the Wednesday, to take part in a special workshop entitled: “Working together; where next for farming businesses?”

A group of researchers from WMG at the University of Warwick are using poetry, story-telling and music to draw attention to the important role supply chains play in everyday life.

When putting butter and marmalade on toast, checking mobile phone messages, or choosing clothes for the day – how many of us ever consider how things get made and how they reach us? Supply chains ensure manufacturers receive the raw materials and ingredients they need and move the end products to those who want them.

Today’s publication of a new report by the Groceries Code Adjudicator has found that Tesco ‘seriously breached’ a legally-binding code to protect grocery producers. Tesco opted to prioritise their own finances over the equitable treatment of their suppliers.  

Tesco’s over-focus on operating margin is the potential root cause of many of the issues highlighted in the report. It demonstrates the danger of pursuing a financial metric in isolation. With UK boards (both Executive and Non-executive) dominated by leaders with financial and commercial backgrounds, it is not surprising that FTSE listed companies are biased towards financial measures and fail to understand the longer term impact on the broader supply chain. Of greater concern is the impact that such commercially biased leadership has on the culture of the whole organisation, and the broader industry. Suppliers in the broader retail sector express concern that the ‘Tesco-buyer’ phenomena is becoming increasingly prevalent and potentially undermining the supply chain.

WMG’s Professor of Operations and Supply Chain, Jan Godsell will be chairing The Manufacturing A Leader’s Conference (TMALC) from 25-26 November 2015 at the ICC in Birmingham. The prestigious two-day event will bring together leading figures from the community to discuss and debate the key issues in British manufacturing.

The conference will explore topics including circular economy, productivity and innovation. Professor Godsell will also be joined by WMG’s Dr Donato Masi who will be presenting ‘Adapting and Innovating Supply Chain.’ Other speakers include Callum Bentley, Editor at The Manufacturer, Barry Naisbitt from Santander, David Johnson from Meggitt and David Landsman from Tata.