How To Host An Incompany Project For An Msc Student At Cranfield

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2 The Cranfield Project an opportunity for your business Applying learning to real business issues At Cranfield School of Management we believe that Logistics and Supply Chain excellence is both a desirable and achievable aspiration for all organisations. Each year we develop over 80 high calibre Logistics and Supply Chain Professionals through our MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. We invite your business to consider the possibility of partnering with one of Europe's leading business schools and achieve new business and supply chain insights by hosting an incompany project for one of our Masters students. The win/win opportunity These projects form a vital element of the Cranfield MSc experience giving our students the opportunity to work on a real business issue. In return your organisation will gain access to bright students, leading academics and the latest research insights leading to a low cost, high quality piece of objective research into areas that the organisation may not have time, resource or expertise to address. We work carefully with partner businesses and our students to find projects that deploy leading-edge thinking and analysis to the business goals of the sponsoring organisation. Some of our students have prior work experience and all are looking to apply new insights from the taught part of the Masters programme in a commercial environment. What are the benefits for your organisation? During terms three and four (April September), students apply the learning and knowledge gained in the classroom by carrying out a thesis project. The projects contribute to the student s MSc and are all supervised and marked by a member of Cranfield s Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management. At Cranfield Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management we have a long history of organising company based thesis projects for our students which benefit both the student and the sponsoring organisation. Providing a project for an MSc student brings a number of benefits to the organisation, including: access to a bright, enthusiastic and dynamic student who has completed the taught part of their Masters programme the opportunity to use external expertise to investigate a problem leading to key insights and enhanced business performance at a much reduced costs when compared to a consultancy study support, expertise and knowledge from the Cranfield supervisor and academic staff at Cranfield's leading research centre access to talent and a chance to evaluate your student in terms of future employment opportunities.

3 Confidentiality Information gathered during the project will be treated in the strictest confidence. Clearly raw data is needed for analysis and to subsequently check the quality of the student's thesis from an examination perspective. However this raw data is usually summarised in tabular or diagrammatic format within the thesis document and cannot be traced to a specific organisation. References to the organisation are removed from the thesis title and abstract, and if necessary from the whole thesis. In the overwhelming number of projects these precautions have proved to be more than adequate. We recognise that some projects may address a sensitive or strategic issue. While normally the University regulations require the thesis to be published in the library after the examination process has been completed, it may be possible to delay publication for up to three years. If this is an issue it can be discussed in detail with the student and their supervisor. What kind of projects are we talking about? The student project can take many forms. It could for instance be the analysis of an international distribution system to find the most cost effective design for present and future supply chain operations. The project may be to examine warehouse operations to identify service or operational improvements. Alternatively you may want to improve your key supplier performance and investigate better measurement and management systems. Some organisations ask students to review the literature associated with a new supply chain initiative as a due diligence exercise prior to strategy formulation. Your choices of projects are many and varied and projects have been undertaken in a very wide range of organisation both in terms of size and sector. Examples of some of the companies who have sponsored projects in previous years include: Supply Chain and general Consultancies Specialist research organisations Oil and Gas companies County Councils NHS trusts and related organisations A large number of FMCG companies (food, fashion, tobacco, beverages, toys, home and personal care) including national and multinational organisations Retailers across many sectors e.g. grocery, DIY, furniture 3rd Party Logistics Providers Port service providers Telecommunications companies Automobile manufacturers

4 Examples of some topics which have been investigated in previous years include: The cost of lack of product availability Internet Sales Utilisation of Automated Labour in a Warehouse operation On Time delivery from China Advanced transport technologies Distribution network design Supplier/Retailer Logistics Collaboration Support Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Agenda of a beverage company Bringing asset management to the supply chain: how to minimise whole life costs Optimisation of the European Supply Chain for a Pharmaceutical company Identify the potential for streamlined services and cost effective solutions in procurement Development of an Inventory management model Global distribution and packaging standardisation Identify and Recommend Supply Chain Cost reduction opportunities Establish an environmental impact and improvement methodology Reducing Carbon emissions in the logistics department of a food manufacturer Retail stock turn optimisation and benchmarking Returns and repairs policies and practices New product introduction process design Transport processes and Procedures Warehouse optimisation Overseas purchasing Supply Chain Strategy The economics of fulfilment Development of a system of KPI s to monitor the performance of customer relationships Development of a fleet mix and allocation model Examples of previous projects Below are a few examples of company-based projects that our students have conducted as part of their Masters programme: Reducing wastage in the blood supply chain : Learning from good inventory management in hospitals The aim of this thesis was to identify ways to reduce the wastage of this scarce, valuable resource, which is vital for many patients. The main constraints of blood inventory management are the limited shelf-life of 35 and 5 days for red blood cells and platelets respectively and the strict regulations regarding storage, handling and temperature control. The complexity is increased by dependence on donors, the scarcity of the components, and the serious consequences of shortages. To identify ways of reducing wastage, over 20 academic models were analysed and appraised. To understand where wastage occurs, blood centres and hospitals were visited and the blood supply chain processes were analysed and mapped.

5 Application of supply chain management principles to assist a social enterprise to become a financially self-sustaining carpet producer Reduced costs and improved service within the supply chain can lead to increased revenues, which in turn can reduce reliance on donated support, allowing a charity s carpet operation to move toward financial self-sufficiency. A literature review, semi-structured interviews and financial data analysis were conducted to discover opportunities for increased market access and to formulate supply chain strategies to service these markets. Short term and long term recommendations with respect to supply chain management principles were provided. Outsourcing of logistics functions An assessment of the outsourcing decision process for logistics functions of an automobile manufacturer The main aim of the thesis was to investigate the outsourcing decision process for logistics services at one automobile manufacturer. The first part of the thesis explored and identified the major factors, which influenced the outsourcing decision according to academic writers. The second part of the thesis provided an overview of the extent of logistics outsourcing and analysed and assessed the outsourcing decision process employed. Finally the thesis recommended which factors should be considered in future logistics outsourcing decisions. Making cost, performance and efficiency comparisons between the finished goods warehouses of a major alcoholic spirits producer This thesis examined the global finished goods warehousing network of one of the world s largest alcoholic spirits and beverages producers. It began by establishing an initial overview of the various locations in the network based on a Pareto analysis of their average case throughputs and their other basic ownership, usage and operational characteristics. It then established a basic overall cost to output comparison between the warehouses identified in the network and set out a basic framework of key performance indicators that might be used to maintain an ongoing overview of the different locations identified. Finally, a number of models using Data Envelopment Analysis were run on a sample set of the warehouses identified to support further analysis of the various locations and draw further conclusions about their relative input-output efficiency.

6 Our students We usually allocate students on the basis of finding the best fit between your problem and the student's knowledge and tested analytical skills. However, we recognise that you may be using the project as a part of a longer term recruitment exercise. In these circumstances we would encourage you to liaise with the School's Career Service. They will organise interviews with students interested in taking full time employment with you. Some student statistics: Of the 80 to 90 international and European students we recruit to the course each year about 10% have some prior logistics or supply chain experience all will have either a good quality first degree from a reputable university or an equivalent professional qualification many will have more than one language all will be planning to build a career in logistics or supply chain management all will have invested a considerable amount of time and money on the course and will be highly motivated. How can an organisation propose a project? If you have a suitable project that you would like to be considered there are two ways that you can submit your proposal: 1. Using the online proposal form 2. In writing: Dr Johannes Fichtinger CLSCM, Building 32 Cranfield School of Management Cranfield University MK43 0AL

7 What should the proposal contain? If you are not using the online proposal form, please ensure that your proposal includes the following information: Your contact details Name, address, telephone no., fax no., etc Project title This may be an initial working title Project description and aim (100 words) A brief description of the problem the project is investigating and aim of the project. Project objectives ( words) Usually 3 objectives are sufficient. They should be couched in terms that reflect project deliverables for example "Recommend and explain which of the strategies are likely to give the best return on capital invested". Location of project Please indicate where the project will be centred and which other locations it will/may be necessary for the student to visit. Please also remember that if some of the locations are abroad it may be necessary to obtain visas for some of our overseas students. Type of industry/sector Some of our students have an interest in specific industries or sectors and would seek a project in that area. Risks If there are any risks associated with the project please identify them clearly. You will also be asked to ensure that the student will be placed in an environment that conforms to the relevant Health and Safety legislation and that if necessary they will receive the necessary training to comply with the legislation). Pre-requisite skills required of students E.G. driving license, foreign language, familiarity with software ( Excel for instance). Each proposal is carefully examined. If there are any potential problems a member of faculty will contact you and discuss the issue before the project commences.

8 When and how is the project conducted? The student undertakes the taught part of the course from October to March, and then begins work on their thesis project after Easter (usually in April). They are required to hand in their completed thesis by the end of August. It is unlikely that the student will spend all of the time between April and August on your premises, although this is possible if you wish. Based on past experience, the bulk of time spent with you will be between April and June/July. During this period they will also spend some time at the University using our library and analytical resources. The thesis is a major academic document which forms a large proportion of the final mark each student receives for their MSc, therefore we strongly encourage them to spend the whole of August writing up their thesis project to a high standard. Realistically, this timetable will mean that the project must be capable of being completed by an enthusiastic and hardworking but not necessarily experienced individual within a four month period. Most projects follow a similar pattern: Phase 1: Clarify the problem area and the scope of the project. Develop a practical timetable based on the main aims and objectives of the project. Identify the main sources of information in the organisation and who will be the organisation 'gate keeper'. Clarify the terms of engagement. Phase 2: Data collection and initial data analysis. Critical reflection on the data and if necessary refinement of the project aims and objectives. Interim presentation to confirm focus and progress. Phase 3: Preparation of the final company report and of the thesis.

9 Important dates: Late February: last day for receipt of project proposals March: projects allocated to students and project sponsors informed April: projects commence subject to meeting being arranged between student and sponsor June: intermediate project presentation July/August: final project presentation final report for organisation August: thesis hand in at the University How much will it cost your organisation? This is an important question, especially if you have to ensure that the project is in an operational or training/development budget. In general there are four costs associated with the student project: a nominal fee of 1,750 to cover the administrations costs and staff travelling expenses if the project is in the UK any direct expenses the student legitimately incurs when away from the university during the project including travel to and from the University (or to other organisation locations), food and accommodation. We ask that these expenses are based on a realistic evaluation of costs where the student will be working, and on the principle that student should not be out of pocket. Most organisations pay expenses on a weekly basis against invoices/receipts presented by the student staff travelling expenses while supervising students whose project is outside the UK. This may include up to three progress visits. in recognition of the contribution the student is making, many organisations also choose to incentivise students by giving them an honorarium either in equal parts during the project or as a lump sum at the end of the project. This is entirely the choice of the organisation. Contact us If you already have a project that you would like to be offered to our MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management students, please complete the project form. If you need clarification on any issue raised by this document please contact: Dr Johannes Fichtinger Telephone: x mjohannes.fichtinger@cranfield.ac.uk or John Towriss Telephone: j.towriss@cranfield.ac.uk