Industrial management and innovation research , Whakahaere Ahumahi me te rangahau auaha

We investigate innovative methods of product and service design, development, delivery, packaging and distribution.

What we do

We aim to allow New Zealand to remain competitive on the world stage as a major supplier of goods, knowledge and services.

Areas of expertise

We cover a wide range of expertise, including:

  • supply chain resilience and risk analytics – including supply chain integrity during natural disasters, disruptions, risk forecasting and inventory analytics
  • holistic supply chain integration in the primary industry
  • supply chain managers and logisticians skills and competencies, career advancement and the employment market – including advanced analyses of competency requirements, six-monthly monitoring of the job market and job satisfaction indicators across New Zealand.

Global food value chains

We investigate the structure, organisation and vertical coordination of food value chains, including:

  • value chain description and analysis
  • food value chain integrity
  • modelling value change efficiency.

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Information systems in supply chain management

Our research focuses on the acquisition and implementation side of supply chain management (SCM), as well as relationships and collaboration that take place during the process of SCM.

Logistics and supply chain management

Our researchers are experts in developing sound logistics and supply chain systems to bridge the temporal and spatial gaps associated with mass production and geographically fixed raw materials.

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Managerial decision science

Decision science describes systematic and scientific approaches to help managers make data-driven decisions.

It involves:

  • mathematical formulae
  • statistical methods
  • problem-solving heuristics and algorithms
  • business tactics
  • technological applications
  • behavioural science.

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Product development and management

We focus on product development processes, methods and best practices to increase new product success rates.

We investigate:

  • social and humanitarian product development techniques, such as user research and needs analysis
  • design capability enhancement
  • open innovation management.

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Quality systems and continual improvement

This area of expertise deals with the control, assurance and continual improvement of production and service delivery systems, to deliver quality and value for the customer efficiently and effectively. It applies methodologies such as lean and six sigma.

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Research projects

Educational syllabus identification

In 2018, Nigel Grigg was involved in a joint New Zealand, Australian and Malaysian research project, sponsored by the accreditation body JAS-ANZ, that identified an educational syllabus to improve the effectiveness of quality system auditors.

Machine learning

Massey doctoral scholar Achinthya Perera (supervised by Nihal Jayamaha, Nigel Grigg and Mark Tunnicliffe) has developed a generalisable methodology to use machine learning to process large volumes of literature on lean six sigma to identify its core concepts/constructs.

Modelling simulation

Massey Vice Chancellor’s Doctoral Scholar William Wilson (supervised by Nihal Jayamaha, Kuda Dube and Scott McLachlan) is using agent-based modelling simulation and Bayesian network analysis to gain insights into high complexity quality improvement projects. Simulation experiments have identified system leverage points that can be influenced to increase the likelihood of success for complex improvements.

Performance measurement system

In 2017, Nigel Grigg and Nihal Jayamaha were awarded $150,000 from the Health Research Council to develop an innovative performance measurement system for the New Zealand health sector.

Publications

Martin, M. R., Williams, A. H., Peiris, A., Wood, K. I. A., Zhang, T., Shea, G. T., Lavelua, T. D., Cosgrove, M. J. N., Forman, J. S., Paranjape, M., Kodikara, D. R. T., Dalglish, P., Weng, L., Cosson, I., Raza, S., Claydon, J. E. D., Kour, H., Kathara, R. D. December 2020. A Scholarly Review of Supply Chain Integration within the New Zealand Blueberry Industry. School of Food and Advanced Technology Massey University, Manawatū campus, Palmerston North.

Our people

Find out more about the staff involved in industrial innovation and management at Massey.

Professor Julian Heyes

Professor Julian Heyes

PGDipDevStud, PhD, BSc(Hons)
Head of School, Professor of Postharvest Technology, Doctoral Supervisor
Phone
Department
School of Food and Advanced Technology
Campus
Manawatū campus, Palmerston North
Dr Carel Bezuidenhout

Dr Carel Bezuidenhout

PhD
Senior Lecturer in Supply Chain Management, Doctoral Supervisor
Phone
Department
School of Food and Advanced Technology
Campus
Manawatū campus, Palmerston North
Professor Paul Childerhouse

Professor Paul Childerhouse

PhD, BSc, PgCert TT
Professor in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Doctoral Mentor Supervisor
Phone
Department
School of Food and Advanced Technology
Campus
Manawatū campus, Palmerston North
Professor Nigel Grigg

Professor Nigel Grigg

PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Group Leader/Professor of Quality Systems, Doctoral Supervisor
Phone
Department
School of Food and Advanced Technology
Campus
Manawatū campus, Palmerston North
Dr Nihal Jayamaha

Dr Nihal Jayamaha

MEng, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Doctoral Supervisor
Phone
Department
School of Food and Advanced Technology
Campus
Manawatū campus, Palmerston North

Study with us

Choose from a range of qualifications, including master's or doctoral research, in areas such as agribusiness, logistics and supply chain management, or quality systems.

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