Background

Dr. Ran Bhamra has a BSc in Applied Physics with Microelectronics form Kingston Polytechnic, a Masters in Manufacturing Systems and Management from Bradford University and a PhD from Cranfield University.

Dr Bhamra joined the Wolfson School in 2008 prior to which much of his career was spent in a variety of engineering organisations. His industrial experience began as a manufacturing improvements engineer for Osram (Siemens Ltd), looking at improvements to the low watt SOX production process. Dr Bhamra worked as a trainee operations manager for Belmont Packaging Ltd. and later in production engineering of electro-mechanical devices at Innovative Technology Ltd. With SCA Hygiene, an FMCG environment, Dr Bhamra acted as Manufacturing Process Manager and core project leader. Dr Bhamra worked as a consultant for Pera Innovation, an engineering and consulting organisation. The work at Pera involved advising and delivering hands-on help to improve manufacturing organisations productivity and also management of publicly funded projects, often Europe-wide in nature. Dr Bhamra’s last role was as Process Improvement Manager for Alstom Power Service UK, where he introduced improved business process practice.

Research Interests

Research has focused on competence and resource-based theory of strategic management. Empirical research was conducted, using qualitative research methods, specifically - grounded theory, multiple case study and content analysis. The research engaged with board level management within leading manufacturing based organisations.
Competence and RBV theory impinges on and embraces a number of disciplines related to organisations and strategy, namely: communities of practice, the management of tacit knowledge, organisational learning, innovation management, the processes of organisational change and the impact of leadership within organisations.

Current research extends interests in engineering management and involves the question of how innovation can be practically measured and also competitive advantage gained through intelligence postponement – the idea of delayed, mass customised product differentiation.

Professional Affiliations

Chartered Engineer
Member of Institution of Engineering and Technology

External Activities

Journal Referee for :

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B, Journal of Engineering Manufacture

International Journal of Production Research

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management

• Guest Editor for of International Journal of Production Research, Special Edition - Creating Resilient SMEs
• Invited keynote seminar speaker at MACH 06 Exhibition, NEC 2006, representing the Manufacturing Advisory Service, topic: Manufacturing Excellence.
• Invited as session chair at Production & Operations Management Society Conference, San Francisco, 2002.
• Expert Assessor for National Grants for Research & Development (GRD) programme (2003 – 2006). Assessed technical and commercial feasibility of R&D proposals, accepted/rejected provision of funding.
• Represented PERA as Manufacturing and Innovation Consultant at regional business meetings. Articles published in Business East Midlands magazine 2004 - 2006.
• Contributor to DTI International Trade White Paper on European Trade, linking with senior industry executives, published Summer/Autumn 2004.
• The Guardian newspaper featured my career profile: Master class: The Innovation Consultant, published May 2004.

School Research Groups

Manufacturing Organization

Teaching

• MMC201 Business Systems  - final year undergraduate module
• MMD207 Project Management (covering absence) – MSc module
• MMP203 Lean & Agile (co- lecturing) – MSc module

Industry based teaching/training aimed at practicing engineers and  managers includes the following topics:

• Lean Thinking
• Practical Manufacturing Diagnostics
• Change Management
• Continuous Improvement Methodologies
• Waste & Value Stream Mapping
• Supply Chain Management
• Team Development & Roles
• Management Skills
• World Class Improvement Road-mapping
• Manufacturing Strategy
• World Class Factory Design
• Project Management

Project Supervision

Undergraduate group industrial projects
Undergraduate group product design projects
Undergraduate final year projects
Masters degree projects

University Administration

Module leader & responsible examiner for final year undergraduate course in Business Systems MMC201

Publications

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