Professor Ben Clegg

Head of Operations and Information Management Department

Ben's research, teaching and consulting activities focus on operations and process improvement. He draws upon theoretical ideas, such as systems thinking and multi-organisation enterprise management, to implement practical solutions for organisations. In turn practical case studies and insights are used to further develop theory about operations and process improvement.

Role: Head of Operations and Information Management Department Phone:+44(0)121 204 3063 Email: b.t.clegg@aston.ac.uk Room: ABS275

University of Central England. Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE).
De Montfort University. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Dissertation title: ‘A Systems Approach to Re-engineering Business Processes towards Concurrent Engineering Principles'.
Loughborough University Business School. Bachelor of Science (BSc Hons) in Management Science and a Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS).
Chartered Institute of Marketing. Diploma in Strategic Marketing (DipM).

Academic

Professor, Aston Business School. (August 2014 - Present)
Reader, Aston Business School. (August 1, 2012 - Present)
Senior Lecturer, Aston Business School. (August 2009 - July 31, 2012)
Lecturer, Aston Business School. (August 2003 - July 2009)
Consultant, Frearsons Solicitors, Skegness. (September 2005 - October 2005)
Senior Technologist, University of Central England. (August 2002 - August 2003)
Lecturer, Birmingham City University. (August 2002 - July 2003)
Consultant, Elipsis Ltd, Southampton. (September 2000 - August 2002)
Senior Research Fellow, De Montfort University. (September 1999 - July 2002)
Visiting Scholar, Stanford University (USA). (September 2000 - August 2001)
Consultant, CSTIM Ltd, London. (August 2000 - March 2001)
Junior Research Fellow, De Montfort University. (November 1995 - September 1999)
Consultant, NIS Ltd, Chorley. (August 1997 - November 1997)
Research Assistant, Portsmouth University. (November 1994 - October 1995)
Project Manager, GEC-Marconi. (October 1993 - November 1994)
University Sponsorship, GEC-Marconi. (October 1989 - June 1993)

BNM800 / BNM810 - Operations Management (MSc). 2010/11 onwards.
BNM850 / BNM852 - Quality Management (MSc). 2003/4 onwards.
BNM224 / BNM827 / BNM830 - Managing Multi-Organisation Enterprises (MSc). 2008/9 onwards.
BEM800 - EM Lyon, Le Grand Ecolé, France. ‘Operations Management’. 2010/11 onwards.

Systems thinking for business process improvement
Multi-organisation management of enterprises
Improvement of operations management practice: people, process and technology

Current

Jan 13 - Present European Regional Development Funding, Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Network (KEEN) Project with Coen – ‘Growing an SME using Enterprise Management Principles’.

Completed

Sept 08 - Aug 13 ESRC Capacity Clusters Project ‘Engaging Research for Business Transformation’ ‘EREBUS’. BT. Clegg (PI), and J Scully, £2M of funding. Principal Investigator and Project Manager. Ref. RES-187-24-0005. Held in collaboration with University of Warwick and University of Birmingham. Aston was the Lead institution.

Jan 11 - Dec 13 ESRC Case Award. ‘A systems Approach to integrating lean thinking and six-sigma’. with SigmaPro. Principal Investigator.

Mar 10 - Mar 12 Knowledge Transfer Partnership,‘Solving Wicked Problems in the Large Public Organisations’ with Altruist Medical. Principal investigator.

Aug 11 - July 13 Knowledge Transfer Partnership,‘To implement an innovative cultural change programme that will impact on sector performance by better understanding client needs, re-examining pricing strategy and challenging operational processes’ Principal Investigator with Higgs & Sons. AWM and ERDF funded.

Aug 10 - Oct 10 Innovation Voucher (EPSRC, ESRC & AWM funded). Precision Micro.Leader.‘Improving material handling and waste reduction’. Change implemented at company.

Sept 08 - Jun 10 ESRC Seminars Competition ‘Trends in Modern Operations Management’BT Clegg, PK Dey and J MacBryde. Principal investigator. Ref. RES-451-26-054. Five seminars delivered – see details at www1.aston.ac.uk/aston-business-school/research/groups/oim/research/esrcseminars/ .

Mar 08 – Apr 09 DSTL/DfT TRANSEC ‘Supporting our Security Officers’. DA Shaw, BT Clegg, PK Dey, A Greasley. Co-investigator. Operational layout and technology change implemented at Birmingham International Airport check-in process.

Mar 08 - Sep 08 DTI Manufacturing Advisory Service (West Midlands)and Brintons Carpets, ‘Audit of a Quality Management System’ BT Clegg, PK Dey. Principal Investigator. Quality procedures and process changed at company.

Nov 07 - Jan 08 Innovation Voucher (EPSRC, ESRC & AWM funded). Pinstripe Ltd.Leader (with D Shaw). An SME printers. ‘Improving customer interface practice’.

Nov 07 - Jan 08 Innovation Voucher (EPSRC, ESRC & AWM funded). WillsonTrusts.Leader. ‘Design operational processes for a new call centre’. ESRC case study. Process workflow designed and implemented.

Nov 16 -17, ‘06 Organiser of EPSRC 2-day Network Workshop on ‘The Future of UK Manufacturing’.ABS Conference Centre, 60 attendees, local press coverage. Leader. Ref. EP/D059046/1.

Jan 06 - Nov 06 SigmaPro, Birmingham. ‘Improving Quality Management Syllabi’. Leader of industry funded project to survey, analyse and present current scenario. New training syllabus adopted.

Jan 01 - July 02 EPSRC Network Project, ‘Product Innovation across Supply Chains using Enterprise Systemics’(PISCES).J Boardman, B Clegg. A networking project to ascertain current industry and academic practice. Ref. GR/R12299/01. Co-investigator. De Montfort University. Network of supply chain researchers initiated.

Awards for Research (Selected)

KTP “Outstanding” level of achievement in Higgs & Sons KTP (ERDF/TSB funded). Certificate Jan 2014. This is the highest grade award that very few projects achieve.
‘The Lawyer’ Mangement Awards 2013 – 3rd place for ‘Excellence and/or Innovation in Law Firm Financial Management’ 24th September 2013. London. This was for applied research.
KTP Project shortlisted for National Technology Strategy Board (TSB) Award ‘To implement an innovative cultural change programme that will impact on sector performance by better understanding client needs, re-examining pricing strategy and challenging operational processes’ shortlisted for ‘Business Leader of Tomorrow’ National Award from the Technology Strategy Board (10 from 200). July 10th 2013.

Completed

PhD (part time), M MacDonnell.‘Simulation of Closed Loop Supply Chains in Aerospace MRO Supply M.Res. (part-time) C.S. Koh. ‘Using Network Analysis to alleviate Wicked Problems in Employee Engagement’. Dec 2013.
DBA (part-time) D. Ajayi ‘An Investigation into Enterprise Structures and ERP Implementations’. Completed March 2012.
PhD (full-time) S. Al-Somali: ‘E-Commerce Adoption: A Study of Business-to-Business Practices in Saudi Arabia’. June 2011.
PhD (part-time), M MacDonnell. ‘Simulation of Closed Loop Supply Chains in Aerospace MRO Supply Chains’. October 2008
PhD, M Binder (full-time). ‘Collaborative Enterprise Governance: Sustainable Management of Inter-firm R&D Relationships in the German Car Industry’. Jan. 2007
M.Res. (part-time) A. Cichosz. ‘Quality Measurement in Services’. June 2007
M.Phil. A Alkalifa. ‘The Design of an Export Process from Royal Ordnance (UK) to the Bahrain Defence Force’. De Montfort Uni. February 2000.
M.Res. E Crowther. ‘The Use of Internet Based Quality Function Deployment to Support the Design of Extended Enterprises’. De Montfort Uni. August. 2000.

Current

PhD (part-time) K. Balthu. ‘A systems Approach to improving Professional Service Firms’ Start Oct 2012.
PhD (full-time). R. Orme. ‘A systems approach to integrating Lean and Six-Sigma’. Start Jan 2011. ESRC sponsored CASE Award. Writing up.
PhD (full-time) Y. Wan ‘A Framework for Next Generation Enterprises and ERP systems’ Start Jan 2010. Thesis submitted Dec 2013.
PhD (full time) Y. Wang ‘Assessing the need for informality in ERP Systems Implementation’. Start Jan 2010.
MPhil/PhD (part-time) Christine Lloyd, ‘A Unified Model for Green Reverse Logistics’. Start Oct 2008.

Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Fellow (FIET) of the IET
European Operations Management Association (EurOMA). Elected as a Board Member 2013-2016
Higher Education Academy (HEA). Fellow (FHEA)
Production and Operations Management Society (POMS)

Refereed Journals (Selected)

Clegg, B., Gholami, R., & Omurgonulsen, M. (2013).Quality management and performance: a comparison between the UK and Turkey.Production Planning and Control,24(12), 1015-1031. DOI:10.1080/09537287.2011.642486
Clegg, B., Macbryde, J., & Dey, P. (2013).Trends in modern operations management.International Journal of Operations and Production Management,33(11/12). DOI:10.1108/IJOPM-09-2013-0432
Clegg, B., Chandler, S., Binder, M., & Edwards, J. (2013).Governing inter-organisational R&D supplier collaborations: a study at Jaguar Land Rover.Production Planning and Control,24(8-9), 818-836. DOI:10.1080/09537287.2012.666873
Clegg, B., & Wan, Y. (2013).Managing enterprises and ERP systems: a contingency model for the enterprization of operations.International Journal of Operations and Production Management,33(11-12), 1458-1489. DOI:10.1108/IJOPM-07-2010-0201
MacBryde, J., Paton, S., & Clegg, B. (2013).Understanding high-value manufacturing in Scottish SMEs.International Journal of Operations and Production Management,33(11-12), 1579-1598. DOI:10.1108/IJOPM-07-2010-0205
Dey, P. K., Clegg, B., & Cheffi, W. (2013).Risk management in enterprise resource planning implementation: a new risk assessment framework.Production Planning and Control,24(1), 1-14. DOI:10.1080/09537287.2011.597038
Al-Somali, S., Gholami, R., & Clegg, B. (2011).An investigation into the adoption of electronic commerce among Saudi Arabian SMEs.Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations,9(2), 41-65. DOI:10.4018/jeco.2011040103
Al-Somali, S. A., Gholami, R., & Clegg, B. (2011).Determinants of B2B e-commerce adoption in Saudi Arabian firms.International Journal for Digital Society,2(2), 406-415.
Clegg, B. T. (2010).International insights into twenty-first century quality management: facts or fashion?International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management,27(2), 813-828.
Clegg, B., Rees, C., & Titchen, M. (2010).A study into the effectiveness of quality management training: a focus on tools and critical success factors.TQM Journal,22(2), 188-208. DOI:10.1108/17542731011024291
Dey, P. K., Clegg, B. T., & Bennett, D. J. (2010).Managing enterprise resource planning projects.Business Process Management Journal,16(2), 282-296. DOI:10.1108/14637151011035606
Benedettini, O., Clegg, B., Kafouros, M., & Neely, A. (2009).Guest editorial: the myths of manufacturing.Operations Management Research,2(1-4), 28-32. DOI:10.1007/s12063-009-0023-5
Al-Somali, S. A., Gholami, R., & Clegg, B. (2009).An investigation into the acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia.Technovation,29(2), 130-141. DOI:10.1016/j.technovation.2008.07.004
Clegg, B. T., & Shaw, D. A. (2008).Using process-oriented holonic (PrOH) modelling to increase understanding of information systems.Information Systems Journal,18(5), 447-477. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2575.2008.00308.x
Clegg, B. T. (2008).The growing importance of inter-company collaboration.Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management,19(3).
Binder, M., Gust, P., & Clegg, B. (2008).The importance of collaborative frontloading in automotive supply networks.Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management,19(3), 315-331. DOI:10.1108/17410380810853759
Clegg, B., & Tan, B. L. (2007).Using QFD for e-business planning and analysis in a micro-sized enterprise.International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management,24(8), 813-828. DOI:10.1108/02656710710817108
Binder, M., & Clegg, B. (2007).Enterprise management: A new frontier for organisations.International Journal of Production Economics,106(2), 409-430. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpe.2006.07.006
MacDonnell, M., & Clegg, B. (2007).Designing a support system for aerospace maintenance supply chains.Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management,18(2), 139-152. DOI:10.1108/17410380710722863
Clegg, B. T. (2007).Building a holarchy using business process-oriented holonic (PrOH) modeling.IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics: Part A,37(1), 23-40. DOI:10.1109/TSMCA.2006.886343
Binder, M., & Clegg, B. (2007).Designing and managing collaborative enterprises in the automotive industry.International Journal of Logistics,10(2), 135-152. DOI:10.1080/13675560701427346
Binder, M., Clegg, B., & Egel-Hess, W. (2006).Achieving internal process benchmarking: guidance from BASF.Benchmarking,13(6), 662-687. DOI:10.1108/14635770610709040
Binder, M., & Clegg, B. T. (2006).A conceptual framework for enterprise management.International Journal of Production Research,44(18-19), 3813-3829. DOI:10.1080/00207540600786673
Dey, P. K., Hariharan, S., & Clegg, B. T. (2006).Measuring the operational performance of intensive care units using the analytic hierarchy process approach.International Journal of Operations and Production Management,26(8), 849-865. DOI:10.1108/01443570610678639
Clegg, B. (2006).Business process orientated holonic (PrOH) modeling.Business Process Management Journal,12(4), 410-432. DOI:10.1108/14637150610678050
Boardman, J. T., & Clegg, B. T. (2001).Structured engagement in the extended enterprise.International Journal of Operations and Production Management,21(5-6), 795-811. DOI:10.1108/01443570110390471

Baines, T., Clegg, B., & Harrison, D. (Eds.) (2014).Growth through servitization: drivers, enablers, processes and impact (SSC2014). Birmingham (UK): Aston University.
Clegg, B. , Scully, J. , & Bryson, J. (Eds.) (2013). ESRC research capacity building clusters: summit conference 2013 : 25th – 26th June 2013, Aston University . Birmingham (UK): Aston University.
Baines, T., Clegg, B., & Harrison, D. (Eds.) (2013).Proceedings of the Spring Servitization Conference (SSC 2013): servitization in the multi-organisation enterprise. Birmingham (UK): Aston University.
Baines, T., Clegg, B., & Harrison, D. (Eds.) (2012).Advances in manufacturing technology XXVI: proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR2012). Glasgow Caledonian University.
Paton, S., Clegg, B., Hsuan, J., & Pilkington, A. (2011).Operations management. Maidenhead (UK): McGrawHill Education.

Some Previous Collaborators

Altruist Medical, BAESystems, BF Goodrich Aerospace, Aerospace, Brintons Carpets, Birmingham Airport, Coen’s, Frearson's Solicitors, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Higgs & Sons, Jaguar Land Rover, Marconi, MG-Rover, Navigant, NIS, NSK, Pinstripe, Precision Micro, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce Aerospace Group, SigmaPro, Solihull Council, Tata Steel, Willson Trusts.

Professor Ben Clegg

Head of Operations and Information Management Department

Qualifications and Education

Employment

Academic

Teaching Activity

Research Interests

Recent Research Funding

Current

Completed

PhD Supervision

Completed

Membership of Professional Bodies

Selected publications

Other Activities

Some Previous Collaborators