Robert Collins
Professor Emeritus of Manufacturing Management and Strategy
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
Imperial College of Science and Technology, London
University of London
Robert Collins is Professor Emeritus of Manufacturing Management and Strategy. He has published widely in his fields of specialized interest, namely manufacturing strategy, supply/demand chain management, production and operations management, organizational development, and management education. He is the recipient of a Literati Award, as well as nine case writing awards from ECCH, EFMD and POMS.
Collins has acted as a consultant to international companies in the areas of manufacturing practice and performance benchmarking, manufacturing transformation, and supply/demand chain management, as well as organizational development and management education.
After joining IMD in 1975, and in addition to teaching and research, he assumed various managerial responsibilities within the Institute including Associate Dean (IMEDE) 1985-87, (IMD) 1991-92, Director of In-company Programs 1984-89, 1991-92, and Director (M2000) 1995-97.
During an almost 50-year association with IMD, I have never ceased to be amazed by the impact that advancements in technology have had on both teaching and research in the fields of management and executive development. In delivering a meaningful executive learning experience, it is not what we do but how we do it that has been IMD’s key differentiator.
Collins has served as a member of the Advisory Board of European Quality as well as the Board of the Decision Sciences Institute, the European Operations Management Association, the Operations Management Association, and the Production and Operations Management Society. He was a member of the Visiting Committee to the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan since its inception in 1986, and more recently served two successive terms as Chairman of the Advisory Board to the Suleman Dawood School of Business at the same institution.
He has held visiting appointments at ESMT, Berlin, Germany, Babson College, Boston, USA, the University of Calgary, Canada, and Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
The single market has forced a rethink of many companies' European operations. Traditional plants typically produce an entire range of goods which are then sold by their local sales force. Pan-Euro...
Simplicity and discipline promote the flexibility, constant adaptation and learning which distinguishes the "world class" factory. Factory focus (typically the isolation of distinct product lines w...