About
Adrian Small is an Associate Professor of Operations Management at Northumbria University's Newcastle Business School, where he also convenes the Decision-Making Research Group. He holds a PhD in Information Systems and has extensive experience in combining operations management with technology, particularly in healthcare and manufacturing sectors. His academic career includes roles at Newcastle University and participation in impactful projects like the £1.3M Digital Catapult spare parts initiative and a NHS transformation program recognized as 'outstanding' by Innovate UK.
Education: PhD in Information Systems (2007), MSc in Business Information Technology (2002), BA (Hons) in Business & Management (2001). Certifications include PRINCE2 Practitioner and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Research Interests: Process improvement, Lean implementation, supply chain digitalization, critical minerals supply chains, and problem structuring methods. His work emphasizes multimethodologies and participatory action research in complex organizational challenges.
Awards: 2016 Emerald Literati Network Highly Commended Paper Award for NHS transformation research. Active in editorial roles for the Continuity and Resilience Review. Supervises PhD students on topics like cross-docking optimization and data democratisation.
Grants & Projects: Co-investigator on major projects including the National Health Service Transformation System (NETS), European Regions for Innovative Productivity (ERIP), and automotive distribution studies. Collaborates with industry partners like Benfield Motors (Lookers Group) on operational efficiency improvements.
Labs/Teams: Part of Christian Hicks' Lab and affiliated with the Decision-Making Research Group. Engages in interdisciplinary research on geopolitics, ethics, and operational resilience in critical supply chains.
