Dr Adrian Small

Associate Professor

School: Newcastle Business School

Adrian is an Associate Professor of Operations Management and the convenor for the Decision-Making Research Group. Before joining Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University in 2020, Adrian worked as a Lecturer at Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle University.

Adrian is currently on the editorial advisory board for the Continuity and Resilience Review journal. As a referee, Adrian has provided his expertise for numerous operations and operational research journals including: “International Journal of Operations and Production Management"; "International Journal of Production Economics", “International Journal of Production Research”; “Production Planning and Control”; European Journal of Operational Research”; and "Journal of the Operational Research Society.

Adrian's academic background focused upon management, and in particular managing intangible goods and services. With a keen interest in technology, Adrian obtained an MSc degree in Business Information Technology where he was able to combine his business skills with the ever-changing field of information technology. This led into Adrian's PhD research. The work provided the development and evaluation of the Soft Systems Methodology eXpanded for Learning incorporating Technology Management (SSMXLTM) framework in the context of a manufacturing company and three North East NHS hospitals. The conclusions addressed the effectiveness of a learning approach for information systems (IS) design and development, and how this can be incorporated into a soft methodology for the design and implementation of information system applications (ISA). Important findings related to how SSMXLTM can impact on theory and practice. Through his PhD research Adrian was able to engage more with Operations Management challenges and how such challenges impact on organisations. As an outcome, Adrian has a keen interest in Operations Management in both manufacturing and service organisations.

Adrian's main methodological influences come from using action research and in particular participatory action research. He is also highly competent in using NVivo and ATLAS.ti and is capable of utilising quantitative approaches and using SPSS. Adrian has a broad interest in Operations and Supply Chain Management and with particular interest in process improvement, continuous improvement, and Lean. Adrian is also interested in Problem Structuring Methods (PSM), Soft Operational Research (OR) as well as all aspects of technology including digitalisation including design, implementation, and use.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Adrian is currently undertaking research in Operations and Supply Chain Management. His main research activities are focused around the area of process improvement, continuous improvement, Lean and Lean implementation in both manufacturing and service contexts. More recently Adrian is researching supply chain challenges including supply chain digitalisation, geopolitics, and critical mineral supply chains. Adrian also undertakes research in problem structuring methods and soft operational research (OR).

Adrian is currently a co-investigator on a £1.3M Digital Catapult funded spare parts project, which is due to be completed in February 2025. The project looks to address the key challenge of part name standardisation to enable sharing and interoperability across supply chains. Deployed in the automotive spares’ testbed, the project aims to provide a powerful, user-friendly platform for businesses ensuring high data quality and operational efficiency. Adrian recently completed work as a co-investigator on an ESRC grant (£20K) that investigated how technology-driven development effects long-term productivity growth of logistics operations in SME’s. The project responded to a funding call from The Productivity Institute by identifying key aspects of performance that drive productivity, and with a particular focus on logistics operations and technology advancement. The study explored how management decisions on technology advancement and adoption affect productivity growth at the function level and examine the long-term effects on the growth of warehouse productivity at the organisational level. The project was completed in February 2024.

Adrian completed work on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Benfield Motors (now part of the Lookers group) in 2016. Adrian’s main role was the knowledge base supervisor supporting the KTP associate undertake transformational change throughout the dealership network to increase productivity and improve customer service. The project enacted a holistic approach linking strategy, operations and HR management. The project enabled dealerships to achieve transformational change throughout the organisation versus point improvements through the application of Lean tools. The project received the classification of ‘outstanding’ from Innovate UK, the grant funding body for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and features as an ESRC Impact Case Study: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/news-events-and-publications/impact-case-studies/lean-car-service-boosts-profits/

Past projects Adrian has been involved in include:

The evaluation of the Northeast Transformation System (NETS). The project is utilising Lean as a method to help hospital Trusts in National Health Service Northeast (NHSNE) become more efficient, effective and provide better quality care to patients. This project was completed in July 2013.

The European Regions for Innovative Productivity (ERIP) project. ERIP looked at the implementation of Lean within five small-and-medium sized organisations within the Northeast and finished December 2011.

Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZozO3TAAAAAJ&hl=en

Research Gate: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adrian_Small2

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5154-0080

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=13007968700

Mendeley: http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/adrian-small/

Academia.edu: http://newcastle.academia.edu/AdrianSmall

Awards

2016 - Highly Commended Paper from the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence

The award was received for our publication “Doing Transformational Change in the English NHS in the Context of 'Big Bang' Redisorganisation: Findings from the North East Transformation System”.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Impact pathways: geopolitics, risk and ethics in critical minerals supply chains, Bhamra, R., Small, A., Hicks, C., Pilch, O. 20 May 2025, In: International Journal of Operations & Production Management
Value, product delivery strategies and operational performance in the medical technology industry, Bhamra, R., Hicks, C., Small, A., García-Villarreal, E. 1 Mar 2022, In: International Journal of Production Economics
‘Are they out to get us?’: Power and the ‘recognition’ of the subject through a ‘Lean’ work regime, Mackenzie, E., McGovern, T., Small, A., Hicks, C., Scurry, T. 1 Nov 2021, In: Organization Studies
Privacy and security of electronic patient records – Tailoring multimethodology to explore the socio-political problems associated with Role Based Access Control systems, Small, A., Wainwright, D. 16 Feb 2018, In: European Journal of Operational Research
Diffusion of process improvement methods in European SMEs, McGovern, T., Small, A., Hicks, C. 2 May 2017, In: International Journal of Operations and Production Management
SSM and technology management: Developing multimethodology through practice, Small, A., Wainwright, D. 16 Mar 2014, In: European Journal of Operational Research
Have a question? Just ask it: Using an anonymous mobile discussion platform for student engagement and peer interaction to support large group teaching, Tan, E., Small, A., Lewis, P. 22 Jan 2020, In: Research in Learning Technology
A mixed-methods evaluation of transformational change in NHS North East, Hunter, D., Erskine, J., Hicks, C., McGovern, T., Small, A., Lugsden, E., Whitty, P., Steen, N., Eccles, M. 2014

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Invited talk: Investigating management decision making and readiness in SMEs: how technology-driven development effects long-term productivity growth 2024

PGR Supervision

Vince McSkimmings Data Democratisation and the Sociotechnical System: A Realist Evaluation of Self-Serve Analytics Start Date: 01/10/2021
Ranjan Majumder Proper visibility of cross-docking is needed to improve the utilisation of vehicle space in the UK transportation industry. Start Date: 01/09/2023 End Date: 17/10/2025
Vince McSkimmings Data Democratisation and the Sociotechnical System: A Realist Evaluation of Self-Serve Analytics Start Date: 01/10/2021 End Date: 17/10/2025
Ranjan Majumder Proper visibility of cross-docking is needed to improve the utilisation of vehicle space in the UK transportation industry. Start Date: 01/09/2023