Creating centres of excellence for supply chain analytics
Abstract
Many organisations are recognising the benefits of creating small teams of individuals (called centres of excellence [COEs]) dedicated to specific tasks, which require specialised skills and capabilities from team members. But not all such COEs are successful, and many are disbanded due to budget shortfalls, lack of internal executive support or failed outcomes. In this research, we address the question: What are the critical factors that lead to successful COE performance? Based on an extensive set of interviews with chief supply chain officers and COE leaders, we find that several key elements distinguish successful from unsuccessful COEs. Specifically, successful COEs are governed by specific and well-defined metrics, receive funding based on performance outcomes and ensure that they are staffed by individuals with demonstrated analytic and project management skill sets. These essential elements were consistently mentioned by supply chain executives who have deployed multiple COEs with successful outcomes. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Robert Handfield PhD is the Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University, and Executive Director of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. Robert is considered a thought leader in the field of supply chain management and is an industry expert in the field of strategic sourcing, supply market intelligence and supplier development. He has spoken on these subjects across the globe, including China, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Latin America, India, Europe, Korea, Japan and Canada, in multiple presentations and webinars. Robert has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and is regularly quoted in global news media such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Bloomberg, NPR, Washington Post, The Financial Times, San Francisco Chronicle and CNN. He served on the Joint Acquisition Task Force during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to published articles on the shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the Harvard Business Review and the Milbank Quarterly Journal and led a National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) research team studying distribution of test kits during the pandemic. He was also invited to serve on the Biden White House Counsel of Economic Advisors in January 2022 and has worked with many companies through the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative for several years.
Citation
Handfield, Robert (2025, September 1). Creating centres of excellence for supply chain analytics. In the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement, Volume 8, Issue 1. https://doi.org/10.69554/IVOB2288.
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