Rob Handfield

The long-term goal of this project is to ?enhance food security by increasing productivity and profitability for producers and improving intermediate elements of the system to increase access and affordability for consumers,? as described in the RFP. This integrated research, extension, and academic project co-led by NC State University and NC A&T State University through the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) will work with a large grocery chain (Lowes Foods) and a military base (Fort Bragg), and within the existing large-scale wholesale distribution chain through which the vast majority of food travels, to determine the potential for conventional systems to join with emerging food hubs to address localized food system bottlenecks in a way that values sustainability and meets growing demand. We address short-term (e.g., GAPs certification, supply chain development) and long-term (e.g., military contract specifications) constraints, while also testing demand-side interventions to increase purchases of local foods across the socioeconomic spectrum. Research focuses on baseline assessments, economics and management, marketing, food access, and institutional change. Extension integration includes needs assessment, training and support, applied action-based research, consumer education, and resource development. Academic integration includes the development of a new course in the School of Management at NC State focusing on local food systems value chains, and developing value-chain career-ladder opportunities for apprentices, interns and service-learning students. This project will lead to nationally replicable models that have the potential to significantly increase consumer access to local foods.

A mixed methods research design is proposed to provide the fundamental knowledge for building an effective Social Responsibility Index (SRI) mechanism. To create the SRI, we propose three major research components: first, we propose employing desk and field research to establish a refined set of social responsibility criteria based on secondary data and second, we will conduct a series of Delphi surveys among experts representing the primary stakeholder groups including factory owners, auditors, brand compliance officers and additional entities. Finally, inputs from this research will generate the SRI framework. Concurrently, two consumer behavior studies will be deployed: a series of consumer experiments using an online crowdsourcing service to gain initial insights into consumers’ perceptions for CSR; followed by a series of focused lab experiments. Findings from the online and lab experiments will inform the design of the SRI.

This project will help optimize COVID19 test kit distribution and allocation planning, to produce optimal outcomes for rapid testing of the population. We will conduct supply base research as input into a 50-state distribution model to inform decision-makers in how to connect suppliers of materials to testing centers, and develop a second model for testing of patients who may have contracted the virus. This model would be used to inform test manufacturers, distributors, public health officials, hospitals and commercial laboratories with testing capabilities, as well as state and federal government decision-makers.

The Institute of Treasportation Research and Education at NC State University will work with the NC State Ports Authority who is seeking to expand their capacity and ability to position themselves for growth.

Led by the Department of Forest Biomaterials in collaboration with the Departments of Forestry, Business Management and Science Education at NC State University; this proposal will develop an educational program for a new generation of technology-to-commercialization researchers who will graduate with the expertise to perform risk analysis and develop risk management strategies across the value chain of biomass supply, biobased materials, and biofuels manufacturing to meet current and future national needs that will ultimately advance the nascent bioeconomy of the United States. Previous studies indicate that a limited number of companies in the forest product industry perform risk analysis for their decision-making process. We do believe that this small adoption rate is due to lack of awareness of the importance of risk analysis and risk management for effective/efficient R&D planning and investment and lack of expertise (people trained) to perform risk analysis across the whole supply chain. This proposal supports TESA in “Agricultural Management and Economics”, in the discipline of Environmental Sciences/Management. Three Ph.D. students will be trained to analyze and propose mitigation strategies for current and future risks inherent to the bioeconomy. To considerably amplify the effect of this proposal, prospective fellows and project directors will deliver educational workshops in risk analysis and management targeting the biobased community across the U.S., while the proposal is expected to be completed in three years, project director expects to keep the program as a permanent teaching/research program. This proposed program supports USDA-NIFA Goal “Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education and extension programs”.

Given the scope and duration of this grant, we propose a rapid deployment methodology that will take advantage of existing resources available to the team, as well as our unique set of stakeholder relationships within the textile and apparel industries in Bangladesh and India. We envision this proposal as a scope of work serving as an exploratory planning grant, producing foundational insights that will serve as the basis for a broader study. That is, the outcome of this research will establish an initial set of hypotheses grounded in preliminary findings, that will be used as the basis for the development of a broader research design, using multiple data methodologies in the next phase of RFP’s identified by GFEMS. Research conducted through this initial funding will result in a technical report highlighting these hypotheses and develop a detailed set of frameworks to guide direct future research efforts based on our initial work within the respective RFP timeframes.

The performer (NCSU) will assist the prime (Kairos Research LLC) on a research project aimed at developing hybrid-human machine algorithms for predicting hidden vulnerabilities in complex supply chain networks related to the ongoing US COVID-19 pandemic response (as well as future pandemics and other disruptive events).

The Asia Pacific region is forecasted to experience the major growth in production and demand for wipes (and thus wipe substrate) over the next 10-15 years. Even though production facilities in the region might be designed to meet local demand, it is possible that an overflow of substrate materials will affect the current trade flow and thus the industry in North America (NA). Similar market dynamics have been documented in the textile and pulp and paper industry. Therefore, it is important to analyze not only how the nonwovens supply chain will evolve but also how to minimize impacts for manufacturing facilities in NA as the wipe substrate overflows occur over the next decade. An adaptable supply chain and impact assessment model applicable to different types of nonwoven materials, using wipes’ substrate market segment as a case study, will enable the industry to design strategic scenarios to embrace market changes and build competitive advantages. To achieve this goal, we have assembled a team with expertise in supply chain, conversion economics, data analytics, and materials science. Milestones include identification of major drivers for growth and megatrends for NA and selected countries in Asia, development of a supply chain network for raw materials, forecasting of new production volumes and cost, and estimate their effect on the trade balance of wipes’ substrate. Additionally, the model will enable to perform combined data analysis (including psychographics) to recognize trends as well as identify substrates with the highest and lowest risk for competition in NA.

DO6 Supply Chain Analytical Framework.

The objectives of this research project are to: Review and synthesize the academic and practitioner literature on product complexity and its relevance to new product introduction (NPI) and order fulfillment activities, as well as connecting to best practice leaders in industry. This will culminate in a report that pulls together the following areas of information. 1) Defining product complexity 2) NPI activities and decisions that relate to product complexity 3) Approaches for minimizing non-value-added complexity 4) Identifying the key supply chain processes responsible for order fulfillment that are affected by product complexity, and describing the impact of complexity on the performance of these processes 5) Identifying potential measurement criteria that can be used to measure and manage the impact of product complexity on the above processes. 6) Identifying / developing preliminary structures for modeling the impact of product complexity on the key physical and information processes. Following literature searches, reviews and synthesis, leaders from multiple industries will be identified who excel at both reducing design complexity and developing accommodating processes to mitigate the impacts of design complexity. Structured interviews will be conducted and lessons learned will be developed.