From the Director's Desk June 2025

Welcome to the second edition of Supply Chain Link for 2025.  We hope this edition proves an interesting read, with content spanning from healthcare logistics to industry-academia linkages, and from inventory to machine learning in forecasting.

Our first three articles are from External Members of the Centre for Supply Chain Management.  Associate Professor William Wang of the University of Waikato discusses health logistics in New Zealand.  Associate Professor Ben Dehe from AUT Business School encourages us to think more deeply about University–Industry Collaboration for Supply Chain Innovation in New Zealand.  Associate Professor  Riccardo Mogre of Durham University Business School highlights the increasing importance of managing inventories given recent disruptions in global sourcing. 

In our fourth article, Phil Doak, GM People, Legal and Communications at the Port of Auckland, one of the key players in New Zealand’s supply chain, reflects on the significant impact of a new approach to engagement. Phil issues a call for other organisations to consider a similar approach.

In our final article, Siamak Moradi and Eddy de Haas, Senior Supply Chain Consultants at Supply Chain Company, reflect on recent trends in machine learning applied to demand forecasting.

I’m delighted to announce that Dr Sarah Marshall has accepted the role of  Deputy Director of the Centre.  We also have two new members joining the Centre. Professor Ismail Gölgeci, currently with Aarhus University in Denmark, will be joining the University of Auckland Business School as Professor of  Supply Chain Management at the end of June.  He’ll be providing an article relating to tariffs in our next issue.  And Dr Haokun Du, a specialist in procurement who recently gained his PhD at the University of Texas - Dallas, will be joining us in August.

We trust this issue provokes thought about how you may be able to enhance supply chain performance in New Zealand.

David Robb 
d.robb@auckland.ac.nz
Acting Director, CSCM