John Parnaby
Dr. John Parnaby made tremendous contributions to the theory and practice of business systems engineering. His particular specialism was the adaptation of the principles of chemical process control in discrete parts manufacture. This was outlined in his classic 1979 paper “Concept of a manufacturing system”, published in International Journal of Production Research, and written whilst a Professor at the University of Bradford (UK). Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management (JMTM) recently published a three-part extension of these ideas. Applications included substantial and successful business process engineering projects undertaken within mechanical, electrical, electronic, automotive, aerospace, healthcare, and banking market sectors worldwide. Having returned to industry as Chief Technical Director of Lucas Industries, an international conglomerate with a number of highly regarded world class businesses, he rose to become Chief Executive of Lucas Electronic Systems Products and Executive Chairman of Lucas Engineering and Systems Ltd At different times, he served as President of both the UK Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Production Engineers.
John was most unusual in being a thinker, a practitioner, a leader, and an educator. He was quite outstanding in all these roles. One of my colleagues said “Following my first meeting with John I was so enthused I went away and worked through all his published papers”. Another commented “JP was the only person I have met with two jobs ∼ both full time” His PhD, contributing to the design of electrohydraulic control systems, provided a firm foundation for his subsequent career in academe, where he became Professor of Manufacturing Systems at the University of Bradford (the first such appointment in the UK). During that period, he rapidly applied the systems concept to a wide range of industries making a major contribution to the exploitation of chemical process control concepts in discrete control manufacture. Computer modelling and control in the tailoring industry was also one notable and seemingly unlikely example.
John then moved into industry and rapidly showed that these methods were both effective and efficient. At the detailed level, there was considerable similarity between his approach and the Toyota Production System to such an extent that when such an approach was still regarded as novel and highly daring John was dubbed “The Japanese Ambassador” in the UK press. It was during this period while he was in Birmingham working with Lucas Industries that an analysis undertaken by Richard Schonberger, and published in the best-selling book “World Class Manufacturing”, rated the Lucas Automotive Division as a world-class supplier, which came as a shock to those who regarded Western industry as uncompetitive. His vision in task force creation, training, and motivation, to accomplish effective change within the “Managing by Projects for Business Success” was exemplary and lives on through the many Lucas Engineering and Business trained consultants in practice world-wide plus his many former students.
Source: Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management
John was most unusual in being a thinker, a practitioner, a leader, and an educator. He was quite outstanding in all these roles. One of my colleagues said “Following my first meeting with John I was so enthused I went away and worked through all his published papers”. Another commented “JP was the only person I have met with two jobs ∼ both full time” His PhD, contributing to the design of electrohydraulic control systems, provided a firm foundation for his subsequent career in academe, where he became Professor of Manufacturing Systems at the University of Bradford (the first such appointment in the UK). During that period, he rapidly applied the systems concept to a wide range of industries making a major contribution to the exploitation of chemical process control concepts in discrete control manufacture. Computer modelling and control in the tailoring industry was also one notable and seemingly unlikely example.
John then moved into industry and rapidly showed that these methods were both effective and efficient. At the detailed level, there was considerable similarity between his approach and the Toyota Production System to such an extent that when such an approach was still regarded as novel and highly daring John was dubbed “The Japanese Ambassador” in the UK press. It was during this period while he was in Birmingham working with Lucas Industries that an analysis undertaken by Richard Schonberger, and published in the best-selling book “World Class Manufacturing”, rated the Lucas Automotive Division as a world-class supplier, which came as a shock to those who regarded Western industry as uncompetitive. His vision in task force creation, training, and motivation, to accomplish effective change within the “Managing by Projects for Business Success” was exemplary and lives on through the many Lucas Engineering and Business trained consultants in practice world-wide plus his many former students.
Source: Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management