Gregory A. Graman

Greg Graman

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Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, School of Business and Economics

  • PhD in Operations Management, University of Cincinnati
  • MS in Quantitative Analysis, University of Cincinnati
  • MBA, Operations Management, University of Cincinnati
  • BS in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Cincinnati

Biography

Dr. Gregory A. Graman has a Ph.D. in Operations Management, a Master of Science in Quantitative Analysis, an MBA in Operations Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical (Material Science) Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Before entering academics, he worked for several years in the primary metals industry holding positions of responsibility in process engineering, supervision, quality management, and systems analysis. Dr. Graman is a member of APICS, holds CPIM certification, and is active in several professional organizations. His area of expertise is operations and supply chain management, including the topics of value recovery in closed-loop supply chains, delayed product differentiation and postponement.

Research Focus

In collaboration with the Sustainable Futures Institute at Michigan Tech, Dr. Graman serves on a team of researchers dedicated to establishing a supply chain solution for a new ethanol plant being built in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In order to boost Michigan's economy, the new company, Frontier Renewable Resources, has arranged for representatives from Michigan Tech and Michigan State to provide consultation on critical issues.

The biggest challenge is the delivery of biomass (logs and wood chips) to the new plant for ethanol production. Transportation costs exceed the value of the logs by more than half, thus creating the need for a sustainable supply-chain system. Dr. Graman and the other researchers will determine how to develop, define, and demonstrate how the supply chain will function to yield an economical product.

Teaching Interests

  • Operations Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Statistics
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Project Management

Research Interests

  • Value recovery in Closed-Loop Supply Chains
  • Infrastructure and the Built Environment
  • Outsourcing
  • Product Postponement

Recent Publications

  • Graman, G. A., Bukovinsky, D. M. (2010). "Sometimes it Pays to Procrastinate: Using an Inventory Postponement Strategy to Balance Supply and Demand," CMA Management .
  • Graman, G. A., Kastamo, A., Johnson, D. M. (2010). "A proposed closed-loop supply-chain model for cellulosic ethanol from woody biomass,"Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Business and Sustainability - Profitable Sufficiency . Portland State University.
  • Graman, G. A. (2010). "A Partial Postponement Decision Cost Model," European Journal of Operational Research (vol. 201, # 1, pp. 34-44) .
  • Graman, G. A., Kastamo, A., Johnson, D. M. (2010). "Biomass Feedstock Supply Chain," Proceedings of the 21st POMS Conference. Vancouver, B.C., Canada: Production and Operations Management Society.
  • Sanders, N. R., Graman, G. A. (2009). Graman, G. A. (Ed.), "Quantifying Costs of Forecast Errors: A Case Study of the Service Environment," (1st ed., vol. 37, pp. 116-125). em>OMEGA, The International Journal of Management Science.
  • Graman, G. A. (2009). Value Recovery in the Built Environment: A Supply Chain Perspective Orlando, FL: 2009 Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference of the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS).
  • Johnson, D. M., Graman, G. A., Bohmann, L., Mattila, K., Onder, N., Sutherland, J. (2008). Service Systems Engineering: New Course Development - Service Systems Operations LaJolla,CA: Production and Operations Management Society.
  • Graman, G. A. (2007). Supply Chain Management Issues in Recovering Value from Buildings Portland, OR: 2007 International Conference on Business and Sustainability: Sustainability in the Supply Chain.
  • Scillitoe, J. L., Graman, G. A. (2007). Scillitoe, J. L. (Ed.), University Interdisciplinary Research Networks, (vol. 44th annual). New York, New York: Eastern Academy of Management.