On today’s episode of Supply Chain Innovators, we spoke with Dr. Muhammad Azmat, a deputy program director at Aston University, known for his expertise in disruptive technologies, consumer perspectives, and innovative business applications. Join us as we explore his journey, the impact of technology on supply chain evolution, and his passion for empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while offering valuable advice to students seeking to shape the future of supply chain.
Embracing the Future: Inspiring Companies to Innovate and Thrive in the Supply Chain Landscape
Importance of Translation in Technology: "Most of the time what happens is that we create some technology but we forget to translate it into a layman's language so that others can actually understand something and use it and we have seen many technologies come and go from very big companies and from small companies. We just couldn't translate it into a profitable business."
Supply Chain Investment in other Nations: "In the West, there is more investment in this thing, but there is more interest in research and development as well. Whereas in the rest of the world, or developing economies like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and other Far Eastern economies, this is still in the very... immature stage, the concept of supply chain. So they are still stuck with the olden methods of doing business. So you see that there is.. this sort of disparity between what we know about supply chains even though we are working very closely with all these nations because most of the global stuff that we use comes from let's say Vietnam or Taiwan and other places like that..."
Inspiring Future Leaders: Dr. Azmat's Top Quotes for the Next Generation
How To Choose Your Dissertation Topic: "People often choose their dissertation topics based on the ease. I would recommend don't do it. If you're, then you're not the only one who is doing it....Try to select a more technologically advanced, technically innovative topic and try to work on a real life problem. It doesn't matter if the company is paying you or if the company is supporting you. Think of it as if you are making an investment in your future. So if you come out with a positive solution to an existing problem and that solution is also a technologically advanced solution, it's an innovative solution to that particular or traditional problem, then trust me your chances of getting into a dream job or maybe starting your own company and its surrounding the solution that you have come up with ... is going to be an exponential increase in those sort of chances."
What Should Students Major in: "It is very important for students to forecast the future. Don't follow everybody else who is doing what they are doing today. Think about what would be needed in the future when you graduate. If you choose a technologically advanced, technically innovative topic and work on a real-life problem, it will be an investment in your future."
"I think the world is changing, the trends are changing. We cannot think of the future as the same as what it is today. It is important for students to consider a wide range of disciplines and think about the future. Supply chain, for example, is a universal language, and if you know how to fix supply chain issues in one country, you would know how to fix them in another. It is a beautiful field to consider."
👋 Follow:
Linkedin: Dr. Muhammad Azmat
Linkedin: Taylor Camarena
LinkedIn: Supply Chain Innovators
🎧 Listen on Spotify
🎧 Listen on Apple