QRM Center welcomes new director
Ananth Krishnamurthy brings industry experience and academic expertise to new position
 ourteen years after launching and continuously leading the Center for Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), Professor Rajan Suri has retired, leaving QRM in the capable hands of new faculty member Associate Professor Ananth Krishnamurthy. “Every organization benefits from new leadership from time to time,” Suri says. Although he has retired from full-time professorship, Suri will continue to be active in the fields of industrial engineering and QRM.
In addition to his QRM role, Krishnamurthy will serve as director of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program, an interdisciplinary MS program with courses in engineering and business.
Although he is new to the faculty, Krishnamurthy is not new to the campus: He earned his PhD in industrial engineering from UW-Madison under Suri’s guidance. He has been involved with the Center for Quick Response Manufacturing for a decade, first as a research assistant, when he conducted and managed numerous QRM projects, then returning as a speaker at several QRM workshops and conferences.
Krishnamurthy’s research focuses on theories and methodologies that enable manufacturing enterprises and supply chains to take advantage of global opportunities by operating more efficiently and offering an increased variety of customized products within short lead times. His areas of expertise include the design of material-control strategies, assembly operations, warehouse systems, and supply chain coordination strategies to support lead time reduction and quick response.
Krishnamurthy has consulted for leading firms that include Alcoa, Rockwell Automation, Ingersoll, Johnson Controls, John Deere and Trek Bicycle. He also has overseen several implementation projects dealing with the application of quick response manufacturing principles across an enterprise, including manufacturing operations, office processes, and new product introduction.
“I am delighted that UW-Madison has selected Ananth to lead the QRM Center and the MSE Program,” Suri says. “He is one of the most gifted PhD students I have advised during my 26 years as a professor. He excelled in all facets of his studies: analytical skills, research ability, writing and communication, teaching, and interaction with industry.
“He has gone on to apply his talents on a broader scale, making substantial contributions in many areas of manufacturing research and industry applications. I am confident that he will take the theory of QRM as well as the QRM Center to new heights.”
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