Dr Ming K. Lim

+44 (0)121 204 3508

Email
m.k.lim@aston.ac.uk

Room number
Main Building 170

Profile
I obtained my PhD degree from the University of Exeter (UK). Prior to that, I graduated with a First class B.Eng(Hons) in Manufacturing Systems and Management at the University of Liverpool. In 2001, I was appointed as Research Fellow in an EPSRC research project, Dynamically Integrated Manufacturing Systems (DIMS), based at the University of Exeter. This project aimed at increasing the agility and reconfigurability of manufacturing systems as well as of supply chain system to cope with dynamic changes in the market and production environment.

Before obtaining my lectureship at Aston University in Dec 2006, I was appointed as business improvement manager at ePI International, a fast-growing organisation providing consultancy to clients in saving process/overhead costs in their companies. My roles included managing a team of knowledge engineers in conducting research into diverse business processes and identifying performance improvement solutions within the extended supply chain operations. I was also involved in planning and managing the development of an intelligent knowledge-based portal system, which aimed to help organisations assessing their business processes, and improving their profitability through implementing performance improvement solutions that are relevant to their business performances.

• Ph.D in Manufacturing Engineering and Management (2004)
  The University of Exeter, UK

• B.Eng (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering and Industrial Management (1st Class) (1998)
  The University of Liverpool, UK

Employment

• 2006 – present: Lecturer in Logistics Management, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, UK
  

• 2005 – 2006: Business Improvement Management, ePI International, UK

• 2001 – 2004: Research Fellow, School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of Exeter, UK
  

Teaching activity 

• Logistics and Transportation (MSc)
• Quality Management (MSc)
• Facilities Design and Management (BSc)
• Manufacturing Logistics (BSc)

The research team has gained international recognition in RFID research; I have been invited to give a public seminar on RFID applications at SIMTech (Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology) at Singapore Nanyang Technological University. Following this successful seminar, I was invited back in Singapore to be a session speaker and a panel member at the high-profile RFID World Asia 2009. Since then, I have been a regular speaker for various workshops/conferences. More recently, I was invited to be the session speakers at the Asia Pacific Business Innovation and Technology Management Conference in Lausanne (Switzerland) and the Asia Pacific Microwave RFID workshop in Melbourne Australia. I am currently an advisory council member for Asia Pacific Business Innovation and Technology Management Society and an editorial board member for Artificial Intelligence Research, and Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.

RFID Advanced Research has successfully secured various funded projects, and has project collaborations with companies from different industry sectors, including DHL Exel Supply Chain, the UK National Health Service (NHS), and SMEs such as Accutronics, Hazlin of Ludlow, Carton Edge Packaging, ATMS, and UAV Engines. We are actively supporting companies in enhancing economic competitiveness in their relative business markets, as well as in assessing their operations for RFID adoption. We welcome any form of collaboration with companies through, e.g. consultancy projects, student projects, or a range of funded schemes available. We are also seeking association with other research institutions through collaborative research funding.

• EPSRC, TSB, EU FP7 CIP
  

PhD/KTP Supervision

• Mr Prab Singh (KTP associate) – Improving manufacturing operations at Accutronics
• Mr Witek Bahr (PhD project) – Managing transportation distribution network more efficiently and cost-effectively with the real-time RFID data
• Mr Iqbal Johal (PhD project) – Developing a new loop dispatch layout concept to optimise vehicle routing in delivery
• Miss Rebecca Aggarwal (PhD project) – Enhancing the use of RFID technology to deliver greater value-added services to clients (DHL Exel Supply Chain)
• Mr Mo Hussain (PhD project) – Enhancing patient safety via RFID adoption (NHS)
• Mr Ahsan Munir (PhD project) – Increasing SMEs’ competency in new technology adoption and management (Pakistan’s National Engineering and Scientific Commission – NESCOM)
• Mr Majed Alnaaem (PhD project) - Enhancing TQM adoption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  

Membership of Professional Bodies

• Chartered member of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) UK
  
• Member of IEEE
  
• Associate member of Universities' Transport Study Group (UTSG)

Selected publications

Journal articles 

• 2012, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, A Multi-Agent System using Iterative Bidding Mechanism to Enhance Manufacturing Agility, Expert Systems with Applications, available online.
  
• 2012, Dues, CM, Tan, KH and Lim, M, Green as the New Lean: How to use Lean Practices as a Catalyst to Greening Your Supply Chain, Journal of Cleaner Production, available online.
• 2012, Hosie, P, Lim, M and Chng M, The Impact of General Sales Agents on the Air Cargo Industry, International Journal of Logistics and Systems Management, In print.
• 2012, Nielsen, I,  Lim, M, Nielsen, P and Aggarwal, R “A decision support system for waste collection management and its potential improvement with radio-frequency identification technology (RFID)”, International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, In print.
• 2012, Aggarwal, R and Lim, M, Enhancing Competitive Advantage with Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) Enabled Returnable Transport Equipment (RTE), International Journal of Information Technology and Management, In print.
  
• 2011, Munir, A, Lim, M and Knight, L, “Sustaining competitive advantage in SMEs”, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 25, 408 – 412.
• 2011, Tse, Y.K., Tan, K.H., Chung, S.H., Lim, M.K., Quality risk in global supply network, Journal of Manufacturing and Technology Management, Vol. 22, No. 8, 1002-1013.
• 2011, Senior C, Howard C, Reddy P.A, Clarke R, & Lim M, The Relationship between Student-centred Lectures, Emotional Intelligence and Study Teams: A Social Telemetry Study with Mobile Telephony. Studies in Higher Education.
• 2010, Senior C, Howard CD, Reddy PA, Clark R, & Lim M, Spontaneous ‘study team’ behaviour in undergraduates: A pilot study using mobile telephony. The Higher Education Academy Newsletter, 58(12), 9.
• 2009, Lim, MK, Zhang, Z, Goh WT, An Iterative Agent Bidding Mechanism for responsive manufacturing, International Scientific Journal: Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 22(7), 1068-1079.
• 2007, Zhang, Z, Anosike, A I and Lim, M K, Dynamically Integrated Manufacturing Systems (DIMS) - A Multi-Agent Approach, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A, 37(5), 824-850.
• 2006, Zhang, Z, Anosike, A I, Lim, M K and Akanle, O M, An Agent-Based Approach for e-Manufacturing and Supply Chain Integration, Computers and Industrial Engineering Journal – Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Vol. 51 No. 2, 343-360.
  
• 2004, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, An integrated agent-based approach for responsive control of manufacturing resources, Computers and Industrial Engineering, Vol. 46, No.2, 221-232.
• 2003, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, A multi-agent based manufacturing control strategy for responsive manufacturing, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, Vol. 139, No. 1-3, 379-384.

• 2011, Lim, M.K. and Zhang, Z., Achieving cost competitiveness with an agent based integrated process planning and production scheduling system, “Production Scheduling” ISBN: 987-953-307-935-6, InTech, 185-206.

Poster Presentation

• 2010, Carl Senior, Peter Reddy, Ming Lim, & Robin Clarke, True team behaviour in psychology undergraduates: A pilot study using mobile telephony. British Psychological Society Annual Conference, 14th-16th April 2010.

Refereed conference papers

• 2011, Aggarwal, R and Lim, M, “Enhancing Competitiveness of Third Party Logistics with RFID Enabled Returnable Transport Equipment” Proceedings of the IEEE Int. Conf. on RFID - Technology and Applications, Barcelona, Spain.
  
• 2011, Brierley, I., Tan, K and Lim, M, ''Leanness versus Agility Revisited: An Empirical Investigation on an Aero engine Supply Chain Delivery Performance” 21^st International Conference on Production Research, July 31 - August 4, 2011, Stuttgart, Germany, ISBN 978-3-8396-0293-5.
• 2011, Aggarwal, R, Lim, M and Tan, K, ''A three-level automation approach for radio-frequency identification enabled returnable transport equipment to enhance supply chain competitiveness” 21^st International Conference on Production Research, July 31 - August 4, 2011, Stuttgart, Germany, ISBN 978-3-8396-0293-5.
• 2011, Munir, A, Lim, M, and Knight, L “Manufacturing Competence management of small and medium enterprises in a developing country” 13th International Conference on Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of industrial enterprises, 22 June – 24 June 2011 Trondheim, Norway, 99-108.
• 2011, Hussain, M, Knight, L, and Lim, M, “RFID in English healthcare supply chains: Where is it?” 13th International Conference on Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of industrial enterprises, 22 June – 24 June 2011, Trondheim, Norway, 71-80
• 2011, Johal, I, Lim, M “Constructing compact driver areas for short-haul parcel distribution” 13th International Conference on Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of industrial enterprises, 22 June – 24 June 2011, Trondheim, Norway, 11-19.
• 2011, Johal, I, Lim, M “Scheduling short-haul transportation of parcel service requests without rigid structures” The 16th International Symposium on Logistics (ISL 2011),10-13 July 2011, Berlin, Germany, 689-694.
  
• 2010, Bahr, W, and Lim, M K, Maximising the RFID Benefits at the Tyre Distribution Centre, Proc. of the 12th Int. Conf. on The Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprise, 30-31 Oct 2010, Aalborg Denmark, 202-209.
• 2010, Aggarwal, R and Lim, M K, Utilisation of RFID to Increase Efficiency in the Returnable Equipment Supply Chain, Proc. of the 12th Int. Conf. on The Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprise, 30-31 Oct 2010, Aalborg Denmark, 284-292.
• 2010, I. Dukovska-Popovska, M.K. Lim, K. Steger-Jensen, and H.-H. Hvolby, RFID Technology to Support Environmentally Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Proceedings of the IEEE Int. Conf. on RFID - Technology and Applications, Guangzhou, China, 17 - 19 June 2010, 291-295.
  
• 2010, Izabela Nielsen, Ming Lim, Peter Nielsen, Optimizing Supply Chain Waste Management Through the Use of RFID Technology, Proceedings of the IEEE Int. Conf. on RFID - Technology and Applications, Guangzhou, China, 17 - 19 June 2010, 296 – 301.
• 2009, Aggarwal, R and Lim, M K, Impact of RFID in Reverse Logistics, 11th Int. Conf. on The Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprise, 15-16 Oct 2009, Bergamo Italy, 185-192. 
• 2009, Albrassi, S, Lim, M K, and Knight, L, RFID: Opportunities and Challenges within the Hospital Environment, 11th Int. Conf. on The Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprise, 15-16 Oct 2009, Bergamo Italy, 251-258.
• 2009, Bahr, W, and Lim, M K, Implementation Challenges of RFID in Warehouse, 11th Int. Conf. on The Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprise, 15-16 Oct 2009, Bergamo Italy, 235-242.
• 2009, Bahr, W, and Lim, M K, RFID Adoption Issues in the Warehouse, XIX International Conference on Material Handling, Constructions and Logistics, 15-16 Oct 2009, Belgrade Serbia, 157-160.
• 2005, Zhang, Z, Anosike, A I, and Lim, M K, Dynamically integrated manufacturing systems – concepts and supporting methodology, Proc. Intl Conf on Changeable, Agile, Reconfigurable and Virtual Production, 22-23 Sept 2005, Munich, Germany, 281-288.
• 2003, Lim, MK and Zhang, Z, A multi-agent iterative bidding protocol for agile manufacturing, Proc. of the International Conference on Agile Manufacturing, December 4-6, 2003, Beijing, China, 83-90.
• 2003, Lim, MK and Zhang, Z, Iterative Agent Bidding to Increase Manufacturing Agility, Proc. of the CIRP 2nd International Conference on Reconfigurable Manufacturing, August 20-21, 2003, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
• 2003, Lim, MK and Zhang, Z, Currency-based iterative agent bidding for agile manufacturing, Proc. of the 32nd International Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering, August 11-13, 2003, Ireland, Vol.1, 86-91.
• 2002, Lim, MK and Zhang, Z, Iterative Agent Bidding Mechanism Based on Genetic Algorithm, Proc. of the Joint International Conference of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management & International Conference on Electronic Commerce Engineering, 19-21 September 2002 , Beijing, China, ISBN: 7-900643-64-8, RID: 277.
• 2002, Lim, MK and Zhang, Z, Currency-Based Iterative Multi-Agent Bidding Mechanism Based On Genetic Algorithm, Proc. of the 10th International Manufacturing Conference in China (IMCC 2002), 11-13 October 2002, Xiamen, China.
• 2002, Lim, MK and Zhang, Z, Iterative Multi-Agent Bidding and Co-ordination Based on Genetic Algorithm, Proc. of the 3rd International Symposium on Multi-Agent Systems, Large Complex Systems, and E-Business (MALCEB 2002), 8-10 October 2002, Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany, 682-691.
• 2001, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, An Iterative Multi-Agent Bidding Mechanism for Optimal Control of Manufacturing Resources, Proc. of the IASTED International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Control , 19-22 Nov 2001, Tampa Florida, USA, 28-73.
• 2001, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, An Iterative Bidding Algorithm for Multi-agent Based Integrated Process Planning and Scheduling, Proc. of the 29th International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering, 1-3 Nov 2001, Montreal Canada, ISBN: 2-921145-27-8, Paper 86, pp26-31.
• 2000, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, An integrated agent-based approach for responsive control of manufacturing resources, Proc. of the 27th International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering, 11-14 October 2000, Beijing, China, Paper 51, CD, ISBN: 7-900043-38-1/TP-38.
• 2000, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, Utilising agents technology for manufacturing systems reconfiguration, Proc. of the Nato 2000 Advanced Summer Institute, Life Cycle Approaches to Production Systems: Management, Control and Supervision, 18-20 September 2000, Bordeaux, France, ASI-1.5 8-10.
• 2000, Lim, M K and Zhang Z, Integrated manufacturing systems control using a multi-agent system, Proc. of the 33rd International MATADOR Conference, 2000, Manchester UK, 9-14, Springer-Verlag.
• 2000, Lim, M K and Zhang, Z, A multi-agent based manufacturing control strategy for responsive manufacturing, Proc. of the 9th International Manufacturing Conference, 2000, Hong Kong, Vol.2, ISBN 962-367-292-6, pp.129-131.