Areas of expertise
All areas of business excellence (Baldrige & European Business Excellence Model), TQM, Quality Management, Performance Measurement, Best Practices, and Benchmarking.

Professional/Research Interest
To help the Centre for Organisational Excellence Research achieve its vision. Therefore for COER to:

Be recognised for its significant role in helping New Zealand organisations achieve world-class performance
Be known nationally and internationally as a Centre at the forefront of organisational excellence research

Career highlights

1988-1992 - Lucky enough to undertake one of the first PhD’s worldwide in TQM
1989 - Founded Liverpool University’s Post-Graduate Club – the start of many Clubs.
1993 - Winner of 2nd place of the 'European Quality Award for PhD Theses 1993'. Awarded by the European Foundation for Quality Management.
1992-1995 - Process Improvement Manager at Burton’s Biscuits (Edinburgh, UK). Led the implementation of Statistical Process Control throughout the plant.
1995-1998 - Working at Leatherhead Food International I initiated, developed and managed the “Food and Drinks Industry Benchmarking and Self-Assessment Initiative” within the UK. In total, over 400 companies (from SMEs to major international companies) became involved and benefited from its various activities. This included starting the Food and Drinks Industry Benchmarking Club, and running the first benchmarking conferences within the Food and Drinks Industry.
1998 – Joined Massey University
2000 - Founded the New Zealand Benchmarking Club
2001 - Founded COER
2002 - Developed the concept for the BPIR.com in 1999/2000, and launched it with the help of the BPIR.com Director in April 2002
2003 - Launched a Fit for the Future Programme in New Zealand
Succeeding in having an exceptional team of researchers and staff working for COER

Selected/Recent Publications

BOOK CO-AUTHORED

1. Adebanjo, O. and R.S. Mann, 1999. Performance Measurement Guidebook. Leatherhead International Ltd. Leatherhead, UK. (ISBN: 0 905 748 63 8).
2. Mann R.S. & O.Adebanjo, 1997. Business Excellence in the Food and Drink Industry - Practical Ways to Improve Performance. Financial Times Retail and Consumer Publishing. Pearson Professional Ltd. London (ISBN: 1 85334 972 0).

BOOKLET CO-AUTHORED

Wright. S, R.S. Mann, D. Matheson & M.Voss, August 2000, How to Implement Business Excellence - Part 2, New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation.

PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES

1. Mann, R.S. & Welch, S.J. (2001), The Development of a Benchmarking and Performance Improvement Resource, Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 8, No. 5, pp 431-452.
2. Mann, R.S. & Adebanjo, O.A. (2000). Identifying Problems in Forecasting Consumer Demand in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Sector. Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol 7, No.3, p223-230.
3. Mann, R.S. & Voss, M.E. (2000). An Innovative Process Improvement Approach that Integrates ISO 9000 with the Baldrige Framework. Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol 7, No.2, p128-146.
4. Mann, R.S., Adebanjo O.A. & Kehoe, D.F. (1999). Best Practices in the Food and Drinks Industry. British Food Journal, V101, No3, pp238-253. Reprint of paper published in the Benchmarking for Quality Management & Technology Journal, V5, No.3.
5. Mann, R.S., Adebanjo, O.A. and Kehoe, D.F. (1999), An Assessment of Management Systems and Business Performance in the UK Food and Drinks Industry, British Food Journal, Vol 101, No.1, pp5-21.
6. Mann R.S., Adebanjo, O.A. & Kehoe, D.F. (1998). Best Practices in the Food and Drinks Industry. Benchmarking for Quality Management & Technology Journal, V5, No.3.
7. Mann, R.S. & Kehoe, D.F. (1994). Factors Affecting the Implementation and Success of TQM. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, V12, No. 2.
8. Mann, R.S. & Kehoe, D.F. (1993). An Evaluation of the Effects of Quality Improvement Activities on Business Performance. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, V11, No4.

PLUS OVER 100 ARTICLES/ NON-REFEERED JOURNALS
(OF WHICH A FEW ARE LISTED BELOW):

1. Mann, R.S. (2002). COER News, July 2002, Issue 2. Centre for Organisational Excellence Research, Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ.
2. Bartley, B.S., Mann, R. S. and Pellegrino, J. M. Pellegrino (2002). What’s Hot and What’s Not – Reporting the Results of a Survey of Performance Improvement Techniques. Q-New Z - Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Organisation for Quality. August 2002, New Zealand Organisation for Quality, Palmerston North, NZ.
3. Mann, R.S. (2002). Features from COER News – January Issue, Gainclub.com Newsletter. February 2002. Gainclub.com, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, UK.
4. Mann, R.S. & S.J. Welch, August 2000. Beyond the Bench. Management - The Magazine for Leaders. Profile Publishing. Auckland, NZ.
5. Mann R.S. & M.E. Voss, July 2000. An Innovative Process Improvement Approach that Integrates ISO 9000 with the Baldrige Framework. Q-New Z - Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Organisation for Quality. New Zealand Organisation for Quality, Palmerston North, NZ. Reprint from Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol 7, No.2.
6. Mann, R.S. & O.Adebanjo, 2000. Approaches to Self-assessment in the Food and Drinks Industry. Food Journal, Vol 3, Issue 2. Leatherhead International. Leatherhead, UK.
7. Mann, R.S., April 2000. Clubbed for Success. Management - The Magazine for Leaders. Profile Publishing. Auckland, NZ.
8. Mann, R.S. April 2000. New Zealand's Benchmarking Club - A Club with a Mission. Q-New Z - Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Organisation for Quality. New Zealand Organisation for Quality, Palmerston North, NZ.
9. Mann, R.S. April 2000. New Zealand's Benchmarking Club. Business Development News - the Newsletter of Business Initiatives. Number 71. Ministry of Economic Development, NZ

AWARDS FOR PAPERS:

1. The paper: Mann R.S. & M.E. Voss, 2000. An Innovative Process Improvement Approach that Integrates ISO 9000 with the Baldrige Framework. Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol 7, No.2. won the Tait Quality Prize for Best Practical Quality Paper in New Zealand for 2000.
2. The paper: Mann, R.S., Adebanjo, O.A. and Kehoe, D.F. 1999, An Assessment of Management Systems and Business Performance in the UK Food and Drinks Industry, British Food Journal, Vol 101, No.1, pp5-21 won a "Citation of Excellence" certificate and the Highest Quality Rating by ANBAR Electronic library which holds over 400 international journals.

Personal interests/hobbies
Football, triathlons and my best mate George (see photo below)