Email:j.s.edwards@aston.ac.uk  
Phone: +44(0)121 204 5033
Room: ABS255

My interest has always been in how people use models and systems to help them do things. For many years I have studied the development and uses of various types of system in management and administration.

My current interests cover three overlapping themes: Knowledge Management, Business Processes and Decision Support.  Major strands within this are:

• The synergy between knowledge management, analytics (especially Artificial Intelligence) and big data. Although the technical side of Artificial Intelligence has advanced considerably, the management issues are still very similar to those I have been investigating since the 1980s. I am especially interested in the problems that arise when implementing and maintaining real-world systems. These include avoiding/reducing bias in analytics systems and the explainability of recommendations made by AI systems.

• The relationship between knowledge management and risk management, both quantitative approaches to risk (projects in banking and financial services) and more qualitative ones, often involving a risk register (project in an NHS Trust).

• Looking at processes and systems for knowledge creation, transfer, organising, sharing, storage, and use or re-use.  This is the area of my contribution to the NESTA Creative Credits evaluation project.  A further project involved combining simulation with knowledge-based systems to help improve maintenance processes in manufacturing at the Ford Motor Company.

• 2012 - Emeritus Professor, Operations and Information Management Group, Aston Business School.
• 2011-2012 Executive Dean, Aston Business School, Aston University.
• 2002-date Professor of Operational Research and Systems, Aston Business School, Aston University.
• 2008-2010 Deputy Dean, Aston Business School, Aston University. 
• 2001-2002 Reader in Operational Research and Systems, Aston Business School, Aston University.
• 1991-2001 Senior Lecturer in Operational Research and Systems, Aston Business School, Aston University.
• 1978-1991 Lecturer in Operational Research and Systems, Management Centre (now Aston Business School), Aston University.
• 1976-1977 Project Officer, Personnel and Training Department, Thomas Cook Group, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough.

• PhD Operational Research, Cambridge University, 1980
• M.A., Cambridge University, 1977
• B.A., Cambridge University, 1973