James B. Ayers
Principal

Personal Background

About Jim Ayers

Jim Ayers, the author or co-author of all books and articles on this website, is a principal of CGR Management Consultants and has extensive consulting experience in supply chain management, operations strategy and profit improvement. Please see examples of consulting projects and consulting clients. Additional information about Mr. Ayers is found on the CGR website and the websites of CGR affiliates Manufacturing Management & Technology Institute (MMTI), which specializes in lean manufacturing, and DRM Associates, which specialized in new product development.

Jim Ayers holds a BS degree in Engineering with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy and has served in the U.S. Navy aboard nuclear submarines after completing a rigorous technical training program. He also holds an MBA and an MS degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. He was raised in Jefferson City, Missouri, and makes his home in Los Angeles.

Professional Affiliations

Jim Ayers is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and member of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC). As such, he pledges to adhere to the IMC's Code of Ethics. He is also a member of the Council of Supply Management Professionals (CSCMP), the Project Management Institute, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He has held leadership positions at consulting firms Theodore Barry & Associates, Coopers & Lybrand, and Ingersoll Engineers, heading manufacturing and supply chain related practices. His current company CGR Management Consultants is a member of the Supply‑Chain Council, and he has been active in the Council's ongoing development of its Supply‑Chain Reference Model (SCOR).

Published Books

In 2001, St. Lucie Press and APICS published Jim Ayer's 488-page Handbook of Supply Chain Management. In 2006, Auerbach published the expanded 640-page Handbook of Supply Chain Management 2nd Edition. His books Improving Your Competitive Position: a Project Management Approach and Supply Chain Management (SCM, the Wheel and the Manufacturing Engineer were published by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He edited Making Supply Chain Work: Design Implementation Partnerships, Technology, Profits for Auerbach. His book Supply Chain Project Management: A Structured Collaborative and Measurable Approach uses the disciplines of the Project Management Institute's Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) to develop a blueprint for building and improving supply chains.