John P. Leschke

Associate Professor of Commerce

Office phone: 434-982-1804
e-mail: jp17s@virginia.edu

Education:

Ph.D., Operations Management, Darden School, University of Virginia
M.B.A., Operations Management, University of Minnesota
B.M.E., Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Areas of Expertise:

Professor Leschke specializes in the field of operations management, in particular, manufacturing operations and manufacturing information systems. His past research has focused on the process of reducing setup time and more effectively managing setup reduction programs. Current research in this area involves evaluating the trade-offs among competing operations improvement opportunities (e.g., setup reduction, additional capacity, faster cycle times, or improved quality).

In the area of manufacturing information systems, Mr. Leschke is interested in the information, processing, and analyses required in different operating environments. The outcome from this research has implications for the design and implementation of small- and large-scale operations-support systems, including enterprise-wide management systems.

Professor Leschke has been actively involved in the Technology Management and Policy (TMP) program, sponsored by the School of Engineering. He helped develop the initial concept in 1993 and design the core curriculum and continues to serve on the TMP program's executive committee.

Professional Activities:

Professor Leschke is actively involved in the American Production and Inventory Control Society, the Decision Sciences Institute, and the Production Operations Management Society. He has published extensively on the topic of setup reduction; his work has appeared in Management Science; Production Operations Management; Production and Inventory Management Journal; and Journal of Operations Management. Other work, including teaching cases and thoughts on operations management education, appears in the Darden School Case Series; Case Research Journal; and Production Operations Management.

Selected Publications:

"An Empirical Study of the Setup-Reduction Process," Production Operations Management, forthcoming. 
"PlasTech, Inc.: The Importance of Matching Production Capabilities and Market Requirements," Production and Inventory Management Journal, 1995. 
"AMF Bowling Centres (Australia) International, Inc.,"  Darden School Case Series, University of Virginia, 1993 (with E. Weiss).
"Guidelines for Setup-Cost Reduction Programs to Achieve Zero Inventory," , Journal of Operations Management, October 1990 (with J. Freeland and E. Weiss)
"Evaluating Safety Capacity, Safety Stock, and Cycle Stock Tradeoffs in Manufacturing Processes," First Place, 1990 Shingo Prizes for Academic Research (with E. Weiss).