Dr. Burns is an Associate Professor of Management Science and Supply Chain Management at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), joining UAH in 2009 as a group hire between the College of Business and the College of Engineering. Laird Burns is a supply chain, quality and reliability, big data, data analytics and complex systems researcher with more than 30 years of industry and government experience spanning more than 100 organizations in over thirty industries across five continents, including as an expert witness in supply chain management, operations management, engineering management, and forecasting. He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, focusing on supply chain disruptions and resilience, with an emphasis on complex systems.

He is a co-inventor of industry-leading artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced forecasting algorithms and reliability algorithms that overcome many “unforecastable” challenges in complex supply chains, particularly for long-life highly engineering systems (through his business, Burns Research LLC). He interests and experience are in complex AI-driven forecasting applications – particularly for system sustainment components and subsystems and other highly engineered long-life systems, AI-driven reliability analytics for highly engineered long-life systems, business process mapping and process improvement, advanced analytics and dashboards, performance metrics, enterprise data systems, supply chain disruptions and resilience, supply chain strategy & design, supply chain innovation, supply chain risk for large scale engineered systems, autonomous vehicles, smart energy grids, dynamics of integrated supply networks, computer modeling, systems engineering, and complex systems.

Dr. Burns previously held national and international automotive quality certifications through Automotive Industry action Group (AIAG) as Lead Assessor in TS-16949, QS-9000, TE-9000 and ISO-9000; as well as automotive certifications in Reliability and Maintainability (R&M), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA); Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), Statistical Process Control (SPC); Production Part Approval Process (PPAP); and Advanced Product Quality Process and
Control Plans (APQP).

Prior to earning his Ph.D. in Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University he had more than twenty years of industry experience. He has extensive experience in the following non-exhaustive list of industries: defense – U.S. Army weapon systems, additive manufacturing, aviation, aerospace, aluminum closures, automotive components & automotive assembly, autonomous vehicles, bearings, coatings (plating, vapor deposition, nano), computers, destructive & non-destructive testing, distribution, electrical energy production (smart grid, solar), energy storage, facilities design and layout, food (red meat, poultry, processed foods, commercial bread/bakeries, commercial confectionery), forgings, furniture, governmental agencies, high precision manufacturing, industrial equipment design & manufacturing, international export and import, logistics, material handling, materials, metallurgical testing & analysis, missiles, primary metals, remanufacturing, residential products and services, services, solar energy, space launch systems, stamping, thermal processes, technical paint, and transportation.