Topic: Operations

Feature / Management

Unearthing the Negative Consequences of Managing to Quarterly Earnings

A 2017 study on workplace injuries spurs more research on perils of corporate short-termism

A color image of a sugar cane factory in the background with sugar cane in the foreground. Research Brief / Labor

In a Boom, Incumbent Firms Can Redeploy Workers to Rapidly Expand

Startups lack bench strength, a disadvantage in tight labor markets

A variety of white clouds on a black background Research Brief / Management

Boom of Intangible Assets Felt Across Industries and Economy

Rethinking issues around productivity, income inequality and industry concentration

Workers in a warehouse putting together packages Research Brief / Productivity

Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work

Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer

A nest thermostat on the wall reads 25 degrees Research Brief / Energy

Improving Utility Calculations on Energy Demand to Reduce Costs

Power companies haven’t maximized the benefits of customers agreeing to short-term electricity interruptions

A military cargo airplane taxis on a n airbase runway Research Brief / Operations

Improving Airlift Schedules with Algorithms

Splitting complex problems into parts simplifies and greatly speeds the task

Illustration of car outline made of parts Research Brief / Manufacturing

Mass Customization Makes Forecasting Parts Purchases a Manufacturer’s Nightmare

A method that establishes a range of needs — and then tightens the range — works better

Research Brief / Technology

Can Algorithms Help Reduce Hospital Readmissions?

Measuring the utility of increased care and testing, inputs that aren’t always immediately available

Research Brief / COVID-19

The Dollar Store Fix for Vaccination Deserts

Pharmacies aren’t everywhere — adding dollar stores could reduce average distance to vaccination by 62%

Research Brief / Data Analytics

Old Ways of Thinking Cause Managers to Disregard Analytics

Highlighting the right data and making it relevant can help overcome resistance

Surgeon thoroughly washes his hands at a sink Research Brief / Health Care

A Scheduling Tool that Considers Employee Preferences

A model for staffing O.R.s incorporates the costs of worker dissatisfaction and idle time

Workers peer over a coworker's cubicle Research Brief / Competition

How Established Firms Get Disrupted by Allies

Suppliers, distributers, product extenders go from helper to competitor

Cartoon of large watering can watering workers like plants Research Brief / Operations

How Diversified Companies Can Redeploy Workers to Enable Growth

Experienced hands help new business lines find their way

A food bank worker is separating out fresh produce into bags for distribution Research Brief / Supply Chain

Fixing a Food Bank’s Pandemic Logistics Problem

Enormous growth and a redrawn supply chain required a new system

An image of a nurse walking down a hallway in a nursing home Research Brief / Labor

Codifying the Nursing Home Industry’s Elusive, Alarming Turnover Rates

Payroll data allows researchers to finally build an accurate and meaningful measurement

Bright pink background with syringes lined up in diagonal rows Research Brief / Health Care

A Proposal to Even Out Flu Vaccine Supplies

A system of manufacturer rewards and penalties, consumer taxes and subsidies could aid vaccination rates