Topic: Operations
New Technology Lifted Pay, Especially for the Bosses
Top executives saw much larger gains after broadband adoption than the workers below them
Medicare Could Save by Subsidizing Providers’ Capital Spending
Projects that make health care delivery more efficient require upfront financial help
Maximizing Life Saving through Better Placement of Defibrillators
Just putting one where the last cardiac arrest occurred isn’t optimal — more calculations to get to fewer steps
Maximizing Capacity Utilization of Unique Equipment
An algorithm to reduce telescope repositioning time boosts productivity between 10% and 25%
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
Machine Learning Can Help Reduce Post-Surgical Hospital Readmissions
A model outperformed simpler statistical approaches in predicting which patients would encounter trouble
Less Leveraged Than the Competition: Ready to Snag Distressed Assets in a Recession
When bad times hit, highly indebted companies often have to sell operations and equipment at fire-sale prices
Kidney Transplant Outcomes Suffer at Clinics That Add Liver Transplants
Younger-patient mortality rate nearly triples, 20 years of data indicate
In a Boom, Incumbent Firms Can Redeploy Workers to Rapidly Expand
Startups lack bench strength, a disadvantage in tight labor markets
Improving Utility Calculations on Energy Demand to Reduce Costs
Power companies haven’t maximized the benefits of customers agreeing to short-term electricity interruptions
Improving Airlift Schedules with Algorithms
Splitting complex problems into parts simplifies and greatly speeds the task
How to Spur Capital Spending: Plan for Failure
Companies might invest more in new ventures if they could see in advance how to redeploy the assets if things don’t pan out
How Fashion Brands Can Best Ensure Worker Safety in Developing Nations
Collective action, rather than each brand working alone, appears more effective and costs less
How Established Firms Get Disrupted by Allies
Suppliers, distributers, product extenders go from helper to competitor
How Diversified Companies Can Redeploy Workers to Enable Growth
Experienced hands help new business lines find their way
How Clinton and Trump Voters Behave in — and Spread — a Pandemic
Estimates are based on smartphone data and precinct-level 2016 vote results