Topic: Operations

Workers in a garment factory sewing Research Brief / Supply Chain

How Brands Can Anticipate Unauthorized Subcontracting of Apparel Manufacturing

A model predicts with 80% accuracy which orders get handed off

Cans of Ayam Brand tuna Research Brief / Retail

A Smaller Middle Class Means Less Variety on Grocery Shelves

Researchers compare income disparity by county to product availability

Two people at a shared open office space sitting on red rubber balls Research Brief / Workplace

Working for a Startup Depresses Long-Term Earnings

The most lucrative career paths avoid young, small firms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 / Technology

Can Algorithms Help Reduce Hospital Readmissions?

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

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

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

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

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