Category Archives: Service Operations

AI Use trends across businesses – who is using it, and how are they improving productivity ?

Analysis of a survey of over 1.2 million firms (NBER # 32319) in a paper titled “Tracking Firm use of AI in Real Time” suggests that the fraction of firms reporting use of AI grew from 3.2% to a projected … Continue reading

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Dynamic Pricing in restaurants and Impact

An article in the Wall Street Journal on March 10, 2024, titled ” Surge Pricing is coming to More Menus near you”, describes dynamic pricing at restaurants to reflect demand increases, estimated to increase revenues between 4 and 6%. The … Continue reading

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The logistics of organ transplants – supply but inefficient distribution

An essay in the Wall Street Journal by David Weill titled ‘Supply Isn’t the problem with Organ Transplants” (December 6, 2019), describes the increased supply of organs in the US but an inefficient distribution of the organs to patients who … Continue reading

Posted in Coordination, delivery, hospital, logistics, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues, transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

Growing retail logistics options for customers causing confusion ?

An article in the Wall Street Journal (November 18,2018) titled “Black Friday Shoppers Beware:Online Shopping Gets More Complicated” describes the many options for shopping and pickup at retail stores. At Target there are 6 options from store purchase, to curbside … Continue reading

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TSA’s plans to reduce queues at US airports

An article in the Wall Street Journal (November 14, 2018) titled “”The Struggle to Make Airport Lines a Little Less Awful” Reports that in 2018 only 2.4% of passengers in the top 40 airports waited more than 20 minutes, compared … Continue reading

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MicroHospitals and fast service by St Vincent in Indiana

An article in IndyStar (https://www.indystar.com/) describes a micro-hospital by St Vincent in Noblesville, Indiana. These micro-hospitals are around 60,000 sq ft, cost $12 million, have seven emergency rooms including one for trauma, four in patient rooms and eight overnight beds. … Continue reading

Posted in Capacity, congestion, consumer, emb2019, hospital, imm2018, logistics, Service Operations, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 38 Comments

Smartphone ordering and long lines at Starbucks

An article in CNN Money (http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/27/investing/starbucks-long-lines-mobile-ordering-earnings/index.html) describes customer adoption of the Starbucks app to order and pay, but the consequent long wait to get their drinks.  The company expects over 30% of the orders at stores to move to mobile … Continue reading

Posted in Capacity, Ecommerce, fairness, Operations Management, ordering, queue, Service Operations, Starbucks, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged | 20 Comments

The supply chain impact of India’s cash crunch

An article in the New York Times (December 13, 2016) titled “India Hobbles a Cash Crisis, and Electronic Payments Boom”, describes the shortage of the new currency bills in India following its demonetization of 500 and 1000 rupee notes (which … Continue reading

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Amazon’s cashierless grocery store plans

An article in Business Insider (December 6,2016) titled “Amazon’s new grocery store highlights a huge hole in Donald Trump’s promise on jobs” describes plans by Amazon to open thousands of stores where customers can check into the store with their … Continue reading

Posted in competitiveness, consumer, Cost, disruption, logistics, Operations Management, retailers, Service Operations, technology | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Danish “hygge” fashion trend in Britain

An article in the Guardian (November 22, 2016) titled “The hygge conspiracy” describes the marketing of the Danish concept of “hygge”, which implies cosiness, as a fashion trend. Cashmere cardigans, sewing patterns, wallpaper etc are all linked to this concept … Continue reading

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