Category: Supply Chain

Computer support engineer installing processor. Microprocessor with clearly visible silicon core and cache chip. Installation of computer processor in the socket

Semiconductors … what’s all the fuss about?

Semiconductors. Everyone uses them, but how many of us really know what they are, what they do, and the increasingly important role they play in our modern world? Much like supply chains, artificial intelligence and other O.R. buzzwords that are making their way into the public conscious, semiconductor is a term that most of us have probably heard, but their actual significance might remain a bit of a mystery. And perhaps even less well known are the challenges associated with their manufacturing, especially with the ongoing issues relating to supply chains, and alarmingly, the risk this could pose to national…

Tags: electronics, National Security, security risk, semiconductors, supply chains

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Domestic abuse victim with hands pressed against glass window

27 each day: Understanding and combatting human trafficking

There is not a single country in the world that is not touched by human trafficking. Let that sink in. The number of people victimized by human slavery across the globe is currently greater than the populations of London, New York and Los Angeles combined. This is not a problem affecting people on the other side of the world, it’s one here at home, very likely in our own communities. One that will require collaboration and diverse and innovative approaches to combat. Joining me today is Renata Konrad, professor of industrial engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who is using her…

Tags: child labor, human trafficking, sex trafficking, trafficking

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Waves pushing plastic waste to the beach

Leveraging supply chain and block chain technology to reduce ocean-bound plastic waste

Plastic pollution is a complex and growing global issue, with millions of tons of plastic waste reaching our oceans each year, killing thousands of seabirds, turtles, seals and other marine mammals. However new research has identified an approach to removing, recycling and reutilizing plastic that not only has a positive impact on the environment, but can also benefit communities in need in developing countries. Joining me to discuss how supply chain and block chain technology are being leveraged in innovative new ways to address the issue of plastic pollution is Opher Baron with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of…

Tags: block chain, ocean-bound plastic, Opher Baron, plastic waste, recycling, supply chain

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Supply chains and holiday shopping: Delays, Disruptions & Automobiles (semiconductor chips, that is)

This episode is sponsored by Fordham University’s Ph.D. in computer science. With Halloween in our review mirrors and Thanksgiving fast approaching, the holiday season is officially upon us. And thanks to the widespread availability of coronavirus vaccines, to include boosters for many, I think we are all looking forward to spending time with family over the holidays in a way we haven’t since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it appears that the pandemic will still have an impact on this year’s holiday season as we’re seeing increasing reports in the media of continued if not worsening disruptions…

Tags: Chris Tang, COVID-19, holiday shopping, supply chain delays, supply chain disruptions, supply chains

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Testing and fortifying supply chains to withstand future challenges

The past year has posed many unprecedented and unique challenges, forcing people around the world to redefine and reimagine how we live, work, learn, teach, shop and more. It tested the resiliency of the global economy, the fundamentals of business, and countless other parts of modern life that we all took for granted. Many of these challenges brought to the forefront an often invisible resource that powers virtually every aspect of modern life – global supply chains. Now, the U.S. government, many businesses and industries, and numerous others, are undertaking extensive efforts to examine supply chains to ensure they can…

Tags: Biden administration, David Simchi-Levi, MIT, stress test, supply chains

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Shining a light on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution

After a year dominated by the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 dawned with an optimistic look ahead, as we witnessed the start of the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. But as we are still in the earliest stages of this effort, there are still challenges ahead and a great deal of uncertainty. Joining me to shine some light on this is Anna Nagurney, the John F. Smith Memorial Professor in the Department of Operations and Information Management in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also the Founding Director of the Virtual…

Tags: Anna Nagurney, COVID-19, pandemic, supply chains, vaccine

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Got a case of “The Mondays”? Your organization might too.

Many of us might admit that it can take us a bit of time to get into the swing of things on a Monday morning. This is often referred to as a case of “The Mondays” or the “Monday Blues.” But does the same hold true for businesses as a whole, with significant performance variations occurring based on what day of the week it is? To take a deeper dive into this topic, I am joined by Oliver Yao, professor and association dean of graduate programs of the College of Business at Lehigh University to discuss his research recently published…

Tags: Lehigh University, Monday Effect, Oliver Yao, supply chain

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From products to people: The growing impact of supply chain interruptions during the coronavirus pandemic

Throwback to March 18, 2020. In the past week alone, much has occurred in regard to the growing impact of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the U.S. As the number of confirmed cases of the virus across the country continues to increase, travel to the U.S. from Europe has been significantly restricted and state and local governments are taking equally assertive precautions. In the INFORMS home state of Maryland alone, the governor has issued a state of emergency that includes closing schools and other public institutions, banning large gatherings, and instructing people to isolate themselves from others. As these restrictions…

Tags: Carnegie Mellon University, coronavirus, COVID-19, Johns Hopkins University, Sridhar Tayur, supply chain disruptions, Tinglong Dai

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Tackling the holiday rush at UPS

In the few short weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year, the number of packages processed, transported and delivered by UPS will more than double to meet the demand of holiday gift giving! Joining us to provide a behind the scenes look at the busiest time of year for UPS is Ranganath Nuggehalli, principal scientist at UPS, to talk about how O.R. helps make the holidays merry!

Tags: Holiday, ORION, Ranganath Nuggehalli, Resoundingly Human, UPS

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Online shopping and fast shipping, what happens when things go south?

With online retailers like Amazon delivering nearly everything we could possibly need or want, often within a day or two of ordering it, we’ve become accustomed to and even reliant on the instant gratification that comes from shopping online. But what happens if access to expedited shipping were to suddenly and unexpectedly stop? Well for one online retail platform it did. Alibaba, an international online marketplace with nearly twice as many available products than Amazon, lost access to its shipping service for nearly 48 hours. To provide more insight on what happened, what the fallout was for Alibaba, and what…

Tags: Alibaba, Amazon, FedEx, online retail, online shopping, Ruomeng Cui, SF Express, UPS

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