Operational Efficiency - Publications - Faculty & Research

01 Jun 2023
News

Curb Appeal

and operational data, with the goal of improving efficiency and quality of service. “The data improvements she’s talking about could be game changers,” says Cohen, who credits Tisch with being the first... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; photography by Vance Jacobs; Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities; Government

17 Jun 2017
Research & Ideas

Amazon, Whole Foods Deal a Big Win for Consumers

Source: 400tmax Editor's Note. Online retailing behemoth Amazon announced June 16 that it would acquire upscale grocery chain Whole Foods Market in a deal valued at more than $13 billion. Though the company has dabbled with the idea of a brick-and-mortar footprint in... View Details

Keywords: by Jose Alvarez and Len Schlesinger; Retail

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Redefining Productivity in the Value Chain - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

following are some ways in which shared value thinking is transforming the value chain, which are not independent but often mutually reinforcing. Procurement that enhances supplier capabilities and efficiency Improving energy, water and... View Details

01 Mar 2024
News

Case Study: Testing the Waters

Illustration by Christina Spano Endurance training was nothing new to Lauren Picasso (MBA 2014), who’d raced through her younger years as a cross-country runner and swimmer. In 2017, when she was director of marketing at Jet.com and looking for a physical challenge,... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

09 Apr 2007
Research & Ideas

Industry Self-Regulation: What’s Working (and What’s Not)?

important questions to explore, according to Michael Toffel, a professor in the Technology and Operations Management Unit of Harvard Business School. Toffel has conducted extensive research and recently co-organized a conference at... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

22 Aug 2022
Research & Ideas

Can Amazon Remake Health Care?

successful if owned by say, United or CVS or Walgreens or Humana, than if owned by Amazon. Gazette: Amazon is highly customer-driven and known for finding ways to streamline its operations to provide greater View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Health

01 Jun 2024
News

Quantum Leap

“This is the first new kind of computer in 75 years,” says John Levy (MBA 1979), CEO of the quantum computing startup SEEQC. “And we’re building it on a chip!” Strolling through his company’s design and testing facility in Elmsford, New York, Levy looks less like a... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; photographed by Chris Sorensen; quantum computing; innovation; leadership; Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing

December 1997
Case

Wriston Manufacturing Corporation

By: Janice H. Hammond

Wriston Manufacturing is a broad-line maker of components for the automotive industry. It has developed a network of nine plants as its product line has grown. Newer, higher-volume products tend to be made in newer, focused, high-volume plants, while older product... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Cost Management; Business or Company Management; Production; Performance Efficiency; Auto Industry

Citation

Educators

Purchase

20 Apr 2015
Research & Ideas

The 5 Strategy Rules of Bill Gates, Andy Grove, and Steve Jobs

lessons: "Build Platforms and Ecosystems—Not Just Products." Early on Gates realized that no one product could provide a lasting competitive advantage, but if consumers became hooked on a particular platform, such as the Microsoft View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Computer

01 Mar 2024
News

Elevator Pitch: Banking On It

Illustration by Drue Wagner Illustration by Drue Wagner Marc Escapa (MBA 2017) Andres Klaric (MBA 2017) Cofounders and co-CEOs, Fuse Concept: Fuse makes it easier for lenders to tackle digital innovation, offering a next-gen loan-origination platform that simplifies... View Details

Keywords: fintech; finance; entrepreneurship; Finance

07 Mar 2022
Research & Ideas

Effective Leaders Share the Spotlight with Their Teams

inclusive CEO increased a company’s average three-day return by 0.8 percent. This is likely because these managers retain staff, which may result in increased operating efficiency and innovation, Zou says,... View Details

Keywords: by Pamela Reynolds

21 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

Are You Sabotaging Your Own Company?

During World War II, the predecessor to the US Central Intelligence Agency produced a secret field manual detailing how “citizen-saboteurs” could disrupt the operations of enemy organizations. In addition to inflicting physical damage,... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

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Judging Criteria - Alumni

addressable market for your product and service. Highlight growth and trends. Attractive business model: How do you plan to make money? Who pays you? What are your distribution channels? What is your gross margin? Is your business model viable with the ability to View Details

28 Apr 2003
Research & Ideas

Supply Chain Risk: Deal With It

efficiency has been cast in high relief, supply chain managers realize that they can no longer focus solely on cost reduction—any calculation of a supply chain's return on investment must also take customer satisfaction into account.... View Details

Keywords: by David Stauffer

08 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

Decision Rights: Who Gives the Green Light?

Placing decision rights where these combined costs are minimal, the authors write, should lead to optimal decision-making efficiency and therefore better performance. Allocating decision rights in ways that maximize organizational... View Details

Keywords: by Peter Jacobs

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The New Role for Government & NGOs - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

participants. This approach recognizes that helping small farmers increase their yields will not create any lasting benefits unless there are ready buyers for their crops, other enterprises that can process the crops once they are harvested, and a local cluster that... View Details

16 Oct 2015
Blog Post

HBS and the Arts

experiences. Coming from a business development background, I had never thought about working on the operational side of a business. But my Technology and Operations Management (TOM) Class – taught by the... View Details

26 Nov 2001
Research & Ideas

How Toyota Turns Workers Into Problem Solvers

quality, low cost, short lead-time and flexible production. And Toyota's operating system—the Toyota Production System—had been widely credited for Toyota's sustained leadership in manufacturing performance. Furthermore, Toyota had been... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Johnston; Manufacturing; Transportation; Auto

13 Oct 2015
First Look

October 13, 2015

James Heppelmann looked at how this shift is changing the structure of industries and forcing firms to rethink their strategies. In this companion article, the authors look at the effects inside firms, examining the impact that smart, connected products have on View Details

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Eligibility & Rules - Alumni

New Venture Competition Eligibility & Rules 13ms The venture must have an HBS alumnus as a founder. The alum must be involved in the day-to-day operations in a leadership role and must be represented at all events and be the pitch lead.... View Details

Publications