Project Management

LTOs Popular This Fall for Restaurants

Limited-time offerings (LTOs) are popular with restaurants this fall.

Starbucks brought back its Pumpkin Spice Latte on August 25th. It is part of their seasonal fall menu. This marks 23 years since Starbucks added it to its fall menu.

Little Caesars partnered with Sony Pictures on the new film—Spider-Man: Brand New Day to create their Webberoni pizza. This pizza includes a “web” pattern made of shredded pepperoni.

Chick-fil-A has an LTO chicken and waffle sandwich on its fall menu.

Several restaurants are going with […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-09-23T03:09:40+00:00September 23, 2026|Tags: inventory management, Limited Time Offerings (LTOs), product design, project management, scheduling|

Turfgrass for the World Cup

FIFA’s World Cup 2026 featured 48 teams playing in sixteen different stadiums, hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

One requirement of FIFA for the World Cup games is that stadiums and fields meet certain specifications, including that the field uses turfgrass. Each field must perform identically in terms of how the ball bounces and ensure safe footing.

Of the sixteen stadiums, eight normally used artificial turf, and five were domed with retractable roofs, adding complexity to meeting field […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-08-10T04:33:40+00:00August 9, 2026|Tags: product design, project management, quality, quality characteristics|

The Great KitKat Heist of 2026

In late March 2026, a truckload of over four hundred thousand KitKat bars was stolen in Italy, en route to Poland.

The truck was stopped by thieves who posed as police officers. The driver was restrained, but was unharmed. The truck and the cargo have not been recovered.

The KitKat bars were a special Formula 1 edition, reflecting the brand’s status as the Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1. The candy bars were intended for distribution across Europe.

Nestlé was quick to respond. […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2026-07-01T22:31:56+00:00July 1, 2026|Tags: agile, cargo theft, crisis management, inventory management, project management, supply chain management, transparency|

Capacity Planning Decisions for Tesla Semi Production

Tesla will begin production of semi-trucks in its Nevada facility later this year, positioning itself as a key player in the heavy-duty tracking market.

The Nevada facility will have an annual capacity of 50,000 trucks. A high-powered Megacharger site in southern California will be deployed first to support the electric fleet. More Megachargers will be installed across other states to provide a broad nationwide network.

Video Spotlight:

Robots Everywhere: The First Look At Tesla’s Giant Semi Factory […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2026-06-01T09:13:58+00:00May 31, 2026|Tags: capacity management, capacity strategies, facility layout, infrastructure, location decisions, logistics, transportation, trucking|