Work Design and Measurement

Miniaturization of Warehouses for Retail Giants

Rick Cohen knows how a warehouse should work.

He grew up in the wholesale grocery business and spent much time observing warehouse operations. His ability to spot inefficiencies led him to develop technological solutions for the family business, C&S. In 2007, he partnered with a robotics expert, founded a company named Symbotic, and later introduced a robot prototype at a C&S warehouse. In 2014, Target became the first outside customer of the system and was followed by Albertsons. Walmart is the […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2022-01-02T22:32:25+00:00January 7, 2022|Tags: automation, lead time, productivity, respsonsive supply chain design, robots, strategy, supply chain management|

Are We Ready for the Four-Day Workweek?

For decades, the idea of a four-day workweek has gained and lost momentum several times. Because the pandemic has dramatically altered the way people work, proposals for a four-day workweek have reemerged. But doubts about its impact on productivity and its applicability to most professions remain. Would the new schedules boost or constrain operations?

Video Spotlight: Atlantic Staff Writer Makes the Case for a Four Day Work Week (June 21, 2021, CNBC Television)

This post is based […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2021-12-08T23:29:21+00:00December 10, 2021|Tags: productivity, short term capacity, strategic capacity management, work force scheduling|

Bite Ninja Uses Remote Gig Workers to Take Faster Food Orders

During the pandemic, finding employees has become difficult. The fast food industry has been hit especially hard by a shortage of employees.

Many restaurant workers have left the industry for reasons including better pay, fewer health risks, and more stability. Additionally, enhanced unemployment benefits in the U.S. have kept many workers out of the workforce.

Bite Ninja offers a new approach to help alleviate the employee shortage. This service uses technology to allow workers to take orders at drive-thru restaurants remotely. Workers […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2021-08-31T05:28:37+00:00August 31, 2021|Tags: capacity, gig economy, scheduling, service design, service processes, technology, waiting lines|

The Post Office Reinvents Itself with Banking and Alcohol Deliveries

Message in a bottle. Money, it’s a hit. Can they save the Post Office?

Loss of revenue from first class mail, competition, and a mandate to prepay retirement benefits 75 years into the future have created a financial crisis for the US Postal Service. Because Congress has shown little appetite to repeal the mandate, many solutions have been proposed to alleviate the financial woes of a well-liked institution. Recently, two proposals have been gaining traction: allow the USPS to deliver alcohol […]

By CMKaruppan|2021-04-04T20:28:10+00:00April 16, 2021|Tags: cost-benefit analysis, mix flexibility, service design, value, work design|