Product/Process Innovation

Neuralink Implant Moving Toward Human Trials

Elon Musk hopes coin-sized computer implants may soon bring sight to the visually impaired and movement to the paralyzed.

However, the first project for his Neuralink Corporation is to win approval for a brain-computer interface (BCI) to be tested in humans. This technology could help someone who, for instance, had a stroke to be able to communicate with their thoughts, making the neuronal spikes from the brain readable by a computer.

Testing has been going on for a while, but human trials […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-01-11T17:21:16+00:00January 11, 2023|Tags: applied research, artificial intelligence, product design, product life cycle, research and development, technology|

High Tech Farming Yields a Lot More with a Lot Less in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is ahead of the game in farming.

Whereas the rest of the world is trying to adapt to the effects of climate change on food production, Dutch farmers have anticipated the problem and used science and ingenuity to align their outputs with consumers’ needs and wants. It has paid off: the country is the second largest exporter of food behind the United States! They are achieving world class excellence along the four competitive priorities of an operations strategy: quality, […]

By CMKaruppan|2022-12-12T01:34:56+00:00December 18, 2022|Tags: automation, carbon footprint, competitivness, product design, productivity, robots, strategy, sustainability|

Mass Customization Trend at Quick-Service Restaurants

While Subway moves away from its 57-year mass customization approach for sandwiches, instead emphasizing its Signature Series sandwiches, many quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are adding mass customization.

Starbucks is one such example. Customer demand for customized cold coffee beverages now represents approximately 75% of the chain’s total beverage sales. Starbucks is rolling out a new system called Siren to meet the growing demand for cold customized beverages. This system reduces the time required to produce a customized drink. For […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2022-11-13T05:46:14+00:00November 13, 2022|Tags: mass customization, process design, product design, quick serve restaurants, restaurant, service blueprint, technology|

Subway’s New Menu Revisited

OM in the News blogged about Subway’s new menu in July 2022. Subway changed its 57-year-old approach of having customers build their own sandwiches, and rolled out 12 chef-inspired Signature Series sandwiches to push customers to order by sandwich name or number.

Now the results are in. The results indicate an 8.4% increase in same-store sales from the quarter a year ago. For September 2022, the results are even better at nearly 11% year-over-year growth.

In 2021, sales improved […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2022-11-09T08:22:07+00:00November 9, 2022|Tags: efficiency, inventory management, limited menus, process design, product design, queuing theory, quick serve restaurants, service, supply chain management, waiting line|