delivery – OM in the News

The USPS Wants to Deliver its Operations Strategy

The USPS continues its ambitious transformation.

Although the first two years of the ten-year transformation plan have produced mixed results, the Postmaster General wants to forge ahead with the pursuit of excellence in quality, cost, delivery, and flexibility. Because revenues from mail delivery continue to decline, the USPS is targeting shippers, a bold move for a late entrant in the package delivery business. This strategy requires a complete overhaul of the organization. Modernization and streamlining of services and […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-06-19T21:16:03+00:00June 21, 2023|Tags: automation, bottleneck, carbon footprint, competitivness, delivery, JIT, logistics, process management, productivity, service quality, strategy, supply chain management, sustainability|

Efficiency or Identity? A Dilemma for Fast Food Restaurants

Minimalism is in; Googie architecture is out.

Red roofs, neon golden arches, and other bright-colored structures have practically disappeared from the fast food landscape. They have been replaced by boxy, sleek designs that reflect both cultural and economic trends. Whether or not these new designs are less aesthetically pleasing than their older counterparts is a matter of personal taste. Fast food chains’ primary goal remains to give customers what they want.

Video Spotlight: The Decline of Pizza Hut…What […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-03-14T23:06:07+00:00March 15, 2023|Tags: automation, competitivness, delivery, lead time, location, productivity, service design, service quality, strategy, value, waiting lines|

What Is the Future of Traditional Grocery Stores?

Will the traditional grocery store become a thing of the past, or will it continue in its current form?

In the not too distant past, virtually all shopping was done in-person in the store. Online ordering with either pickup or delivery was a novelty. However, COVID escalated the use of pickup and delivery of groceries (either retail delivery or third-party delivery, such as DoorDash).

Online grocery sales (pickup, delivery, and ship-to-home) represented about 12% of grocery sales in January 2023—up slightly over […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-03-01T22:22:31+00:00March 1, 2023|Tags: delivery, facility location, location, online order fulfillment, perishable inventory management, service blueprint, service delivery, service processes|

Target Focuses on Last-Mile Delivery Efficiency

Target aims to boost its competitiveness in e-commerce with a revamped delivery system.

As its e-commerce business continues to grow, Target has opened sortation centers to group orders. Packages are loaded into the trunks of contract drivers’ cars for same-day delivery. This is part of a trend among retailers to boost profits with lower labor and transportation costs. The system may require fine-tuning, and the company continues to experiment with new options to improve the efficiency and agility of last-mile delivery.

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2022-08-11T20:22:04+00:00August 12, 2022|Tags: competitivness, delivery, short term capacity, strategy|