pandemic – OM in the News

Changing Mandates Affect Aggregate Planning For Cruise Lines

Cruise companies have awaited and processed ever-changing reopening mandates from the CDC for months. Some, like Norwegian and Carnival, plan to move cruises away from U.S. departure ports to other countries whose requirements are already in place and are less restrictive.

The first cruise ship to depart from the US in fifteen months, Celebrity Edge, left port in late June, and returned after a five day cruise. More cruise ships are set to depart over the summer. Royal Caribbean has announced […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2021-07-05T19:52:19+00:00July 5, 2021|Tags: aggregate planning, covid-19, forecasting, location, pandemic, sales and operations planning|

Demand Outpaces Supply for Rental Cars

Rental car prices have skyrocketed, surprising some travelers who are also finding vehicles hard to come by.

In some high demand locations, rental car costs exceed $300 per day. Some of the worst regions of the country, such as southern California or Florida, saw March rates exceed $500 per day.

Even if customers are willing to pay these rates, they may find it impossible to get a vehicle, due to pandemic-related shortages.

Video Spotlight:

Shortage in rental cars in […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2021-05-26T17:41:13+00:00May 26, 2021|Tags: aggregate planning, capacity planning, inventory management, pandemic, sales and operations planning, supply chain management|

Airlines Analyze Summer Capacity

European airlines must soon make critical decisions about summer flight schedules, but with the pandemic still raging and a slower-than-expected vaccine rollout schedules are being made and scrapped at a dizzying pace.

Consumers, unsure of what the future holds, now favor last-minute bookings, making it difficult for airlines to forecast or identify patterns to help them plan summer schedules.

Video Spotlight:

Travel In 2021: What To Know About Flying And More (Jan 1, 2021, Today)

By Lisa M. Spencer|2021-03-08T03:09:26+00:00March 7, 2021|Tags: aggregate planning, capacity planning, coronavirus, covid-19, forecasting, pandemic, scheduling|

Repurposing Unused Capacity for Vaccination Sites

Mall retail store vacancies are at historic highs of 10.5%. Meanwhile, vaccination sites require significant parking spaces near major transportation routes, with room for a large number of vaccinated patients to wait the required 15 minutes after treatment while under observation for allergic reactions. Colder weather makes indoor facilities ideal for this 15-minute waiting period.

Empty mall space is an ideal solution for local health departments to utilize for vaccine administration. As such, mall owners across the country have been partnering […]

By David Little, Ph.D.|2021-02-17T04:21:11+00:00February 17, 2021|Tags: capacity, coronavirus, layout, location, pandemic, service processes, vaccination|