service design – OM in the News

Amazon Adds More Electric Delivery Vehicles in Europe

To help deliver more packages in a sustainable manner in Europe, Amazon has deployed 300+ Rivian-made electric delivery vehicles (EDV) in Germany, adding to its existing fleet of 1,000 electric vans.

The EDVs are part of Amazon’s $1.09 billion climate pledge to reach the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Video Spotlight:

Amazon Rivian (July 4, 2023, Amazon.de)

This post is based on the Inside EVs article, Amazon Starts Operating Rivian EDV 500 Electric […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-07-30T03:56:32+00:00July 30, 2023|Tags: cradle-to-grave assessment, service design, social and environmental responsibility, strategy, sustainability|

Zipline Drones to Serve 10,000 Locations This Year

Zipline’s amazing delivery drone technology, which launched in Rwanda six years ago, has now made over a half a million deliveries of life-saving supplies in several African nations and Japan.

Currently, Zipline drones deliver to 3,000 hospitals around the world, and the company plans to serve 10,000 locations by the end of the year. Its sights are set on active drone delivery systems for a variety of purposes in the U.S. by the end of 2023.

Video Spotlight:

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-04-26T07:44:14+00:00April 26, 2023|Tags: healthcare, logistics, medical supply chain, product design, quality, redundancy, reliability, safety, service design, sustainability, technology|

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 They have been replaced by boxy, sleek designs that reflect both cultural and economic trends.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|

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Venture Takes Flight

United Airlines and five corporate partners have started a $100 million venture capital fund to invest in firms and technology to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Using feedstocks such as cooking oil and agricultural waste as resources to produce aviation fuel, the venture will cut greenhouse gas emissions dramatically if its supply and cost challenges are addressed.

United is getting customers involved in this SAF initiative by inviting customers to donate to the fund. According to a February 21, 2023 press […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-02-26T08:58:02+00:00February 27, 2023|Tags: global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, service design, social and environmental responsibility, sustainability|