technology – OM in the News

Updating Southwest’s Operations to Prevent Future Meltdowns

The box-office hit The Perfect Storm (2000), starring George Clooney, highlighted a combination of three separate weather fronts that collided which led to one of the fiercest storms in recorded history in the North Atlantic Ocean.

During this past holiday season, several factors collided which led to major flight disruptions for Southwest Airlines. An historic number of flight cancellations and thousands of angry customers have resulted in major financial implications and operational challenges.

Let’s look at some of those factors to understand why […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2023-01-15T22:41:09+00:00January 15, 2023|Tags: asset utilization, ERP, forecasting, labor shortage, modeling, supply chain disruption, technology, training|

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|

Subway’s Vending Fridge

Subway is adding smart fridges to its Grab and Go platform, which began in 2020 and sells sandwiches at more than 400 non-traditional locations including airports, college campuses, and gas stations.

The newest entry for Grab and Go is the smart fridge. First introduced at the University of California San Diego in September 2022, Subway has plans for further fridges at non-traditional locations. The smart fridge features AI that allows customers to talk to the fridge, including asking questions about what’s […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2022-12-15T17:40:42+00:00December 15, 2022|Tags: artificial intelligence, automated processes, forecasting, inventory management, location planning, technology|

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|