Robert L. Bray and Haim Mendelson
Slight changes in consumer demand are often amplified up the supply chain, a phenomenon known as bullwhipping. But some bullwhips are more inconvenient—and costly—than others. By deconstructing the bullwhip effect by information lead time, Robert Bray provides new insight into how to mitigate negative consequences. More →
Gonca P. Soysal and Lakshman Krishnamurthi
You are a retailer selling coats and other seasonal products. To maximize profits, when should you mark down prices, and by how much? New research by Lakshman Krishnamurthi suggests that smaller, earlier markdowns—and decreased stock—may be ideal. More →
Mustafa Akan, Barış Ata and Martin Lariviere
In recent years, firms have begun to outsource services such as call centers and fulfillment operations. Barış Ata and Martin Lariviere demonstrate that contracts between clients and service providers do not have to be complicated to be effective. More →
Gad Allon, Awi Federgruen and Margaret Pierson
Customers hate waiting. Perhaps nowhere is that clearer than in fast food, an industry that has reduced waiting for a meal to mere minutes. With expectations so high, Gad Allon wondered how delays in service would affect how much customers are willing to pay. More →
Jeffrey D. Shulman, Anne T. Coughlan and R. Canan Savaskan-Ebert
Returns can be a burden for retailers and manufacturers alike, and figuring out how to handle the process is not any easier. Anne Coughlan, though, has some suggestions to ease some of the pain and raise profitability at the same time. More →
Administrators often ask ambulances to divert to a different hospital in a bid to prevent emergency room overcrowding. But research by Itai Gurvich suggests diversions are not always beneficial. More →
Tim De Chant
Introducing a special issue of Kellogg Insight devoted to healthcare and medicine. More →
James Schummer and Rakesh Vohra
Ever wonder how the FAA decides which planes can land when during a weather delay? James Schummer and Rakesh Vohra explored the algorithm behind landing slot reassignments and have some suggestions on how to improve it. More →
Lauren Xiaoyuan Lu and Martin Lariviere
When demand for a new car outstrips an automaker’s production capacity, allocation is often instituted on a turn-and-earn basis—selling three cars in one period earns the right to sell three more in the next. There are other allocation schemes, but why do manufacturers continue to use turn-and-earn? Martin Lariviere may know the answer. More →
Gad Allon and Eran Hanany
Though your mother told you never to cut in line, there are times when it is socially acceptable to do so, like being late for a flight, for example. Still, most queuing systems rely on the lessons your mother taught you years ago. Gad Allon investigates whether cutting in line could improve the service of queuing systems and along with it customer satisfaction. More →