Technology & Operations Management
-
- September 2024
- Case
Cathay Cargo: Turnaround Short Haul, or Double Crew Long Haul?
By: Willy Shih and Billy ChanTom Owen, Director Cargo at Cathay Pacific Airways, had a problem. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the grounding of passenger flights meant the sudden loss of 50% of the airline's cargo carrying capacity. But the bigger challenge was that the Hong Kong government imposed severe quarantine restrictions on air crew who operated flights, and when aircraft arrived at destinations around the world, their crew faced other restrictions. The operations team devised a closed loop system that would allow flights to operate with a range of staffing requirements. For the company, freighter service provided critical cash flow, and the operations team had brought forward a choice. Should Cathay focus most of its cargo service on regional routes out and back from Hong Kong, or should it operate long haul to Europe and the Americas? What would be best for cash flow, and what would be best for the crews?
- September 2024
- Case
Cathay Cargo: Turnaround Short Haul, or Double Crew Long Haul?
By: Willy Shih and Billy ChanTom Owen, Director Cargo at Cathay Pacific Airways, had a problem. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the grounding of passenger flights meant the sudden loss of 50% of the airline's cargo carrying capacity. But the bigger challenge was that the Hong Kong government imposed severe quarantine restrictions on air crew who operated flights, and when...
-
- September 2024
- Case
Anker Innovations (A)
By: Feng Zhu, Jiangyong Lu and Nancy Hua DaiAn Amazon-native brand, Anker is the world’s No. 1 mobile charging brand and a leading consumer electronics company. Over the years, Anker developed an effective model of proving new products online first by leveraging customer insights from its proprietary Voice of Customer system before selling these products offline. In May 2021, Steven Yang, founder & CEO of Anker, and Dongping Zhao, President of Anker, need to decide whether to say yes or no to a request from Costco, the largest warehouse club in the US with over 500 stores, to supply three new smart home products.
- September 2024
- Case
Anker Innovations (A)
By: Feng Zhu, Jiangyong Lu and Nancy Hua DaiAn Amazon-native brand, Anker is the world’s No. 1 mobile charging brand and a leading consumer electronics company. Over the years, Anker developed an effective model of proving new products online first by leveraging customer insights from its proprietary Voice of Customer system before selling these products offline. In May 2021, Steven Yang,...
-
- 2024
- Working Paper
Empirical Guidance: Data Processing and Analysis with Applications in Stata, R, and Python
By: Melissa Ouellet and Michael W. ToffelThis paper describes a range of best practices to compile and analyze datasets, and includes some examples in Stata, R, and Python. It is meant to serve as a reference for those getting started in econometrics, and especially those seeking to conduct data analyses in Stata, R, or Python.
- 2024
- Working Paper
Empirical Guidance: Data Processing and Analysis with Applications in Stata, R, and Python
By: Melissa Ouellet and Michael W. ToffelThis paper describes a range of best practices to compile and analyze datasets, and includes some examples in Stata, R, and Python. It is meant to serve as a reference for those getting started in econometrics, and especially those seeking to conduct data analyses in Stata, R, or Python.
About the Unit
As the world of operations has changed, so have interests and priorities within the Unit. Historically, the TOM Unit focused on manufacturing and the development of physical products. Over the past several years, we have expanded our research, course development, and course offerings to encompass new issues in information technology, supply chains, and service industries.
The field of TOM is concerned with the design, management, and improvement of operating systems and processes. As we seek to understand the challenges confronting firms competing in today's demanding environment, the focus of our work has broadened to include the multiple activities comprising a firm's "operating core":
- the multi-function, multi-firm system that includes basic research, design, engineering, product and process development and production of goods and services within individual operating units;
- the networks of information and material flows that tie operating units together and the systems that support these networks;
- the distribution and delivery of goods and services to customers.
Recent Publications
Cathay Cargo: Turnaround Short Haul, or Double Crew Long Haul?
- September 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Creating an AI-First Snack Company Exercise Data Supplement
- September 2024 |
- Supplement |
- Faculty Research
How to Pay Family Employees in a Family Business
- September 2024 |
- Technical Note |
- Faculty Research
Anker Innovations (B)
- September 2024 |
- Supplement |
- Faculty Research
Anker Innovations (A)
- September 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Note on CEO Succession in Family Enterprises
- September 2024 |
- Technical Note |
- Faculty Research
Empirical Guidance: Data Processing and Analysis with Applications in Stata, R, and Python
- 2024 |
- Working Paper |
- Faculty Research
Building an AI First Snack Company: A Hands-on Generative AI Exercise
- September 2024 |
- Exercise |
- Faculty Research
Harvard Business Publishing
Seminars & Conferences
There are no upcoming events.