Levis, Jack (UPS)

Topics:

Selling OR from Within: How to Position the Analytic Function for Success
Operations research at United Parcel Service is a thriving and integral part of many important projects. Just a few short years ago, however, UPS was questioning the value of this research function. Like many other companies it was concerned that the cost of OR was not being offset by business benefits. How could this happen? What mistakes did the OR group make, and how were they corrected? How could a discipline that prides itself on finding solutions for improvement be seen as not adding value to the organization? Levis reviews the evolution of OR at UPS and the changes in philosophy and practice that have resulted in winning the support of upper management. (Elementary)

Background:

Jack Levis is a Portfolio Manager on the corporate engineering staff for United Parcel Service where he manages a technology group that does project management, planning, systems engineering, systems development and operations research. His portfolio is responsible for all projects that involve the pickup and delivery of packages. The group has designed, developed and deployed many large-scale systems aimed at improving service, reducing cost, and automating and reengineering processes. Mr. Levis has been in management with United Parcel Service for over 24 years.