Too many ESG grey areas in US, say top supply chain profs
Trust in the ESG compliance of some top US companies’ supply chains may be “misplaced”, warn two top supply chain academics.
The INFORMS Analytics+ Conference showcased how companies are turning advanced analytics and AI into measurable operational results
In most emergency departments, beds are a hot commodity. But some patients don’t actually need a bed for their treatment – and accurately identifying those people is a low-lift but effective way to increase efficiency without sacrificing care quality, finds a study recently published in the journal Management Science.
The researchers developed a simple decision tree, informed by mathematical and machine learning models, to help staff decide whether a patient truly needs a bed or can be routed to a “vertical processing pathway” – that is, an area where they can be treated sitting up. Many hospitals already have such an area but don’t necessarily have a systematic way to decide which patients are treated there.
American teenagers start their school day too early.
Medical experts have been clear for years: sleep cycle changes during puberty make it hard for teenagers to learn in the early morning. Later school start times have been linked to better sleep, improved mental health, stronger academic performance and even safer driving.
Most school district leaders know about this problem and care about fixing it. But changing the schedule can feel operationally impossible.
An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.

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Trust in the ESG compliance of some top US companies’ supply chains may be “misplaced”, warn two top supply chain academics.
To anyone who followed the news from COP26, the UN climate summit in Glasgow, it is clear that the world needs to act quickly and decisively if we are to avoid climate disaster. This is especially clear to those affected by wildfires across the American West, flooding in New Jersey and Tennessee, as well as heatwaves in Portland. We must reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions radically.
Just when consumers have come to terms with, and have even embraced, online shopping during the pandemic and after, the proverbial rug's been pulled out from under us because of supply chain logjams – and during the holiday season to boot. Investors in the retail space might want to know what to expect for the industry.
New audio is available for media use featuring supply chain expert Anna Nagurney on food shortages, the holiday season and the nation’s current supply chain crisis. This content is made available by INFORMS, the largest association for the decision and data sciences. All sound should be attributed to Anna Nagurney. She is the Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies and is PhD Coordinator in Management Science as well as the Director, Virtual Center for Supernetworks Operations & Information Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. There are four questions and responses. These responses were provided on November 18, 2021.
New audio is available for media use featuring supply chain expert Robert Handfield on the nation’s current supply chain crisis and the actions that need to be taken to address it. This content is made available by INFORMS, the largest association for the decision and data sciences. All sound should be attributed to Robert Handfield. He is the executive director of supply chain resource cooperative, and he’s the Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of operations and supply chain management at North Carolina State University. There are four questions and responses.

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