Supply chains do the math on reshoring's pros and cons
COVID-19 exposed risks and spurred conversations about moving manufacturing, but the pandemic is far from the only factor to consider.
We are drowning in numbers, and we no longer understand what they mean. Every day, headlines bombard us with figures meant to inform: billions in spending, trillions in debt, percentages signaling growth or decline. But for most of us, these numbers blur together. They register as “large” or “small,” but almost never as real. And that is more than a math problem. It is a civic one.
INFORMS has awarded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) its 2026 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Advanced Analytics, Operations Research and Management Science, for reengineering how global cloud infrastructure is planned and delivered, applying advanced analytics and AI to orchestrate complex fulfillment decisions across its rapidly expanding data center network.
In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence, many employers are now requiring that employees use AI tools. As you’re using AI, be intentional and selective. It’s critical that you know yourself. Research published in Management Science found that AI is most valuable for people who understand their own abilities and limitations. Assess yourself, so you can factor this into your process for incorporating AI into your work.
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COVID-19 exposed risks and spurred conversations about moving manufacturing, but the pandemic is far from the only factor to consider.
Yale SOM’s Vahideh Manshadi and Scott Rodilitz worked with Food Rescue US to hone their strategy for connecting volunteers with food donations. Their findings can help other nonprofits harness the power of crowds for social good.
Supply chains have taken a beating in the past year. The ripple effects of the blockage of the Suez Canal suggest that concerns will linger well past the end of the pandemic. Indeed, 87% of supply chain professionals said in a Gartner survey that their companies are planning to invest in resiliency. To improve supply chain resiliency, what should governments and businesses do differently?
Colleges are already planning for this fall, with in-person education at the top of the list. There are good reasons to believe that this is the right path at this time.
For months, the dining room tables at South City Kitchen in Buckhead have been the state-mandated 6 feet apart for the safety of employees and guests. And the indoor seating won’t be moving any closer today, when Gov. Brian Kemp’s new coronavirus emergency order will allow tables to be as close as 42 inches.

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