A Fluid Model for One-Sided Bipartite Matching Queues with Match-Dependent Rewards
Authors: Yichuan Ding, S.T. McCormick and M. Nagarajan Publication: Operations Research, Forthcoming Abstract:
An Achievable-Region-Based Approach for Kidney Allocation Policy Design with Endogenous Patient Choice
Authors: B. Ata, Yichuan Ding, and S. Zenios Publication: Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Volume 23, Issue 1, January 2021, Pages: 36-54. Abstract:
One year later, COVID-19 still disrupting supply and demand
According to Professor Saibal Ray, most companies were ill-prepared to deal with the surging demand for essential goods after the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
Panic buying and hoarding combined with transport shutdowns to make shortages even more severe.
One year later, we are still feeling the ripple effects of the initial shock to the supply chain.
Turning data into decisions
Professor Mehmet Gumus, Academic Director of the Master of Management in Analytics (MMA) program, joins SAP鈥檚 On-Demand Webcast to highlight how data interpretation impacts business decisions at every level of an organization.
Mass vaccination possible for Canada despite supply shortage
As Canada struggles with a shortage of vaccine doses, Professor Saibal Ray says the government has an opportunity to get a mass vaccination plan in place by the time the supply chain stabilizes.
He points to indoor sites such as convention centres and malls as possible vaccination sites during the winter and larger venues like NHL arenas during summer months.
Package-free stores aim to eliminate waste
A new wave of sustainability-focused retailers are embracing a package-free retail trend to minimize the environmental impact of shopping for groceries and everyday goods.
Professor Saibal Ray, the academic director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, applauds the innovative attempts to avoid packaging while pointing out the difficulty of implementation.
Pfizer delay causing vaccine shortage in Quebec
Quebec will receive only half of the expected Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines by February 8th聽due to strategy adjustments made by production facilities in Europe. Accelerated vaccine deliveries are planned for February and March to address the shortfall. The shortage will mainly affect elderly patients in long-term care, who were set to receive the second round of the vaccine in mid-March.
Crowdshipping could be answer to delivery delays as e-commerce soars
The sharp rise in e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic has strained the ability of Canada Post and private couriers alike to keep up with demand.
Avoiding a vaccine vial shortage
The launch of the largest vaccination campaign in history involves the mass production of medical vials constructed out of borosilicate glass.
Restaurant automation gains new appeal during pandemic
As social distancing measures remain in replace across Canada, consumers are flocking to buy automated food and drink kiosks for fresh, made-to-order food and beverages with little to no human contact.
Logistical challenges stand in the way of COVID-19 vaccine
Professor Saibal Ray, Academic Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, describes the daunting complexity involved in ramping up the first round of COVID-19 vaccine production.
Retail for a post-COVID world
Professor Saibal Ray weighs in on the strategies that will propel retailers to success in a post-pandemic landscape where the optimal customer experience is a frictionless experience. As the academic director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, Prof.
Inventory in Times of War
Authors: Andres F. Jola-Sanchez and Juan Camilo Serpa Publication: Management Science, 67(10):6457-6479 Abstract:
We study how armed conflicts affect inventory across firms鈥� production facilities. We track 38,916 production facilities鈥攊ncluding plantations, livestock farms, and factories鈥攊n war-torn Colombian regions; we also collect the data of 5,138 attacks performed by the two rebel groups involved in Colombia鈥檚 civil war. To obtain exogenous variation in the conflict intensity, we use a difference-in-differences model that hinges on the peace process between the government and one of the guerrilla groups. We find that when the conflict intensity increases by one order of magnitude, inventory decreases by up to 10.38%. Firms, however, barely reduce finished inventory during war; they mainly reduce raw and work-in-process inventory. To offset this inventory reduction, firms increase their cash holdings鈥攖hat is, they shift their working capital from physical inventory to liquid assets. The location of the facility moderates the effect of war: when a facility is close to a distribution center鈥攈ence, inventory travels short distances鈥攖he firm responds to violence by aggressively reducing inventory; when a facility is far from a distribution center, the firm reacts less aggressively to war.
COVID-19 pandemic spurs growth in data analytics and business intelligence
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, companies are relying more heavily than ever on data analytics and business intelligence applications to weather the storm. Led by Professor Juan Serpa, a student-run initiative called COVID-QC is providing approximate real-time information about infection, death, and recovery numbers in Quebec to help leaders make more strategic, data-informed decisions.
Montreal retailers plan for month-long Black Friday to stay afloat
Struggling Montreal retailers hope to build a critical mass of shoppers downtown through offering traditional Black Friday sales and events for multiple days, even up to a month in some stores. Professor Saibal Ray, Academic Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, weighs in on their Hail Mary strategy.
