articles 1 to 5 of 85
Finding a Common Language for Disaster-resistant Supply Chains
Disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the volcanic ash cloud that disrupted international airplane flights for several days in 2010 have highlighted the need for companies to better prepare for potential risks to their supply chains. A number of groups are working to create a common framework to help firms accomplish this, but experts note that the increasingly complex nature of the modern supply chain -- and a tendency by many companies to be reactive rather than proactive when it comes to disasters -- are hindering the effort.
From: February 27, 2013
Pseudo Science: How Lack of Disclosure in Academic Research Can Damage Credibility
It sounds like a simple, straightforward proposition: Scientists should disclose how they collect and analyze the data supporting their scientific publications. Yet as Wharton professors Joseph Simmons and Uri Simonsohn and UC Berkeley colleague Leif Nelson point out in a recent research paper, too much emphasis is placed on getting research results published in respectable journals, without worrying enough about whether the evidence backs up those findings. The result: Even solid research that can lead to new insights about everything from investment behavior to product marketing to consumer psychology is called into question.
From: June 20, 2012
A New Approach to Decision Making: When 116 Solutions Are Better Than One
Making sense of Philadelphia's City Council district map resulting from the 2000 Census is a head-scratching exercise, due in part to extensive, politically motivated gerrymandering. Yet Wharton professor Steven O. Kimbrough and a team of researchers managed to tackle the problem by using a genetic algorithm that mimics natural selection to "breed" endless variations of solutions. Their method can be applied to many other challenges -- from mapping out fire districts and streamlining sales regions to collecting trash and designing distribution systems.
From: September 28, 2011
Marshall Fisher on 'The New Science of Retailing'
In today's economy, retailers are hard pressed to increase revenues. Among the biggest challenges they face is matching supply with demand. In The New Science of Retailing: How Analytics Are Transforming the Supply Chain and Improving Performance, Wharton professor Marshall Fisher and co-author Ananth Raman argue that retailers have the data they need to manage supply chains more efficiently and increase sales and profits. Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Fisher about what types of data are most important for retailers to collect, how they can use this information to identify home-run products and why the retailing industry might be missing as much as one-third of potential sales.
From: August 17, 2011
'The Democratization of Fashion': William Fung and Vera Wang on the Implications of Going Global
As retailers face greater pressure to sell more products, expand into new markets and streamline production, the fashion industry is feeling the heat. Designer Vera Wang, for example, is trying to turn her business into one that is widely known and widely worn. William Fung, managing director of Hong Kong-based trading company Li & Fung, is trying to stay ahead of new complexity in the production process. Both Wang and Fung discussed ongoing challenges in the fashion industry during a recent presentation at Wharton.
From: April 13, 2011
