Insights on Operations

The CEO: Architect of the new operations agenda

To thrive in a volatile and unpredictable postpandemic economy, companies need smarter, faster, more agile operations. That requires big changes—and commitment from the very top of the organization.
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Article

Stepping up: What COOs will need to succeed in 2023 and beyond
– COOs are increasingly important to corporations, but what skills will they need to perform at their best? Business leaders weigh in.
Article

Value, speed, and scale: A new era for operations in Asia
– CEOs are embracing radical new approaches in business operations to rapidly scale growth. And Asia will be a dynamic proving ground.

Operational Resilience

Blog Post

Ops 4.0 – The Human Factor: It takes two to build capabilities
– Are you and your organization sharing the responsibility for building skills and expertise?
Article

When technology meets operational excellence
– A new way to operate is revolutionizing heavy industries.
Article

The next frontier of customer engagement: AI-enabled customer service
– AI-enabled customer service is now the quickest and most effective route for institutions to deliver personalized, proactive experiences... that drive customer engagement.
Article

Procurement 2023: Ten CPO actions to defy the toughest challenges
– Supply chains face another year of volatility and inflationary pressure. Chief procurement officers (CPOs) can deploy ten resilience... actions to craft a winning enterprise-wide response.

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Latest Insights

Article

Lifting the design potential of Japanese companies
– Japanese organizations are using real-world product development projects to hone critical design skills.
Article

Making modular construction fit
– Modular building systems could address many of the US construction industry’s current woes, but the sector needs to remodel itself first.
Blog Post

What global business services need in 2023
– Four actions can help GBS teams deliver new value in a volatile environment.
Article

Indirect manufacturing costs: An overlooked source for clear savings
– Indirect operations functions make up a significant share of total operations—and optimizing them can deliver sizeable bottom-line impact.

Featured podcast

Podcast

McKinsey Talks Operations Podcast

Cutting through the noise to transform strategy into lasting operations success

Special collections

Collection

The next generation of services
Transforming service operations with the power of AI
Collection

The industrial revolution in services
– Weaving digital into the entire organization will require companies to raise their aspirations, expand their toolkits, and deliver impact across the board.
Collection

Building supply-chain resilience
– At a time when cost control is critical, a reimagination of supply chains can deliver the resilience and efficiency business needs for the next normal—if leaders make smart investments to minimize costly disruptions before they occur.
Collection

The care of one: Hyperpersonalization of customer care
– Hyperpersonalization will be the new proving ground in customer care. This compendium lays out four key drivers that organizations must be prepared to integrate by 2025.

Featured Videos

The new era of operations

Our leaders share more on how organizations across Asia are transforming their business operations to tackle today’s major challenges.

How digital factories lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

McKinsey partner Enno de Boer and senior partner Katy George highlight research findings from the Global Lighthouse Network project and talk through the power of manufacturing innovation at scale.

Digital Manufacturing

Article

Deep learning in product design
– A revolutionary approach is transforming the way companies approach tough engineering optimization challenges.
Podcast

Digital twins: Flying high, flexing fast
– Digital design and product development can provide new ways to solve complex problems. Getting implementation right means thoughtfully... translating big ideas into boots on the ground.
Podcast

114 down, 10 million to go: The Global Lighthouse Network’s mission
– Global Lighthouse Network members show that Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies help to deliver better workforce engagement,... improved sustainability, and increased productivity.
Article

Power spike: How battery makers can respond to surging demand from EVs
– As the auto market embraces electric vehicles, battery demand is soaring. Bold moves in gigafactory construction, supply chain... strategy, and talent acquisition can help industry players get ahead.

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MORE INSIGHTS

Article

Preparing for the future of SG&A
– Shorter planning cycles, higher cost-cutting targets, and hybrid working models are defining how organizations reimagine their... sales, general, and administrative (SG&A) functions.
Survey

How to implement transformations for long-term impact
– When it comes to implementing large-scale organizational change, the most successful organizations commit themselves fully to... the effort from start to finish.
Article

The state of grocery retail in Latin America
– Persistent inflation and shifting consumer preferences will test grocery retailers across the region. Four imperatives—supported... by investments in advanced analytics—could be critical to keeping pace.
Commentary

Responding to productivity improvement challenges in pulp and paper
– The PaperLens Index shows that global pulp and paper productivity has declined by 1.6 percent per year over the past six years.... Addressing this challenge requires actions beyond new production lines.
Article

Operational efficiency: A clear path to outperformance in distribution
– More efficiency in operations means more agility—and more profitable growth—in an uncertain world.
Article

Life sciences technology insights: Scaling a product and platform model
– Most life sciences companies are experimenting with product and platform models that speed delivery of user-focused technology... but struggle to truly scale. Six actions can accelerate the transition.
Podcast

Moving supply chain leaders to the C-suite
– The authors of From Source to Sold discuss how supply chain leaders can take a seat at the boardroom table, becoming... strategic leaders who help drive more resilient supply chains.
Article

The Scope 3 challenge: Solutions across the materials value chain
– Addressing Scope 3 emissions across industries can be complex but has the potential to radically transform business models and... create real business value.
Article

Ready, set, go, and keep going: Why speed is key to a successful transformation
– In today’s business environment, companies seeking to transform all or part of their businesses need to create value quickly.
Article

From start-up to scale-up: Accelerating growth in construction technology
– To achieve scale, founders, executives, and investors in construction technology need to eliminate the barriers to efficient growth.... Here’s how.
Podcast

Operational excellence: How purpose and technology can power performance
– Next-generation operational excellence is more than doing things well. It’s about uniting an organization around a common... purpose, process, and systems.
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Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies are shaping the future of production

The Global Lighthouse Network of organizations are demonstrating how to capture their full potential.

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