McKinsey Talks Operations

McKinsey Talks Operations podcast

Cutting through the noise to transform strategy into lasting operations success

The McKinsey Talks Operations podcast is where the world’s C-suite leaders and McKinsey experts explore the most pressing operations topics and how to navigate a rapidly evolving environment while driving productivity, resilience, and sustainability.

Join regular hosts Daphne Luchtenberg and Christian Johnson to look at how to connect boardroom strategy to the frontline, ways to increase performance, where and when to infuse operations with technology, and why empowering the workforce is key to success.

Latest episode

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Winning the race to rewire in 2026: Capturing operational advantage

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The race to rewire operations is on—and in 2026, companies that redesign how work gets done end to end will define the next wave of competitive advantage.

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Recent episodes

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COO Excellence: The next generation of leadership
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No longer just operators, today’s COOs sit at the intersection of strategy, execution, and partnership with the CEO.
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The paradigm shift: How agentic AI is redefining banking operations
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Agentic AI is poised to transform banking operations, but capturing real value will require leaders to move beyond pilots and rewire how work, decisions, and delivery happen from end to end.
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The race to rewire operations: How the story unfolded in 2025
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2025 was a turning point for operations. Gen AI and agentic AI moved from experimentation to enterprise impact, reshaping how organizations boost productivity, accelerate innovation, and build resilience.
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Unlocking value with process intelligence in healthcare and beyond
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Process intelligence gives organizations a clear view of how work really happens, helping them uncover inefficiencies, streamline operations, and lay the foundation for success in an AI-powered future.
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Transforming R&D with AI: Breaking barriers and boosting productivity
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AI holds the power to accelerate innovation in R&D, but realizing its potential will demand that organizations rethink how they work and overcome the barriers to adoption.
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Operations’ dual mission as costs of emissions rise
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As regulatory demands and geopolitical tensions mount, companies are redesigning products and supply chains for sustainability. Can these moves strengthen both environmental and financial performance?
A robotic arm, equipped with sensors and grippers, is positioned over a field of green lettuce in a commercial greenhouse.
Rewriting the robotics playbook: From promise to performance
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The field of robotics presents opportunities in industries from manufacturing to healthcare to agriculture. Researchers are exploring the ethical and safety implications to set safe guardrails.
A conceptual image of a yellow robot arm grabbing a red ball surrounded by other colored bouncing balls.
The robotics revolution: Scaling beyond the pilot phase
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Robotics and automation could answer hard questions about making scarce resources go further, filling vacant frontline roles, and helping companies evolve for today’s technologically advanced and increasingly digital economy.
An conceptual image of a toy container ship with multi-colored containers teetering on the edge of a shelf.
The new tariff reality: From risk to resilience
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Shifting tariffs and trade policies are pushing companies to rethink their supply chain strategies to protect growth and stay competitive.
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The future of customer experience: Embracing agentic AI
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Operations functions are often where the rubber meets the road for the implementation of gen AI strategies and where companies can expect to see early examples of success and further potential.
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Beyond cost savings: The global footprint of innovation hubs
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Global capability centers are becoming places of enterprise-wide innovation, changing companies’ services and workforces as they adopt and benefit from new technologies.
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Safer, greener, faster: AI-powered supply chains in action
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Companies across industries have a wealth of data. Samsara’s AI solutions help uncover actionable insights that enable everyone—from the front line to the boardroom—to work better, faster, and safer.
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Beyond automation: How gen AI is reshaping supply chains
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Gen AI is set to boost efficiency, decision-making, and performance in supply chains—but it’s not a magic bullet. Companies will have to double down on tech and talent to unlock its full potential.
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Powering productivity: Operations insights for 2025
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Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, the future of operations in 2025 is promising. Companies that lean into tech, cross-functional collaboration, and curiosity can power up productivity.
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Beyond normal: A year in review from McKinsey Talks Operations
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From building robust operational ecosystems to embracing generative AI, top companies are finding new ways to thrive in an environment that’s anything but normal.
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Procurement’s sustainable (r)evolution
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The procurement function regularly reinvents itself to find new sources of value. Is circularity the next opportunity on the horizon?
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In pursuit of productivity: How Minsur mined a rich seam of operational excellence
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After years of optimizing and expanding operations, Minsur set out to achieve next-generation operational excellence. The key: transforming the culture to foster empowerment and inclusive leadership.
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Innovation hubs: How GCCs are shaping the future of business
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Global capability centers (GCCs) are rapidly evolving beyond their traditional roles as execution centers, becoming increasingly important as enterprise innovation hubs.
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Future-proofing operations: How tech and talent go hand in hand
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Talent management starts by addressing workforce challenges, adapting to generational needs, leveraging technology in operations, and developing leadership for talent retention.
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The evolution of customer care: AI and the Gen Z effect
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Gen Z’s influence on consumer behavior and employment trends is driving contact center leaders to integrate AI, adapt to market changes, and implement holistic strategies for customer care.
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When failure is an option: Fostering organizational innovation and learning
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To achieve sustainable innovation, companies can embrace failure as a catalyst for driving change. Capability centers can enhance performance and promote learning in high-stakes operations.
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How product design can yield ‘triple wins’: Growth, margin, and sustainability
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Some consumer companies have simultaneously increased sales, cut costs, and reduced carbon emissions. Their secret? Paying closer attention to the design of their products and packaging.
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Generative AI in operations: Capturing the value
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Uncover the transformative power of generative AI within the operations value chain—shaping C-suite discussions across industries.
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Navigating the new normal: Operations insights for 2024
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Uncover a new operational reality in 2024—where productivity, technology enablement, and sustainability are the key drivers of future success.

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Recent episodes

Operational
Operational excellence: How purpose and technology can power performance
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Next-generation operational excellence is more than doing things well. It’s about uniting an organization around a common...
Rows of cans
Skinny design: Smaller is better
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The ability to improve cost savings, sustainability, and consumer benefits has proven skinny design packaging to be a powerful...
Woman holding laptop and listening on smartphone
Myth busters: Unexpected insights on contact centers
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By using facts rather than outdated assumptions, companies can shape their customer service strategies to better answer consumer...
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McKinsey Talks Operations: How the best from 2022 can power 2023
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Listen in as we recap this year’s critical conversations with industry experts on the real operational challenges being...
Electric vehicle charging station
Batteries included: Building and operating sustainable gigafactories
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As the demand for electric vehicles grows, so does the demand for the batteries to power them. Meeting that demand will require...
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Digital twins: Flying high, flexing fast
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Digital design and product development can provide new ways to solve complex problems. Getting implementation right means thoughtfully...
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114 down, 10 million to go: The Global Lighthouse Network’s mission
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Global Lighthouse Network members show that Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies help to deliver better workforce engagement,...
Building covered with vertical garden in the city
Sustainable spaces: Countering climate risk in capital projects
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By taking a deeper, more comprehensive approach to understanding risk, companies can mitigate climate hazards and build resilience...
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Inflation fighter and value creator: Procurement’s best-kept secret
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New sources of value are available for businesses that use their procurement function to combat persistent inflation and build...
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Digital twins: What could they do for your business?
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Less waste, shorter times to market, constant customer insights: the advantages of applying digital twins are many—if you...
Neon speech bubbles
The hidden value of voice conversations: Part 1, Trends and technologies
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Understanding more of what their customers are saying can help contact centers provide new sources of competitive advantage.
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The hidden value of voice conversations: Part 2, Reaping the rewards
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Voice analytics can help you understand more about what your customers are saying—if you know how to select and apply the...
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People and places: How and where to work next
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Selling, general, and administrative functions are integral to your organization’s success. What’s the best place...
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Coca-Cola: The people-first story of a digital transformation
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With thousands to train, the transformation of Coca-Cola’s commercial product supply operations needed buy-in from the...
Miami's new overpass
How to manage the coming wave of investment in capital projects
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About $130 trillion is expected to flow into infrastructure upgrades over the next five years. How can companies spend that most...
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Reaching net zero—what will it take?
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The quest for sustainability requires action on many fronts, with changes to supply networks, manufacturing processes, and business...
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A digital path to sustainability
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Sustainability and productivity needn’t be at odds when enabled by Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. And with...
Engineers working on laptop in a large printer
Smart operators: How leading companies use machine intelligence
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Despite the recent and significant advances in machine intelligence, the full scale of the opportunity is just beginning to unfold....
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Why business must heed customer reviews
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COVID-19 has made e-commerce more competitive than ever. Paying attention to customer reviews will give organizations a necessary...
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Prioritizing customer experience in government
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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity to center customer experience in dealings with government agencies. This...
Engineer working on a machine
The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be people powered
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Companies at the forefront of the technology frontier are empowering their workers with digital technologies—and the skills...
Aerial view of cargo ship getting unloaded
Diagnosing the pain in your supply chain
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The COVID-19 pandemic has knocked global supply chains off their axes. But CEOs and other leaders can build resilience into...

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Supply-chain resilience: Is there a holy grail?
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Supply-chain disruptions cost the average organization 45 percent of one year’s profits over the course of a decade. How...
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McKinsey Talks Operations
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The new podcast from McKinsey’s Operations Practice explores cutting through the noise to transform strategy into lasting operations...

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