Column: Razor blades in pizza dough? The hidden danger of product tampering
A former employee of a company that makes pizza dough sold in supermarkets apparently had a score to settle.
The INFORMS Analytics+ Conference showcased how companies are turning advanced analytics and AI into measurable operational results
In most emergency departments, beds are a hot commodity. But some patients don’t actually need a bed for their treatment – and accurately identifying those people is a low-lift but effective way to increase efficiency without sacrificing care quality, finds a study recently published in the journal Management Science.
The researchers developed a simple decision tree, informed by mathematical and machine learning models, to help staff decide whether a patient truly needs a bed or can be routed to a “vertical processing pathway” – that is, an area where they can be treated sitting up. Many hospitals already have such an area but don’t necessarily have a systematic way to decide which patients are treated there.
American teenagers start their school day too early.
Medical experts have been clear for years: sleep cycle changes during puberty make it hard for teenagers to learn in the early morning. Later school start times have been linked to better sleep, improved mental health, stronger academic performance and even safer driving.
Most school district leaders know about this problem and care about fixing it. But changing the schedule can feel operationally impossible.
An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.

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A former employee of a company that makes pizza dough sold in supermarkets apparently had a score to settle.
Over the last 20 years, the American Gulf Coast has seen a surge in petrochemical production in light of increased fracking activity. This major growth positioned the United States as one of biggest international exporters of plastic and other petrochemical products. But this growth, while positive, meant that the extremely damaging winter storm that hit the southern U.S. back in February of this year wreaked havoc on industrial supply chains not just nationwide, but on a global scale.
A study published this month in the Harvard Business Review finds that “as minimum wage increases, firms may strategically adjust their scheduling practices to reduce the number of workers eligible for benefits.” That’s a way for them to suppress compensation costs.
I spent nearly 20 years in the event marketing business and now science finally supports all the crazy antics we used to make everyone feel included.
As the pandemic proved, a strong supply chain is essential for immediate and long-term business health. CIOs are perfectly positioned to play an essential part here.

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