Ann Arbor, MI - The 10th Annual Global Operations Conference (GOC), organized by the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan, brought together leaders in industry and academia to discuss “New Frontiers in Operations.”  Held December 1-2 at the Michigan Ross School of Business, this year’s GOC featured views from experts from a wide range of industries on how rapidly expanding Operations concepts are redefining the competitive landscape.

Dr. Somesh Nigam, IBM VP of Information & Data Governance and Health Informatics in the Global Chief Data Office, opened the conference with a visionary keynote addressing the rise of data as the “new currency” of business, and the accompanying development of Cognitive processes that could dramatically transform Operations within and across enterprises.  Online styling service Stitch Fix VP of Operations Jonathan Czaja shared in his keynote the view from the shifting world of online retail, examining how Stitch Fix’s unique blend of art, science, and personalized service has influenced the evolution of its operations.  Dow Chemical Company Global Supply Chain Visibility Leader Jeff Tazelaar concluded the GOC with a discussion of how the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming traditional supply chains to digital supply chains, requiring a new set of solutions to marry transactional and event based data.

University of Michigan faculty from the Ross School of Business and the School of Information moderated panel discussions on Globalization through Operations, the Evolution of Operations in Healthcare, and Big Data and Predictive analysis.  The robust discussions offered insights from leaders on the front lines of Operations at companies such as Amazon, PwC, Cardinal Health, Henry Ford Health, the Mayo Clinic, Boeing, General Mills, Whirlpool, and Verizon Wireless.

The GOC also featured a student Case competition sponsored by PwC and Strategy& with 258 participants making up 77 teams representing 13 school submitted entries from across the country vying for prize money – and recognition.  Congratulations to "PWC Case Winner" operations team receiving first place. Team members from the Ross School of Business include Eric She, Harsh Choubey, Chris Hart, and Andrei Duma. Second place went to "All About That Case" from Columbia Business School. Team members include David Amstutz, Ryan Ripp, Eric Seti, and Daniel Wong. 

Event photos can be viewed here.

View Jonathan Czaja's keynote here.

About the Tauber Institute for Global Operations

The Tauber Institute for Global Operations is a joint venture between the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the College of Engineering, working together with industry partners to facilitate cross-disciplinary education in global operations management. In addition to a broad array of core and elective courses, Tauber Institute’s innovative LeadershipAdvantage^SM Program provides students with the tools to ascend to major operations leadership roles. Well-designed and managed team projects form the cornerstone of the Tauber Institute experience and allow students to apply their knowledge to real world settings.

Learn more at tauber.umich.edu.