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Welcome to Tauber Institute for Global Operations News.
Explore our press releases, feature articles, and announcements about Tauber students, speakers, team projects, and events.
Tauber teams find new solutions for tough operations challenges
Ann Arbor, MI – Each summer, teams of Tauber Institute business + engineering graduate students work for sponsoring companies to address tough operations challenges, uncover significant savings, and champion major improvements in areas such as data analytics, sustainability, supply chain, and strategy.
Since 1993, over a hundred different companies have sponsored Tauber team projects. During their projects, Tauber students experience unparalleled access to the inner workings of top global firms, combined with the expert support of the Michigan Ross School of Business and Michigan Engineering faculty who serve as project advisors, and guidance from Tauber co-directors, communications coaches, research librarians, and a network of alumni mentors.
Tauber student teams work for their sponsors from May through mid-August, then present their results to operations leaders at the SPOTLIGHT! Team Project Showcase and Scholarship Competition. Check out the challenges addressed by four of the twenty-one project teams who are presenting at SPOTLIGHT! 2022 on September 16 in Ann Arbor – Amazon Robotics, BrandSafway, Pfizer US, and Target:
Amazon Robotics
To prepare for the continued growth of Amazon’s fulfillment network, Amazon Robotics partnered with the Tauber student team of Sadie Cox (EGL BSE/MSE-IOE) and Mustafa Isik (MBA) to develop a global manufacturing and supply chain operational strategy. To create a roadmap for robotic operations moving forward, the Tauber team assessed Amazon’s needs as an automation customer, its emerging product portfolio, and broader geopolitical and macroeconomic trends.
BrandSafway
BrandSafway is the leading global provider of construction fixed-access rentals and soft services. For this BrandSafway project, Tauber student Joshua Fink (EGL BSE-CS/MSE-ADS) worked to optimize the sourcing and distribution of rental inventory across the network to increase item-availability, minimize freight expense, and maximize return on invested capital.
Pfizer US
Pfizer’s research operations and clinical supply chain span the globe with a significant presence in Groton, CT. A key component of all clinical operations at the site is the Global Materials Management Group (GMM), who oversee all activities and facilities related to clinical materials. The Tauber student team of Isabella Hartman (EGL BSE/MSE-IOE) and Kat Siavelis (EGL BSE-BME/MSE-IOE) worked directly with the GMM team while conducting a thorough analysis of current material handling and GMP storage operations. Their work will help support and solidify Groton’s GMM group as a key global hub for all clinical supplies routing through the Pfizer portfolio while at the same time offering critical solutions to complex and dynamic supply chain issues.
Target
The Tauber student team of Keith Luu (MBA), Grace Vendelac (EGL BSE/MSE-IOE) & Kagan Conrad (EGL BSE/MSE-IOE) addressed issues with Target's inbound freight. In 2022, Target expects to encounter 118.7M defects across 742M cartons through its inbound automated receiving process. This will cost the network over 1.3M labor hours diverted to researching and problem solving these defects, which result in processing line downtime, additional team member touches, and overall reduced throughput. The Tauber team focused on process improvements that reduce waste, in addition to defining a working model that permanently reduces defects from Target’s receiving process path.
"The students love this event, the faculty love this event, the sponsors love this event, and the judges really love this event!"
The Tauber Institute for Global Operations is a joint venture between the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Michigan Engineering, working together with industry partners to facilitate cross-disciplinary education in global operations management. The Tauber Institute is an inaugural recipient of the UPS George D. Smith Prize for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research, management science, or analytics. For more information visit tauber.umich.edu.
