McKinsey Talks Operations

Voices on Planning: Beyond SaaS and into the AI era

Advanced planning systems have evolved through major technological shifts, from legacy systems to enterprise platforms, and from on-premises software to SaaS. Now AI is u

Voices on Quality: Unlocking warranty value in consumer automotive

Warranty and goodwill costs at automotive OEMs have climbed more than 40 percent in recent years, now representing as much as two to three percent of total sales for many

The future of US Manufacturing

A quarter of America’s $3 trillion in annual manufactured imports face multiple trade dependencies, related to national security, geopolitically distant trading partners,

Agentic AI and the future of Global Business Services

Global Business Services (GBS) is being redefined in the age of AI. Agentic technology is enabling GBS to move beyond traditional automation and expand as it becomes the

Powering supply chain with agentic AI

Supply chain leaders have invested heavily in technology over the last few decades and were among the earliest adopters of AI. Yet despite 90% of companies reporting AI u

Rewiring Europe: Turning pressure into performance

Europe’s productivity challenge is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Strained supply chains, rising costs, and intensifying global competition are putting mounti

Winning the Race to Rewire in 2026: Capturing operational advantage

The pace of innovation is reshaping industries at an unprecedented speed, but technology alone is not a source of advantage. To compete in a rapidly evolving global lands

The paradigm shift: how agentic AI is redefining banking operations

Agentic AI is reshaping banking operations, enabling systems to act, decide, and learn at scale. Leading banks are redesigning their operating models to unlock new source

COO Excellence: the next generation of leadership

Across industries, organizations are asking more of their COOs: to drive efficiency, unlock growth, build resilience, lead cross-functional change, and help shape the bus

The race to rewire operations: How the story unfolded in 2025

2025 marked a pivotal moment for operations. Generative AI, automation, and advanced analytics moved from experimentation to real impact—and reshaped how organizations ru

Beyond the bot: building empathetic customer experiences with agentic AI

Improving operations, generating revenue and implementing the right technology have all become key priorities for customer care professionals over the last decade. Organi

Unlocking hidden value with process intelligence in healthcare and beyond

Organizations today are under constant pressure to do more with less—improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing experiences. Process intelligence is emerging as

Transforming R&D with AI: Breaking barriers and boosting productivity

Innovation has long been the engine of economic growth, but today’s R&D efforts are hitting roadblocks. Progress is becoming harder, more complex, and increasingly expens

Lower cost, fewer emissions, greater impact: The dual mission in action

Aligning financial and environmental performance is no longer optional—it’s a strategic imperative for long-term success. Organizations are under mounting pressure to r

Rewriting the robotics playbook: From promise to performance

Companies across industries are eager to adopt robots that can perform a variety of tasks with human-like flexibility. But achieving general-purpose robotics is no small

The robotics revolution: Scaling beyond the pilot phase

With workforce shortages mounting and productivity growth stalling, robotics and automation have moved from optional to essential for operational leaders. Yet, many pilot

The new tariff reality: From risk to resilience

Companies want to future-proof their supply chains without sacrificing agility or growth. Yet escalating tariffs and policy volatility could force them into reactive cycl

The future of customer experience: Embracing agentic AI

As companies race to improve customer responsiveness and satisfaction, many are turning to AI to transform their contact centers into hubs of efficiency and personalizati

Beyond cost savings: The global footprint of innovation hubs

Many organizations struggle with outdated workforce models, limited AI adoption, and a disconnect between their global capability centers (GCCs) and core business strateg

Safer, greener, faster: AI-powered supply chains in action

Logistics companies are striving to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Traditional methods often lack real-time data and insights to drive meaningful change.