iSixSigma – The Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Green Belt and Black Belt curriculum needs an overhaul. The original operational excellence (OpEx) Lean Six Sigma methodology developed by Motorola in the 1980s and made famous by Jack Welch at General Electric (GE) in the early 1990s is finding itself a bit long in the tooth in comparison to the digital transformation activity going on around it. Practitioners of Lean Six Sigma who learned their craft more than 10 years ago need on-the-job training or CE (continuing education) classes to remain valuable to their client companies. The digital transformation has overtaken this quaint methodology, and unless continuous improvement teams embrace the new paradigm, their ability to affect the world will get smaller and smaller.
Department News
Articles about activities within the academic departments
Tax the Land, Save the People
San Francisco Magazine – One man’s quixotic—but totally serious—quest to upend the tax system, rebalance wealth, and cure all of our social ills.
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Predictive Modeling Workshop
On Friday, October 27, the UConn Operations and Information Management (OPIM) Department conducted a workshop on predictive modeling. This workshop is one of the technology workshops that the department is conducting in order to enhance the OPIM Innovate Initiative.
Find Your Niche: A Day in the Life of Irma Valverde ’18
UConn Today – Walking around the Storrs campus on a tour, Irma Valverde ’18 (BUS, CLAS) was struck by how many people were wearing UConn gear. “I didn’t get that school spirit vibe anywhere else I visited,” says Valverde, who is now a senior and the president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). UConn, despite its size, also felt like home, she says.
As Layoffs Mount, RBS Holds on in Stamford
Stamford Advocate – The Royal Bank of Scotland’s daisy-wheel logo still stands on top of 600 Washington Blvd. — even after many rounds of cutbacks at the downtown financial hub.
Battered by weak earnings and legal and regulatory pressures, the bank has slashed some 700 jobs in the past three years at its Americas headquarters. In an industry that has undergone seismic changes in the past decade, RBS is unlikely to bring back the lost positions. But the bank says Stamford remains vital to its business, and the firm’s strong ties to the area suggest it will carry on its curtailed Connecticut operations.
OPIM Alumni Networking Dinner 2017
On Wednesday, October 25, the Operations and Information Management Department (OPIM) held its 2nd annual Networking Dinner. This dinner is held for UConn School of Business Management Information Systems (MIS), Business Data Analytics (BDA), and Business Technology students, past and present, in order to enhance their networking skills and connect with people of similar backgrounds and interests.
Three is a Charm
Professor Mathieu Earns Prestigious Academy of Management Mentorship Award
The Academy of Management’s Organizational Behavior Division has awarded its Mentorship Award to UConn Management Professor John Mathieu. It is the third prestigious award he has received in the last year. Continue Reading
A Winning Football Pool Strategy
Professor Bergman’s “NFL Survivor Pool” Plan Has Ramifications for Other Businesses, Too
OPIM professor David Bergman loves football, predictions, and data analytics, so it is little surprise that he would use his knowledge to plan an NFL survival-pool strategy. Continue Reading
In Days, Aetna Pivots From Insurer To A Health Care Business
Hartford Courant – A whirlwind week for Aetna Inc. — shedding its disability and life insurance business and, three days later, reports of a buyout offer from CVS Health Corp. — point to a new future for the 160-year-old Hartford health insurer.
VOYA Colloquium Asks: How is Marketing Adapting to the Digital Age?
“Marketing in the Digitalized Marketplace” was the theme of the marketing department‘s 7th VOYA Global Colloquium. The Oct. 20 event gathered marketing researchers from across the country to discuss research in the growing areas of user-generated content, social networks, new media, and digital analytics. Continue Reading