McKinsey Talks Operations

Europe’s productivity challenge is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Strained supply chains, rising costs, and intensifying global competition are putting mounting pressure on operations leaders to act...

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 landscape, organizations must move beyond isolated...

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 sources of value, improve resilience, and accelerate...

Across industries, organizations are asking more of their COOs: to drive efficiency, unlock growth, build resilience, lead cross-functional change, and help shape the business agenda. But what does it really take to...

2025 marked a pivotal moment for operations. Generative AI, automation, and advanced analytics moved from experimentation to real impact—and reshaped how organizations run.    In this special year-end...

Improving operations, generating revenue and implementing the right technology have all become key priorities for customer care professionals over the last decade. Organizations must find customer service operating...

Organizations today are under constant pressure to do more with less—improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing experiences. Process intelligence is emerging as a game changer, revealing how work truly...

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 expensive, signaling a decline in R&D...

Aligning financial and environmental performance is no longer optional—it’s a strategic imperative for long-term success. Organizations are under mounting pressure to reduce emissions without compromising...

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 feat—technical challenges like energy...

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

Companies want to future-proof their supply chains without sacrificing agility or growth. Yet escalating tariffs and policy volatility could force them into reactive cycles, compounded by a lack of visibility in global...

As companies race to improve customer responsiveness and satisfaction, many are turning to AI to transform their contact centers into hubs of efficiency and personalization. But despite growing investment, most...

Many organizations struggle with outdated workforce models, limited AI adoption, and a disconnect between their global capability centers (GCCs) and core business strategies. To overcome these challenges, a global...

Logistics companies are striving to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Traditional methods often lack real-time data and insights to drive meaningful change. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations...