How COOs Can Reduce the Cost of Operational Variability
Average performance can provide a comforting picture of an operation. Average order volume, average processing time, average staffing requirements, and average equipment utilization all have legitimate uses. Operations, however, must handle what happens above and...
Why COOs Should Track Schedule Adherence, Not Just Output
Output tells management how much work was completed. It does not always explain whether the organization completed the right work at the right time. A facility may meet its monthly production target while repeatedly changing schedules, delaying priority orders, and...
COO’s on the Move: September 2026
September brought a varied group of chief operating officer appointments across technology, real estate, healthcare, retail, financial services, infrastructure, and professional services. Several organizations promoted established executives into broader operating...
How COOs Can Decide Which Processes Are Actually Ready for Automation
Automation proposals often begin with an appealing calculation. A process consumes a certain number of employee hours, software can perform some portion of the work, and the organization can therefore reduce cost or redirect employees toward other responsibilities....
Why COOs Should Measure Rework Alongside Productivity
Productivity is among the most familiar measures in operations. Organizations track units produced, orders processed, customer requests completed, projects delivered, cases resolved, and countless variations of output per employee or labor hour. These measures provide...
The Operational Cost of Too Many Handoffs
Many business processes require cooperation among several departments. A customer order may pass through sales, finance, operations, inventory management, logistics, and customer service before it is complete. A purchasing request may involve an employee, manager,...
Why Capacity Planning Deserves More Attention From COOs
Capacity problems rarely announce themselves as capacity problems. They appear as delayed orders, excessive overtime, longer customer response times, missed production schedules, growing backlogs, employee fatigue, or declining service levels. Management may address...
COO’s on the Move: August 2026
August brought a new round of leadership changes across operations, with companies appointing COOs to oversee execution, organizational growth, and day-to-day performance. Here are the 11 Chief Operating Officer appointments announced during the month. Warner Music...
The Hidden Cost of Process Exceptions and Why COOs Should Track Them
Most organizations have documented processes for important operational activities. Purchase orders follow an approval sequence. Customer requests move through established workflows. Inventory is replenished according to defined procedures. Contracts, invoices, service...
When Operational Metrics Stop Being Useful: How COOs Can Build a Better Performance Scorecard
Operations leaders have never lacked data. Most organizations track dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of measures across productivity, quality, labor, inventory, service, cost, safety, customer satisfaction, and other areas. The difficulty is determining which of those...
Closing the Operations Skills Gap in the AI Era
According to BCG research, 74% of businesses have integrated AI in near-daily operations, but only 36% of respondents feel they’ve provided sufficient training. This leads to a skills gap, which is especially impactful in operations- and it’s the COO’s responsibility...
COO’s on the Move: July 2026
July brought another active month of executive leadership changes as organizations across manufacturing, healthcare, retail, mining, and technology announced new Chief Operating Officers. As companies continue focusing on operational excellence, customer experience,...
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