Data science has left the back office. Leaders increasingly need to understand how data and analytics are used to help companies create competitive advantage — streamlining operations, identifying trends, safeguarding supply chains — in a business world defined by change and agility.

This is an emerging area for many business schools, but one that will take on greater and greater importance in the future.

Task force leader: Ravi Subramanian

Dr. Subramanian is an associate professor of operations management at the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech. His research interests lie at the intersections of operations/supply chain decisions and environmental sustainability, with recent interests in healthcare operations and social sustainability.

Dr. Subramanian received the inaugural Paul Kleindorfer Award in Sustainability in 2012. He served as a Department Editor for the Sustainable Operations Department of Production and Operations Management from 2015 to 2018 and received the Best Department Editor Award in 2018. He currently serves as Senior Editor for the department. In addition to his teaching and research, he conducts sessions on demand-driven supply chain planning for Coca-Cola, Clorox and Georgia-Pacific.