Fighting against COVID-19: what operations research can help and the sense-and-respond framework

Abstract

COVID-19 is affecting all walks of life. To deal with it, we need to make use of scientifically sound tools and models. Operations research (OR), as a well-established field which focuses on deploying analytical tools to solving decision making problems, comes to the rescue. In this paper, by examining the OR literature and practices related to pandemics (including COVID-19), we discuss what OR can help to tackle challenges under COVID-19. We classify the literature into three stages, namely "before pandemic", "during pandemic" and "after pandemic". We examine the related literature and reveal the respective research areas and OR methods employed. Then, we propose a future research agenda. Finally, we establish the sense-and-respond OR framework regarding what specific actions should be taken to cope with COVID-19 from the perspectives of governments, healthcare and non-profit-making organizations, and businesses. We believe that the findings of this paper lay the solid foundation to stimulate further OR studies to combat COVID-19.

A structured literature review on the interplay between emerging technologies and COVID-19 – insights and directions to operations fields

“…While the literature exploring COVID-19 in different operations, management, and information systems perspectives have made significant progress (Chesbrough, 2020 ; Dwivedi et al, 2020 ; Y. Li et al, 2020 ; Manero et al, 2020 ; Queiroz, Ivanov et al, 2020 ; Remko, 2020 ; Sarkis, 2020 ; Sodhi et al, 2021 ; Ivanov, 2020a , b ), there is still a huge gap when we consider a systemization about the role of emerging technologies to fight against this pandemic outbreak, the lessons, insights, and directions for other future emergency situations (Choi, 2021 ; Ivanov, 2021 ).…”

“…In addition, some literature reviews have predominantly focused on only one of these elements (Choi, 2021 ; Queiroz, Ivanov et al, 2020 ). For instance, Choi ( 2021 ) presented a well-articulated literature analysis exploring the COVID-19 in the lens of operations management.…”

“…In addition, some literature reviews have predominantly focused on only one of these elements (Choi, 2021 ; Queiroz, Ivanov et al, 2020 ). For instance, Choi ( 2021 ) presented a well-articulated literature analysis exploring the COVID-19 in the lens of operations management. Queiroz, Ivanov et al, ( 2020 ) explored the COVID-19 and other epidemic outbreaks using a structured literature approach and focusing on supply chain-related fields.…”

On Deploying Blockchain Technologies in Supply Chain Strategies and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Outlook

“…With ten articles, visibility was also one of the most common BCT [5,20,[77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84]. Sixteen of the papers looked at the impact of both digitization and visibility on the SC and the COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously [5,23,[85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98]. While transparency technology has received little attention in prior research, and only one study has addressed this issue [99], the combination of visibility and transparency has been the subject of nine studies in the literature that was reviewed [98,[100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107].…”

A Multiclass, Multiproduct Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma Donor Equilibrium Model

“…The author also presents numerical examples associated with pandemic labor disruptions. Choi [ 87 ] discusses how the powerful methodologies of operations research can “come to the rescue” in the pandemic and classifies the literature into before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and after the pandemic. He also highlights what specific actions governments, healthcare, various non-profit-making organizations, and businesses should take to deal with Covid-19.…”