Spreadsheet jockeys, hang up your spurs
Even before congested ports and parts and labor shortages began to snarl supply chains in 2020, companies needed to update their supply-chain technology. They haven’t done themselves any favors by clinging to manual systems and antiquated software, including one widely used application that’s so old the provider will soon stop supporting it.
To read the article, see “To improve your supply chain, modernize your supply-chain IT,” February 9, 2022.
Mapping public transportation’s pain points
For members of at-risk groups, using public transportation can be a stressful and scary experience. In our global survey of more than 20 different public-transport operators, we found that while there are many initiatives to enhance inclusion, they are typically not part of an integrated, 360-degree approach. Implementing safety and accessibility initiatives are key ways to improving urban transit systems around the world.
To read the article, see “Fostering an inclusive urban transit system,” February 16, 2022.
A good year for shareholders
The COVID-19 pandemic delivered an unexpected and sizable jolt to US wealth and growth. Higher savings, home values, and equity prices drove the net worth of households up more than 25 %. And, in aggregate, US corporate balance sheets grew stronger as assets and equity growth outstripped the rise in debt.
To read the article, see “The CEO agenda in 2022: Harnessing the potential of growth jolts,” January 13, 2022.
IRL versus URL
There is a growing disconnect between patients and physicians when it comes to telehealth. While both sides embraced telehealth at the onset of the pandemic, this sentiment has changed—physicians may now prefer a return to prepandemic IRL (in real life) care. Our most recent McKinsey Physician Survey found that patients and physicians have starkly different opinions around convenience, experience, and future outlook.
To read the article, see “Patients love telehealth—physicians are not so sure,” February 22, 2022.
Cutting class—often
Chronic absenteeism has soared for students since the onset of the pandemic, more than doubling from 8 % prepandemic to 22 % in fall 2021. Students from low-income households, who are more likely to encounter attendance barriers, were 1.6 times as likely as their high-income-household peers to be chronically absent from school.
To read the article, see “COVID-19 and education: An emerging K-shaped recovery,” December 14, 2021.