18210: Unlocking Internet-of-Things in Operations Management Research: Opportunities and Challenges

Internet-of-Things (IoT) has transformed industries by enabling real-time access to new information, reshaping inter-firm connections and offering advanced consumer insight. These innovations not only enhance operational efficiency but also unlock opportunities for novel operating and business models. Despite significant interest and adoption in practice, IoT has received relatively little attention from the academic Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) community. This workshop aims to explore the reasons behind the academic hesitation, showcase practical use cases and develop a path forward for IoT-focused research in OSCM. The session will feature three parts. In the first part, the audience will reflect on IoT use cases and applications in OSCM during breakout discussion. In the second part, speakers will combine their own experiences with insights from participants to define the state of the art in IoT in OSCM. The third part will host a panel of distinguished OSCM scholars with expertise in digital transformation, who will discuss opportunities and challenges of IoT adoption. This part will also include audience interaction, fostering a dialogue to develop a forward-looking research agenda. While the session is sponsored by the OSCM Division and is open to all communities, it may be particularly relevant to members of the CTO and TIM divisions.