Rachna Shah

Rachna Shah is a Professor in the Supply Chain and Operations Department at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Her research bridges lean production principles with operational failures, focusing on how firms achieve superior performance and why they experience quality failures. She has defined foundational tenets of lean and demonstrated its impact on firm performance, with two papers among the most downloaded in the field.

• PhD in Management Science (Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, 2002)
• MBA/MHA in Business Administration (Finance focus, Ohio State University, 1992)
• BA in Economics (Delhi University, India, 1988)

Her expertise spans lean operational excellence, process improvement in healthcare delivery, and operational failures across automotive, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries. She investigates root causes of drug shortages, environmental management strategies, and applies econometric/psychometric methods to operations research.

Recent articles analyze EMP adoption, product recalls, plant inspection effectiveness, and competitive dynamics in quality outcomes. These works reflect cross-industry applications of lean principles and behavioral influences on operational decisions.

Scientific Awards:

• Jack Meredith Best Paper Award (2019)
• Skinner Early Career Research Accomplishment Award (2007)
• Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Research (2004)
• Best Senior Editor Award (Production and Operations Management Journal, 2019)
• Carlson School Outstanding Service Award (2018)

Professor Shah actively teaches core supply chain courses in MBA programs and doctoral students at multiple international institutions, including ETH Zurich, INSEAD, and Politecnico di Milano. She holds senior editorial roles in leading journals and contributes to professional societies' leadership.