The race to rewire operations: How the story unfolded in 2025

2025 marked a pivotal moment for operations. Generative AI, automation, and advanced analytics moved from experimentation to real impact—and reshaped how organizations run.  In this special year-end episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, hosts Daphne Luchtenberg and Christian Johnson reflect on the defining shifts of the year, from deploying agentic AI and redesigning end-to-end processes to scaling digital twins, robotics, and data-driven sustainability. Against a backdrop of geopolitical volatility and supply chain disruption, leaders redefined what operational excellence really means.  Join us to revisit standout conversations from across operations to explore how organizations unlocked productivity, accelerated innovation, and built more resilient, intelligence-enabled operations.  McKinsey Talks Operations offers much more on the forces shaping the future of the function. Visit McKinsey Talks Operations to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice and join our community. Connect with us on LinkedIn.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information