This book explores the sharing economy from an operational perspective, utilizing advanced technologies and optimization techniques to improve efficiency, sustainability, reliability, customer satisfaction, and decision-making support for stakeholders. It introduces a multi-level framework that covers various aspects of sharing economy operations, including supply and demand dynamics, platform management, and stakeholder decisions related to pricing, behavior, and operations. The book provides a thorough analysis of operational challenges in areas such as ride-sharing, operations management, crowd-shipping, security, healthcare matching, hospitality, and tourism. Advanced solutions, including data analytics, optimization models, blockchain, smart pricing, and artificial intelligence, are presented as tools to effectively address these issues. Additionally, the book examines the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of these technologies across different segments of the sharing economy, from demand and supply to platform operations. Ultimately, it offers a comprehensive overview of how digital, optimization, and advanced technologies can shape a more efficient, sustainable, and customer-focused future for the sharing economy.
