Welcome to the Age of Optimization, where we use analytical methods to
solve complex business problems. It's all about saving costs, simplifying
processes and increasing revenue by using mathematics, computer
science and, most of all, common sense.
Here you'll find some examples of optimization
in the supply chain and logistics industry. This is prescriptive analytics
at its best - telling you what to do to achieve a good outcome.
For example, how to service a chain of supermarkets from the central
warehouse with minimal costs. In addition to optimization,
we'll sometimes use simulation or a combination of both to give meaningful
insights. We also practice descriptive and predictive analytics, which
deal with understanding historical data and coming up with quantitative
forecasts of the future.
Although the examples here are about supply chains, we're not
just bound to this one
industry. Nowadays, people optimize radioactive implant placement
in treating cancer, wind turbine locations in wind farms and which guys to
recommend to girls on dating apps. As a result, good boys finally get to
meet some girls, green energy produces more bang-for-the-buck* and prostate
cancer survivors don't have to "pee fire" for the rest of their life.
In general, the only limit** to using optimization is your imagination.
All models and algorithms can be modified and extended to fit your
needs. The examples might look better on wide devices such as desktops
rather than portrait mode mobile devices.
* Remembering John J. Bartholdi, a great teacher who brought this expression
into my vocabulary
** In practice the speed of the algorithms is also a limit