Hello Charles,
The INFORMS O.R. & Analytics Student Team Competition challenges student teams to solve a real-world business problem using an O.R./analytics approach. Specifically for undergraduate and master’s students, the contest provides a detailed problem statement, along with company data and ongoing access to company technical and management staff.
Students can:
- Demonstrate their skills in problem framing, data handling and analysis, model building, visualization and communication.
- Work with real and current data from Bayer, the Title Sponsor company.
- Get free access to software provided by technology vendors.
- Six finalist teams are invited to present their work at the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference, April 2020, with free registration and a travel stipend provided.
- Win prizes as well as bragging rights for their schools. First Prize is $7,500.
We invite you to:
- Consider incorporating the competition into your courses. There’s no limit on the number of entries from a single university, program or course.
- Encourage student groups and clubs to enter.
- Subscribe now to the competition email list to stay informed:
Here is an overview of how the competition works:
2020 Problem: Network Design & Facility Operations Modeling Sponsored by Bayer
The Title Sponsor for the 2020 Student Competition is Bayer Crop Science. In this competition, students will engage in the design of a distribution network that involves determining product flows in the presence of resource capacity constraints at manufacturing facilities. Using realistic data, students will be tasked with performing statistical analyses, developing simulation models and/or machine learning, designing the distribution network using optimization, and conducting a quantitative assessment of their solution. An introduction to the problem is ; the preliminary problem description will be posted on Sept. 20, and the final problem statement will be available October 11.
Who can compete?
Undergraduate and master’s level students are eligible. Teams may be any mix of at least 3 and no more than 10 students. There’s no limit on the number of entries from a single school, program or course. .
What’s the timeline?
Datasets and access to software will be made available on October 11. Teams must register to have access to the data and software. The work of problem solving is done throughout the fall, and written entries are due January 27, 2020. Six finalists are then selected and will present in person at the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference in April 2020. .
How will teams be judged?
A panel of academic and industry experts will evaluate each team’s written report for various criteria, as well as demonstrated soft skills. Finalist teams will be judged on their oral presentation, in addition to their written entry. .
What are the prizes?
Finalist teams will receive a cash prize, award certificates for each team member, and a plaque for the university. Finalists are also provided with free registration to the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference to present their work (April 26-28, 2020, Denver CO) as well as a stipend for travel. Bonus: bragging rights for students and your school!
I’m interested. What do I do next?
- First, subscribe to the competition email list
- Stay tuned for the announcement that registration is open.
- Spread the word about the competition to your students and colleagues.
- Contact INFORMS if you have any questions.
Now in its 4th year, past competitions have drawn participants from around the world, with finalists from 12 countries, including Belgium, Colombia, Israel, The Netherland, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and US. We hope teams from your school will compete this year.
Sincerely,
Willem-Jan Van Hoeve, Organizing Committee Chair
Competition Organizing Committee
Willem-Jan Van Hoeve, Carnegie Mellon University; Organizing Committee Chair
John R. Birge, University of Chicago; Judging Committee Chair
Jim Bander, Experian
Jennifer L. Becker, Bayer
Hande Benson, Drexel University
Shrikant Jarugumilli, Bayer
Dessislava Pachamanova, Babson College
