Seminar: Recent Advances in Business Analytics

Exam number: 6787

Semester: from 1st semester

Duration of the module: One semester

Form of the module (i.e. obligatory, elective etc.): Elective

Frequency of module offer: Summer semester 2017

Prerequisites: Participation in courses "Advanced Business Analytics" or "IOM for Transportation Systems" is helpful. Registration in Moodle is required. The password is IOM, and registration is possible till April 7, 12:00. The number of participants in this seminar is limited to 12. If the number of interested students is higher than 12, students with IOM focus or better grades in IOM related classes will be given preference.

Applicability of module for other study programmes:
Obligatory or elective in other study programmes. For further information check regulations of the study programme.

Person responsible for module: Prof. Dr. Jan Fabian Ehmke

Name of the professor: Prof. Dr. Jan Fabian Ehmke

Language of teaching: English

ECTS-Credits (based on the workload): 6

Workload and its composition (self-study, contact time):
Contact time (Lecture, tutorial etc.): 30 h; self-study: 150 h

Contact hours (per week in semester): 2

Methods and duration of examination:
Writing and presentation of a seminar thesis (30 minutes), active participation in discussion

Emphasis of the grade for the final grade: Please check regulations of the study programme

Aim of the module (expected learning outcomes and competencies to be acquired):
The aim of this module is to extend the experience in writing of an academic thesis on a current topic of Business Analytics. Students acquire competencies in presenting complex scientific relationships and get to know an overview of a current research topic of Business Analytics.

Contents of the module:
In recent years, the amount and value of goods that are sold online has increased significantly. In many urban areas, customers can even order grocieries online. Since the delivery of groceries requires a delivery time window, deliveries are quite costly for an online retailer. In this seminar, we discuss approaches from Business Analytics than can help offering the customers appropriate delivery time windows while keeping costs low. We will consider methods from Revenue Management and Vehicle Routing to better understand what the current state in research and practice is. Potential questions are:

• What is revenue management and how can it help to make e-fulfillment more profitable?
• What is vehicle routing and how can it help to make e-fulfillment more efficient?
• How can we predict which time windows a customer wants and what they will likely order?
• What are the technical challenges we are facing?

Preliminary Schedule

• 12.04. 11:30 – 13:00 Introduction
• 19.04. 11:30 – 13:00 Selection of Topics
• 06.06. 10:00 – 13:00 Presentation and Discussion of Topics 1-4
• 21.06. 10:00 – 13:00 Presentation and Discussion of Topics 5-8
• 05.07. 10:00 – 13:00 Presentation and Discussion of Topics 9-12
• 12.07. 11:00 Seminar Thesis Due

Teaching and learning methods:
Presentation, Group Discussion, Writing of a seminar thesis

Literature (compulsory reading, recommended literature):
Will be announced in class.

Further information:
Registration in Moodle Viadrina required.