ABW Café Series: Optimization with Social Impact

Analytics focuses on transforming data into insights by applying advanced analytical methods, based on mathematics, statistics, operations research and artificial intelligent models and algorithms, with the objective to improve the performance of an organization. One of the main tools in Analytics is Optimization. In this talk, Helena discusses the optimization tools and methodologies applied to NonProfit Organizations (NPO). She describes applications of Mathematical Programming Models and Metaheuristics Algorithms to Social and Healthcare organizations. Some examples of applications of Optimization in these organizations are: home social and health care logistics and scheduling; optimization of assistive technology services; planning a sustainable transportation, and mobility optimization for social care services. She also focuses on the main aspects of these models and algorithms, as well as, the main differences to other more frequent applications, as in manufacturing and retailing industries.

Helena Ramalhinho Lourenço is a Full Professor at the Economics and Business Department at the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. She has a B.A. and Master degree in Statistics and Operations Research from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell University, New York, USA. She has been involved in different research projects and consulting for business firms in the area of Operations Research and Logistics. She is currently the director of the Business Analytics Research Group. Her research interests include Operations Research, Scheduling, Combinatorial Optimization, Metaheuristics, Iterated Local Search, Heuristic Search Optimization, Vehicle Routing, and applications on Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management and Health Care. Actually, Helena is the The vice-rector (president) for Internationalization of the UPF.