Business Analytics and

Operations Research Information MSc BAOR

Goal

Nikki Donkers

Program Coordinator

MSc EME

MSc BAOR

MSc QFAS

Juan Vera

Academic Director Msc BAOR

Associate Professor Operations Research

Meet the team

Business Analytics and Operations Research

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Smarter decision making using math and data

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Our Focus

“Soft” skills, crucial for the successful

implementation of business projects

• presenting for high impact

• Project & team setup

Theory and state of the art

methods to solve complex

business problems

• analysing big data, and/or

making predictions

• optimization

“Hard” skills needed in practice:

• translating the problem into a

mathematical model

• choosing the right solution

method

• using or developing relevant

computer software

Smarter decision making using math and data

BAOR in Tilburg

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• Modern program including Data Science methods

• Quality of teachers:• World class researchers in BAOR / Strong connection to practice

• Part of big JADS initiative

• Extensive company network

• Wide variety of applications and job opportunities

• Improving society using math and data

• Many, many job opportunities...!

Master program structure (1 year)

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4 electives

5 Compulsory courses

(out of 6):

• Core of the program

• Knowledge that

everyone should

possess

2 Electives

(out of many):

• Freedom to specialize

further

• Econometrics, Marketing,

Economics, Finance, Math

• Make it your program(!)

Master Thesis:

• Novel contribution

• Usually within an

internship

• Real experience!

BAOR program

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Data Science Methods

Goals:

• Acquire knowledge of theory, methods and

techniques, to analyze big data sets.

• Acquire the skills necessary to implement

these in practical cases (incl. software).

Contents:

• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

• Loading + cleaning data

• Visualizing data + dimension reduction

• Classification (discriminant analysis, nearest neighbor, logistic regression

• Resampling methods (cross-validation, bootstrap)

• Model selection (forward selection, lasso, shrinkage, principal components)

• Tree-based classification (regression trees, bagging, boosting)

• Support Vector Machines (support vector classifiers)

• Applications

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Professional Business Analytics Skills

Goals:

• Acquire those softer skills that are

essential for an analytics professional

Contents:

• How to ‘sell’ business analytics?

• Project & team setup

• Data preparation, cleansing & visualization

• Modeling the essence

• Validation

• Change management

• Presenting for high impact

• …

• Business analytics is a process; not a single analysis

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Decision Making with Business Analytics

Goals:

• Holistic view on Business Analytics.

• Advanced BA models/methods for

Decision Making.

• State-of-the art BA software.

Contents:

• Decision making under uncertainty

• Prescriptive analytics:

• Issues of scale I: Prescriptive analytics on huge data sets;

• Skill or luck: Analyzing performance in a random environment;

• Text as data: Text mining and sentiment analysis.

• Predictive analytics:

• Simulation and risk analysis: Evaluating risk on complex systems;

• Issues of scale II: Finding large scale analytics models, optimization issues;

• Important modelling issues, validation / verification, and the Impact of Big Data.

Electives

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• The remaining core course

• Finance Analytics :

• Asset Liability Management

• Marketing Analytics:

• Customer Analytics

• Market assessment

• Econometrics and Mathematical

Economics:

• Core courses of the MSc

EME

• Business Analytics:

• Business Analytics & Emerging

Trends

• LNMB courses (only MSc and not

PhD level):

• Scheduling

• Advanced Linear Programming

• Queueing Theory

• Discrete Optimization

Schedule: February entry point

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Master

Thesis

Professional Business Analytics

SkillsData Science

2 ENTRY POINTS: September and February

Unit 1 (Aug -

Oct)Unit 2 (Oct - Dec) Unit 3 (Jan -

Mar)

Unit 4 (Mar -

Jun)

SimulationDecision

Making

with Buss. Anal.

Optimization

Supply Chain

Analytics

Elective

Elective

Schedule: September entry point

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Master

Thesis ?

Data Science

2 ENTRY POINTS: September and February

Unit 1 (Aug -

Oct)Unit 2 (Oct - Dec) Unit 3 (Jan -

Mar)

Unit 4 (Mar -

Jun)

Simulation

Master

Thesis

Decision

Making

with Buss. Anal.

Optimization

Elective

Elective

Supply Chain

Analytics

Examples of Master Thesis topics

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Smarter decision making using math and data

Optimal cancer treatment

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Frank Steenbergen

Objective

Find optimal radiation plan such that

- tumor is targeted

- healthy organs are spared

Techniques

Nonlinear and robust optimization

Optimal food supply for hungry people

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Koen Peters

Riley Badenbroek

Objective

Find optimal food supply plan such that

- daily meals satisfy nutritional requirements

- total logistics costs are minimized

Techniques

Mixed integer linear optimization, conic optimization, robust

Optimal flood protection

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Chris Pustjens

Objective

Find optimal set of flood protection measures such that

- safety norms are satisfied

- total costs are minimized

Techniques

Integer optimization, shortest path, predictive analytics

Optimal shift planning of Air Traffic Controllers

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Dori van Hulst

Objective

Find optimal shift planning such that

- all types of restrictions are satisfied

- total costs of under- and overcapacity are minimized

Techniques

Mixed integer optimization, robust optimization

Optimal manpower planning

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Eline Slijkhuis

Objective

Find optimal manpower planning such that

- all types of restrictions are satisfied

- total contract costs are minimized

Techniques

Mixed integer optimization, predictive analytics

Big data for network optimization

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Ioannis Zempekakis

Objective

How to use Big Data in facility location optimization?

Techniques

Predictive analytics, Big Data techniques

Mixed Integer Optimization

Optimal refinery planning

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Harmen Boersma

Objective

Find production plan such that

- all types of restrictions are satisfied

- profit is maximized

Techniques

Nonconvex optimization

Optimal energy planning in Smart Grids

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Robin Swinkels

Objective

Find optimal production/storage plan such that

- demand of heat/gas can be satisfied

- total costs are minimized

Techniques

Linear optimization, robust optimization, predictive analytics

Job opportunities

A lot of opportunities:

• Consultant at a BA/OR center or department of a large firm

• Management consulting

• Management support (manufacturing, service)

• Application providers (SAP, Quintiq, etc.)• Application builders• Solution builders• Implementers

• Research institutes (TNO, Deltares, …)

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Job opportunities in academia

• PDEng program “Data Science”

• 2 years, with salary

• Joint program with TU/e

• In monastery “Marienburg”, Den Bosch

• Getting a PhD

• 2nd year of Research Master program

• 3 years PhD

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Many career opportunities

BA/OR consultants

BA/OR departments

BA/OR software

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Job descriptions

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Some job descriptions of recent graduates:

Supply Chain Consultant OM Partners

Implementation Consultant ORTEC

Life Cycle Management Analyst Philips Healthcare

Optimization Algorithm Expert Quintiq

Quantitative Analyst Rabobank Nederland

Quantitative Researcher Robeco

Consultant Quintiq

Supply Chain Consultant ORTEC

Risk Manager Cardano

Supply Chain Specialist Bavaria

Consultant Fabory Group

Data Scientist Greenhouse

OR Specialist Dutch Railways

Consultation for CV and job-

applicationsIndividual guidance

Training, courses & workshops

Career events

Student Career Services and ASSET Econometrics offer

Available at information fair!

We help you on your way

Application deadlines vary (2 entry points: Dutch, EEA & NON-

EEA)

We offer SCHOLARSHIPS, see webpage

We REPLY IN 2-3 WEEKS after you apply to our program

Tilburg University students: BA Econometrics

Other university students: Any BA with Strong Math/OR

background

Premaster option: If insufficient

background,

max 5 Pre-Master coursesSee https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/education/masters-programmes/econometrics/application/ for specific requirements!

Admissions

Register in Studielink for:

Operations Research / Management Science

Questions?

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More information at the fair

Also, at home:

msc-econometricsprograms-

tisem@uvt.nl