Bachelor's and Master's Seminar

The topics in the upcoming wintersemester 2024/25 of the seminars will be as follows:

Bachelor seminar: “Online order batching and picking in manual picker-to-parts warehouses”

Master seminar: “Advanced topics in online order batching”

The topics of our bachelor and master seminar in this term are closely interrelated, which offers potential for additional interesting discussions.

Please note that our Bachelor's and Master's seminars are held in English and that both the presentations and the seminar paper must be written in English.

1. Investigating storage location assignment policies
2. Order picking under multi-location storage systems
3. Studying the effects of dynamic batch updates
4. Exploring suitable scenarios for different time-window methods

Bachelor:

1. Interest in quantitative methods.
2. Ability to understand optimization models and to set up own optimization models as well as basic understanding of algorithms. These skills, for instance, are taught in the courses “Fundamentals of Management Science” and “Supply Chain & Operations Management”.
3. Fluent reading of texts in English, which will be the language of this seminar

Master:

1. Interest in quantitative methods.
2. Ability to understand optimization models and to set up own optimization models as well as basic understanding of algorithms. These skills, for instance, are taught in the courses “Fundamentals of Business Analytics” and “Advanced Topics in Management Science”.
3. Fluent reading of texts in English, which will be the language of this seminar

​​​​​​Kick-off event:

The kick-off event will take place on Friday 28.06.2024 from 10 - 12 a.m. in room HK12 SR001. 

Meetings:

1. Meeting: Topics and tasks (Mid october)

   • Presentation of topics, round of introductions, selection of topics and groups

   • Tips for writing a good scientific paper

2. Meeting: Interim presentation (Mid november)

   • Interim presentation

   • Presentations, project timelines, feedback session, tips on academic presentation.

3.  Termin: Question and answer session (Early december)

   • Question and answer session/presenting work progress

   • Time for consultation

4.  Termin: Final presentation (Mid/End january)

   • 15 min. presentation, peer reviews

Submission of the seminar paper: penultimate week of lectures

Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, represents the integration of digital and physical systems in industrial environments. A key component of Industry 4.0 is Smart Production. Through the integration of automation, real-time data analytics, and optimized workflows, these advanced manufacturing systems enhance productivity, increase flexibility, promote sustainability, and optimize working conditions in modern production environments.  In this seminar, we will study and apply classical Operations Research concepts – such as static- and dynamic scheduling, inventory management and queuing theory; combined with advanced topics in automation, robotic planning, predictive analysis and learning techniques, which enable the concept of Smart production.

The course participants are invited to gain deep understanding of their individual research topic (a list of possible topics will be shared with the participants in advance of the seminar start) by preparing a seminar paper and presenting their findings in the final workshop of the course. Each topic will be provided with recommended literature (journal articles or book chapters) and a task sheet offering structured guidance for the own research and contributions. Assignments may include case study analyses, mathematical model development, algorithm design, queuing analysis, scenario building for predictive analytics, or programming exercises. All the topics will be processed in groups of 2-3 students. Depending on the preferences of the group, it is possible to formulate individual subtopics of the common group topic.

Sample topics Bachelor Seminar:

1. Modelling the Cannibalization of Retail Outlets.
2. Classification and Critical Assessment of the Customers’ Patronage Decision in Competitive Facility Location Problems.
3. Evidence for the Synergetic Effects of Competing Facilities Co-Location on their Market Share.

Sample topics Master Seminar:

1. Voronoi Diagrams and Their Applications in Facility Location Problems.
2. Conditional Location Problems on Networks and in the Plane.
3. Selected Heuristics for Location Models.

Bachelor:

1. Interest in quantitative methods.
2. Ability to understand optimization models and to set up own optimization models as well as basic understanding of algorithms. These skills, for instance, are taught in the courses “Fundamentals of Management Science” and “Supply Chain & Operations Management”.
3. Fluent reading of texts in English, which will be the language of this seminar

Master:

1. Interest in quantitative methods.
2. Ability to understand optimization models and to set up own optimization models as well as basic understanding of algorithms. These skills, for instance, are taught in the courses “Fundamentals of Business Analytics” and “Advanced Topics in Management Science”.
3. Fluent reading of texts in English, which will be the language of this seminar

Information meeting: 24th of January 2025, 10:00 - 12:00 pm, SR 001(HK 12)

• Topics and Tasks (1-2 weeks before beginning of the semester/ middle of April)
• Meeting 1 - Kick-off (middle of April)
  • Presentation of topics, round of introductions, selection of topics and groups
  • Tipps on how to write a good academic thesis
• Meeting 2 - Interim presentation (beginning of May)
  • Presentions, project schedules, feedback round,
  • Tipps on academic presentation
• Meeting 3 - What’s up (beginning of June)
  • Time for consultation
• Meeting 4 - Final presentation (beginning of July)
  • 15 min presentation, peer review
• Submisson of seminar paper mid July