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ORTEC introduces the third issue of the valued Data and AI in the Boardroom magazine. An ORTEC magazine to support senior executives to cope with the challenges, opportunities and risks of data and artificial intelligence, enhancing decision-making to secure long-term, sustainable growth in today's fast-changing world.
Volkert Engelsman is CEO of Eosta, which imports, packages and distributes organic and fair-trade products in Europe and beyond. This multinational company represents more than a thousand growers from six continents and believes firmly that the foods and agriculture industries require an urgent overhaul in terms of health, social inclusion and environmental impact: “As things are, we’re losing 30 soccer fields of fertile land every minute due to intensive farming practices. We believe there’s a different way.” To help make the right decisions, data are of crucial importance. Engelsman and ORTEC’s Frans van Helden sit down to chat about the importance of data, and more.
Interview with Volkert Engelsman, CEO Eosta
Over the past century, business have made huge improvements when it comes to optimal and cost-efficient planning, as well the organization of processes. However, efficient processes alone won’t solve the challenges of the current world. Demands and needs are changing; as a result, the traditional performance indicators are currently out-competed by other ones, such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and impact on the SDGs. The puzzle is becoming a more difficult one to solve. Businesses will need to adopt new ways to thrive, and maybe even to survive. Data and mathematics can help to solve the puzzle, but that means data and AI need a place in the boardroom.
“If you have to deliver between one and two million parcels per day, you need prediction models.”
PostNL has four guiding principles in its sustainability transition: CO2 reduction, livability, transparency and transformation, together with both customers and colleagues. Rogier Havelaar, who is responsible for sustainability at PostNL’s largest business unit, identifies three logistics trends: urbanization, new customer demands and data. The company has already been innovating at the intersection between sustainability and business for some time now: “Our targets are aligned with the provisions enshrined in the Paris Agreement; the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has officially established this. We also stated last year that we wanted to accelerate our greening process, and we are investing an additional 80 million euros for that purpose.”
Interview with Rogier Havelaar, Head of Sustainability Parcels & Logistics
Rianne Langenberg, Business Strategist at ORTEC, argues that algorithms should be treated somewhat like human employees by having the organization and management monitor whether they’re doing their job properly. She outlines five factors that, when done properly, will make it possible to manage algorithms. At the same time, she’s fully aware that life has to be made as easy as possible for human employees: “Algorithms are often new for senior management. We want to make them more accessible by giving them a familiar face. Our approach is anything but new: it’s a rejigged version of a system that most companies are thoroughly familiar with.”
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about technologies that allegedly reinforce inequality, as evidenced by books on algorithms like Weapons of Math Destruction. Discussions about facial recognition software that does not recognize non-white people and major issues such as the Dutch benefits scandal have taken center stage in this debate - and rightly so. The reputation of ‘the algorithm’, it seems, has taken a hit. Undeservedly so, if you were to ask Gerrit Timmer: “Algorithms pave the way for objectivity, giving us the opportunity to move in the right direction.”
An interview with Gerrit Timmer, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at ORTEC
Ever since Richard Emmerink got his PhD in transport economics, he has had an undying love for all things transport. After building his career at road transport companies, he had a change of heart and transitioned to the world of air traffic three years ago, becoming director of Strategy and Airport Planning at Royal Schiphol Group. Together with his team, Emmerink is exploring what future airports should look like. “We cover everything from runways, gates and terminals to air-rail substitution and hyperloops.” After all, Emmerink et al. are driven by the ambition to make future airports, and preferably all of European aviation, as sustainable as possible. He also believes that you should show that you mean business. “It’s important that your personal ambitions are in line with those of the company. If they’re not, you’re at the wrong company.”
Interview with Richard Emmerink, Director of Strategy and Airport Planning at Schiphol
On 29th of November ORTEC organizes a webinar to explore how major manufacturing companies such as Saint-Gobain and Heineken use ORTEC's solutions to increase their truck utilization, lower shipment costs, and improve their customers' experience. Subscribe now.
Date: November 29, 2022
Time: 11:00 – 11:30
Location: Online Microsoft Teams event
Together we can achieve more. This is evident from ORTEC's relationship with Achmea and the impact we make together. In 2019, we started an enterprise-wide data and analytics program to find an answer to Achmea's main question: "We're creating a lot of value with data & analytics, but how can we do so in a more scalable way?" This leads us to answering more in-depth questions such as:
In this article we share the success factors that we have jointly learned along the way: 6 tips for scalable impact with analytics.
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An interview between Achmea & ORTEC: Arjan Juurlink, Manager Data, Information Management and Architecture at Achmea, Marc Hoetink, Senior Manager BI Delivery at Achmea, and Rianne Langenberg, Business Strategist and Creative Changemaker at ORTEC.
* Achmea is one of the largest suppliers of financial services - mainly insurance - in the Netherlands.
Next to commercial environments, business analytics can also solve problems that exist in humanitarian fields. In fact, it's making a substantial contribution to reducing hunger: the use of analytics has saved $150 million so far; enough to feed two million people for a year.
In this interview with Hein Fleuren, professor of Applied Business Analytics and Operations Research at Tilburg University, we take look at how analytics adresses the world food problem and other possible applications in the field of humanitarian aid.
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In the 'Three questions for...' series, we’re asking leading scientists in data, technology, and artificial intelligence how science can contribute to today’s challenges. Together with you, we aim to discover how we can turn theory into practice, making use of scientific research to make the world a better place.