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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
There is a lot of scarcity at the moment, it is a general trend. Scarcity in goods and workforce shortages are impacting many industries. The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated staff shortages. Companies initially saw a sharp drop in demand and downsized their staff as a result. The problem is, demand has increased and they need personnel to meet that demand. Employees have moved on to do other things, as they did in the hospitality industry. And they don't just come back.
Interview with Goos Kant, Managing Partner at ORTEC and professor of Logistics Optimization at Tilburg University & Jheronimus Academy of Data Science. This is a complementary article to The Valuable impact of sharing data in times of scarcity.
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 a look at analytics with regards to 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.
September 19, 2022
ORTEC`s Data Science & Consulting department in the Netherlands has partnered with Stichting Present. Thanks to over 150 employees joining this initiative, we are spending about 450 hours on voluntary work with a social impact throughout the Netherlands. It’s a win-win: to spend some time with those who could use some help in some way, is very rewarding and a way to contribute to a more livable society. For some of the people in need, it can make a big difference.
Zoetermeer, The Netherlands: A new release of ORTEC Routing and Dispatch will be available by the end of 2022. The new release will deliver feature enhancements for improved planning, optimization, and data analytics.
Support for Windows 2022, an improved carrier portal and cloud maps make this an exciting release.
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.
Over the past century, businesses 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 today’s world. Because demands and needs are changing, traditional performance indicators are now being outcompeted by others, such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and impact on Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs) The puzzle of success is becoming more challenging. Businesses will need to adopt new methods to thrive, and perhaps even to survive. Data and mathematics can help to solve the puzzle; fortunately, there is always more than one button that businesses can push.
An interview with Patrick Hennen, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at ORTEC.
August 1, 2022
To advance the state-of-the-art in vehicle routing, ORTEC initiates the EURO Meets NeurIPS 2022 Vehicle Routing Competition. This is a unique and challenging routing competition as it’s seeking to unite Operations Research and Machine Learning; those normally exist alongside each other. Today, on August 1, the code submission platform opens.
In the title of my 1993 dissertation, I used the word “algorithm”. Few people knew the term back then, but today everyone does, and with that it seems to represent something untrustworthy: algorithms are opaque, discriminatory, and might even bring you into discredit. Just think of the Dutch childcare benefits scandal that has vilified so many innocent parents in the Netherlands. But do we really know what algorithms are?
An article by Goos Kant, Managing Partner at ORTEC and Professor of Logistics Optimization. This article is based on an article that was originally published in Nederlands Dagblad on July 18, 2022.