Disruptive Intelligent Operations

--- Please come to the Wilder room at the Marriott Marquis level 4.

We are excited to host our first Meetup for this group. Exciting discussions and talks about AI driven mass decisions, the implication of data driven optimisations using reinforcement learning approaches. The first session will be a tutorial on reinforcement learning, and how to apply it to business problems discussion to help understand the opportunities and challenges of AI. Professor Michael Feindt founder of Blue Yonder, a leader in Retail automated Decision Making will give us a short talk about the importance of probabilistic frameworks in decision making. Finally, we will have a panel session for an open discussion about challenges and opportunities of AI in Retail. This is an opportunity to network together, feel free to bring guests. Unfortunately, Spaces are limited, on first come basis.

SCHEDULE

5:30: Drinks and Pizza
5:45: Welcome/Intro
5:50: Tutorial: The use of reinforcement learning for process optimisation.
6:20: Michael Feindt: AI driven mass decisions in retail
6:50: Panel Discussion and Networking, opportunities and challenges of intelligent operations in retail.
7:10: Refreshments and Networking

In the tutorial we will explain the importance of process optimisation in the retail sector, drawing from examples from other sectors. We will explain the use of reinforcement learning as a framework for optimisation. We will show a real case study in work force management for optimising decision making.

Bio: Rafik Salama is the head of data science in REPL, a lead consulting firm in the retail sector. Rafik comes from a mixed background of computer science, physics, mathematics. He has a led research career in the university of Oxford, Cambridge, publishing various papers in nature. Rafik has worked across the financial, health, energy, and retail sector. Prior to REPL, he lead the data science team for a government research in the energy to boost the SME energy market. In addition to his role at REPL, he is also a visiting scientist in the university of Oxford

Michael Feindt: AI driven mass decisions in retail

Blue Yonder stands for robust probabilistic machine learning and data driven decision optimisation and automation, packaged into consumable scaling narrow-AI products for retailers running in the cloud, made in Germany and having developed from long and deep experience in High Energy Physics. To fully profit from these products requires a massive change in the culture of decision making in companies. After the recent acquisition by jda the Blue Yonder technology will be distributed worldwide and widened both the complete supply chain up to the manufacturer and down to the end-customer. The underlying moonshot vision is the autonomous supply chain, leading to a much improved efficiency, less waste and independent of human biases.

Bio: Prof. Dr. Michael Feindt is the brain behind Blue Yonder, market leaders in AI in retail. Blue Yonder, is powered by Michael’s Neuro Bayes algorithm, developed during his many years of scientific research at CERN, which enables retailers to automate complex decisions across the entire value chain. With AI embedded into their supply chain and merchandising processes, retailers can respond quicker to changing market conditions and customer dynamics, boosting revenues and increasing margins. In addition to his role at Blue Yonder, Michael is also a professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, and a lecturer at the Data Science Academy.