Uplifting Customer Experience: AI in Retail and Agriculture

🤝 Ready to network, learn, and talk about AI in retail? Join us at the upcoming IKEA x PyData Amsterdam meetup, on February 20th at 17.30 at Ingka Group Digital Hub Amshult (Danzigerkade 15B, 1013 AP Amsterdam). It’s going to be an exciting and insightful event where Arturo Perez Rivera will share how he harnessed mathematical optimization and data science to elevate IKEA’s operation from cash-and-carry to omnichannel retailing, and Ezgi Yildirim will share how she tackled and overcame challenges of IKEA’s recommendation system. Lastly, Saheli De will share how to optimize greenhouse farming.

Schedule
17.30 - 18.25: Welcome (🍕 & 🍺)
18.25 - 19.00: Transforming IKEA’s delivery logistics using mathematical optimization and data science, by Arturo Perez Rivera
19.00 - 19.30: Real-Time Personalized Product Recommendations at IKEA Digital: Challenges, Innovations, and the Future, by Ezgi Yildirim
19.30 - 19.45: Break
19.45 - 20.15: Smart Growing for Greenhouses, by Saheli De
20.15 - 21.00: Networking / drinks

Talk 1: Transforming IKEA’s delivery logistics using mathematical optimization and data science, by Arturo Perez Rivera

IKEA is on a journey from cash-and-carry to omnichannel retailing. This movement allows us to meet customers in diverse (digital) touchpoints and to fulfill their needs in differentiated and personalized ways. However, it also challenges us to orchestrate our fulfillment logistics differently and to balance new performance tradeoffs. In this talk, we will explore how mathematical optimization and data science play a pivotal role in tackling those challenges. We will delve into real-world examples of how optimization algorithms combined with data science and analytics are reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction for home deliveries. Additionally, we will discuss the technical and change-management challenges of implementing these technologies. We will conclude with a discussion on the emerging trends shaping the future of our logistics driven by data science solutions.

Arturo Perez Rivera is a Data & Analytics Leader in the Fulfilment & Core Services domain in IKEA Retail (Ingka Group), where he leads various teams of data scientists, analysts and engineers. He has experience in the optimization of logistics processes through data science and software development in diverse industries. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. He is always up for a coffee and a conversation about optimizing the physical world using digital technologies.

Talk 2: Real-Time Personalized Product Recommendations at IKEA Digital: Challenges, Innovations, and the Future, by Ezgi Yildirim

IKEA Digital is integral to IKEA's success, with its Product Recommendation enhancing the shopping journey through diverse recommendation types tailored to various stages. A key challenge is delivering real-time personalized predictions, where short response times play a crucial role in effectiveness. This talk explores how IKEA Digital has moved beyond offline recommendations to enable real-time personalization. It also emphasizes the mission to provide an omnichannel, seamless, and intuitive experience that satisfies customers at every touchpoint. Finally, it discusses the future of recommendations, offering insights into the innovations that will shape IKEA’s customer experience in the years ahead.

Ezgi is a Senior Data Scientist specializing in personalization, particularly in product recommendations. With experience spanning telecommunications, gaming, electronics, and retail, she has always been driven by a passion for enhancing customer experiences through engineering and technology. Ezgi holds a PhD in Recommender Systems and thrives on bringing ideas to life in production environments, where challenges and constraints spark creativity and drive innovative, realistic solutions.

Talk3: Smart Growing for Greenhouses, by Saheli De

Find out how Blue Radix uses AI to optimize greenhouse farming, enabling growers to produce more with fewer resources. I will also discuss about the structure of Dutch greenhouses, known for their high-tech climate control, and share some quick tips on time-series modeling.

Saheli De is a Senior Data Scientist at Blue Radix, a company specializing in autonomous growing solutions for greenhouses. In 2024, she was honoured as a Top 3 finalist for the 'AI Impact Maker' award by Women in AI (WAI) Netherlands, recognizing her significant contributions to the AI community. Beyond her role at Blue Radix, she organizes monthly meet-ups featuring speakers from various countries and organizations and mentors aspiring data scientists, particularly young women in the field.

Directions

Address:
Ingka Group Digital Hub Amshult
Danzigerkade 15B, 1013 AP Amsterdam

Ingka Group Digital Hub Amshult is located 3.5km from Amsterdam Central Station. If you are taking public transportation, the closest options are:

• 4min walk from the bus stop Koivistokade (line 48), or
• 12 min walk from the bus stop Spaarndammerstraat (line 22).

There is parking spots at IKEA's office, and it costs €5 per hour for visitors. There is also the Minerva car park which is very close, slightly cheaper (€4.50 per hour).