The Decision Intelligence Lab

The Decision Intelligence Lab
Podcast Description
The Decision Intelligence Lab explores practical challenges of applying data science, analytics, and AI to drive real-world business outcomes.
Hosted by Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University) and Prof. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco) — both seasoned entrepreneurs, consultants, and researchers — this podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, & anyone seeking to leverage data for smarter decision making. Each episode features leaders sharing how smarter decisions are reshaping business and technology. Subscribe to join the conversation.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes like the impact of AI on engineering education, the factors that lead to data science project failures, and risk management in AI projects. Specific episodes have discussed topics such as the importance of resiliency in engineering, organizational maturity's role in data science success, and frameworks for risk mitigation like the Princeton 20.

The Decision Intelligence Lab explores practical challenges of applying data science, analytics, and AI to drive real-world business outcomes.
Hosted by Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University) and Prof. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco) — both seasoned entrepreneurs, consultants, and researchers — this podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, & anyone seeking to leverage data for smarter decision making. Each episode features leaders sharing how smarter decisions are reshaping business and technology. Subscribe to join the conversation.
In this episode of the Decision Intelligence Laboratory podcast, Borja Menéndez, Lead Operations Research Engineer at Trucksters who also earned his PhD in OR, joins us to discuss his journey into the field of operations research, the impact of his work at Trucksters, and the importance of integrating data science with traditional optimization methods. He shares insights on the relay optimization problem, the challenges of implementing algorithms in logistics, and the significance of user-centric design in developing effective solutions. Borja also reflects on the transition of his blog, Feasible, to a paid model and the future of operations research in the context of Gen.AI.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Operations Research and Borja Menendez
01:14 The Journey into Operations Research
04:39 Real-World Applications of Operations Research
07:03 Understanding Trucksters and Relay Optimization
12:48 Challenges in Relay Optimization
16:21 Non-Technical Aspects of Implementing OR
20:15 Testing and Quality Assurance in Optimization Models
25:22 User-Centric Design in Optimization Solutions
27:47 Transitioning to a Paid Model for Feasible
29:32 Integrating Data Science with Operations Research
35:52 The Future of Operations Research and Gen.AI
Follow the show
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-decision-intelligence-lab/id1811085064
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0lFoAVKqJHTYSZNpeN61ou?si=0ae973aab0174b3b
Check out Borja Menéndez’s Newsletter: https://www.feasible.club/
Connect with guest
Borja Menéndez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borjamenendezmoreno/
Connect with hosts
Prof. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco): https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-mehrotra-ba9498/
Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University): https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-watson-07600a1
About the podcast
The Decision Intelligence Lab podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, and anyone seeking to leverage data & AI for smarter decision-making & successful business outcomes.
For business inquiries, email at [email protected]

Disclaimer
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