Workshop: Optimization Modeling with MPL

Maximal Software will be hosting a half-day workshop, Optimization Modeling with MPL: Integrating Optimization in Real-World Business Applications, on the day before the INFORMS Conference on OR/MS Practice - Applying Science to the Art of Business, Sunday April 25, 2004. The purpose of the workshop is to provide participants with an insightful overview and give step-by-step instructions for successfully building optimization applications.

The speakers for the workshop, Bjarni Kristjansson, Dr. Robin Lougee-Heimer, and Dr. Gene Ramsay, who all have decades of experience in this field, will take you through all the steps of an optimization project using powerful optimization tools from Maximal Software, ILOG, IBM and ARKI Consulting..

Optimization technologies have become key tools in making important business decisions that increase competitive advantage. Optimization, through the use of advanced mathematics and computer science techniques, is used to assist organizations with solving their complex business problems in areas such as manufacturing, distribution, finance, and scheduling. The success of optimization projects depends on many different factors such as which modeling tools are used, integration with corporate data, and the selection of the most efficient solution algorithms available for the problem.

Software Used
The workshop is designed to give the participants hands-on experience with industrial-strength optimization and modeling tools including:

• MPL Modeling System and OptiMax 2000 from Maximal Software
• CPLEX Solver from ILOG
• OSL Solver from IBM
• CONOPT Solver from ARKI Consulting
• Microsoft ACCESS and EXCEL

Benefits
The purpose of the workshop is to show how optimization models can be brought together into business applications. At the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to develop their own optimization models, link them to data sources and solve the models using state-of-the-art industrial-strength solvers. Participants will also acquire a good working knowledge on how to embed optimization models into applications.

By attending this workshop you will be able to:

• Identify the best use of optimization techniques and how to deploy them.
• Prepare and import data from different sources for optimization
• Identify which solvers works best for your optimization problem
• Gain a realistic view on the use of optimization for business applications
• Build your own embedded optimization applications.

Attendance is free for registered conference participants but the cost for non-conference participants is $750. To register, please check the appropriate box on the INFORMS registration form or send an email to info@maximalsoftware.com. Please register early as seating is limited and is on a first-come first-serve basis.

Workshop Schedule - Optimization Modeling in MPL

1:00 - 2:00 Introduction to Optimization Modeling and Solving     (Bjarni Kristjansson)

• Current state-of-the-art in optimization and modeling
• Introduction to the MPL Modeling System
• Fundamental modeling techniques and model development
• Formulating models with the MPL Modeling Language
• Solving models with CPLEX and CONOPT
• Tuning solvers for better performance

2:00 - 2:20 Coffee break

2:20 - 3:20 Advanced Modeling Techniques     (Dr. Robin Lougee-Heimer)

• Tricks of the trade: Formulate MIP models for efficient solution times
• Formulating logical conditions with binary variables
• Using preprocessing to improve performance on large and difficult models

3:20 - 3:50 Connecting to Databases and Spreadsheets     (Bjarni Kristjansson)

• Advanced data modeling techniques
• Connecting MPL to Databases
• Connecting MPL to Excel spreadsheets
• Scalability and speed issues for models with very large data sets
• Advanced indexing techniques for sparse data

3:50 - 4:10 Coffee break

4:10 - 5:00 Using MS/OR Techniques in Supply-Chain Management     (Dr. Gene Ramsey)

• What are the challenges in doing Supply Chain Management
• How can MS/OR help you make better decisions
• Case study: Using MPL to address Supply Chain Network design problems

5:00 - 6:00 Embedding and Deploying Optimization in Applications     (Bjarni Kristjansson)

• Tools and methods for embedding optimization in applications
• Demonstration of optimization applications
• Introduction to OptiMax 2000 Component Library with Excel and Visual Basic
• Creating your own embedded optimization application step-by-step
• Optimization on the Internet and Web services

Workshop Presenters

Dr. Robin Lougee-Heimer, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center

Robin Lougee-Heimer is a Research Staff Member in the Mathematical Sciences Department at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. As an industrial researcher, Dr. Lougee-Heimer is charged with both conducting basic research and supporting IBM's businesses. Her main research interest is in developing efficient solutions to large-scale discrete optimization problems arising in industry. Since joining IBM Research in 1993, Dr. Lougee-Heimer has contributed to the core technology, design, and implementation of a variety of decision support systems for IBM manufacturing. Her algorithms and models have been embedded in tools ranging from prototypes that analyze the load balancing of ion implanting machines to production systems that assess the supply- demand capability of IBM's worldwide manufacturing supply chain.

Dr. Gene Ramsay, ProfitPoint Inc.

Dr. Gene Ramsay is a Planning and Scheduling Specialist with Profit Point Inc. He has both developed and used supply chain network design software in industries as varied as natural gas distribution, beverage production and maritime shipping. His projects have been for clients with concerns as varied as reloads, crossdocks, reverse logistics (return of used containers) and container capacities that vary depending on the type of product carried. He received his Ph. D. from the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.

Bjarni Kristjansson, Maximal Software, Inc.

Bjarni Kristjansson is the president and founder of Maximal Software, Inc., a leading vendor of optimization modeling software. Maximal Software is the developer of the MPL Modeling System; an algebraic modeling language that allows the user to formulate complicated optimization models quickly and easily. Maximal Software also provides the OptiMax 2000 Component Library, which allows MPL models to be easily embedded into end-user applications. Bjarni Kristjansson has many years of practical experience providing innovative solutions, especially in regards to integrating optimization with wide range of information technologies and business applications.

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