Case Article—Swirltubs After-Market Product Inventory and Service Case

Michael F. Gorman ()
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Michael F. Gorman: Department of MIS, Operations and Analytics, University of Dayton School of Business, Dayton, Ohio 45469

INFORMS Transactions on Education, 2023, vol. 23, issue 3, 149-151

Abstract: In the Swirltubs case, students apply expected value decision making to a knapsack problem for appliance repairmen. The case is based on a published research paper on work that was actually implemented for a major appliance manufacturer. The case features three parts: (1) problem understanding and definition; (2) optimization results for a small, test problem; and (3) creation and testing of a heuristic for a large-scale implementation that exceeds the limits of Microsoft Excel®. Optionally, an instructor can add risk-analysis simulation and reoptimization under uncertainty in subsequent parts of the project, making it a total of five parts. The case is highly interactive, owing to the relatively unstructured nature of the problem. I have implemented the case over a two- and three-week period format, with upper-level master’s in business administration or master’s in analytics students who have been exposed previously to optimization methods. It has been administered to dozens of students with generally positive feedback.

Keywords: developing analytical skills; developing communication skills; group projects; spreadsheet modeling; teaching optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orited:v:23:y:2023:i:3:p:149-151

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