Awards
- First Prize: $7,500
- Second Prize: $5,000
- Third Prize: $3,500
- Fourth Prize: $1,500
- Fifth Prize: $1,000
- Honorable Mention: $500 (3 prizes)
Winners will also receive award certificates for each team member and for the school. In addition, each finalist team will receive a $2,500 stipend to offset the cost of conference registration and travel for team members who present at the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference.
Judging Criteria
The written report your team provides in this entry form is the foundation of your entry. Entries will be judged on use of the full analytics process - incorporating not only the technical analysis and solution, but also understanding of the business problem, team organization, and the clarity and effectiveness of communication. Think of this report as a presentation to Syngenta's upper management on the critical elements in the analytics decision process.
The overall challenge is to identify patterns in the data that identify elite experimental varieties and expose the non-elite varieties prior to commercialization. Your team’s solution will be compared with actual observed sales for 2016. Entries will be judged by the clarity of the solution, the technical strength of the methodology, the uniqueness of the approach, the degree to which the data support your conclusions, and written presentation.
The following are the main criteria and weighting judges will consider when evaluating your entry:
Quality of Solution (40 points)
- The report identifies patterns in the data that identify elite experimental varieties and expose the non-elite varieties prior to commercialization.
- The problem is clearly defined. Objectives and tradeoffs are addressed and weighed.
- The report proposes a solution that makes sense and adds value to Syngenta. The report assesses how well the solution meets the criteria of the stakeholders. The analysis assesses how sensitive the solution is to assumptions and data.
Methodology/Modeling (40 points)
- Data used in the model have been collected, cleaned and analyzed correctly.
- The methodology(ies) used for solving the problem is(are) reasonable and appropriate.
- The model has been clearly formulated, with decision variables and parameters defined. The model formulation is correct and applicable to the problem.
- Simplifying assumptions made in the model are clearly stated, reasonable, and assessed.
Quality of Presentation (20 points)
- The report is cleanly written (few typos; few distracting grammatical hiccups; appendices, tables and figures are well-labeled and easy to read).
- The writing is coherent, fluid, and has a clear structure.
- All sources are credited.
- The Executive Summary is appropriately written for the target audience (Syngenta executives).
- The team makeup and process are clearly described so that the reader can understand the division of labor and workflow of the project.
Finalist Selection, Presentation and Judging
Eight finalist teams will be selected from the written entries. Finalists will make oral presentations during a competition session at the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference, April 2-4, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV. Judges will evaluate teams’ presentation skills in addition to the strength of the written entries. They will consider factors such as:
- Clarity and effectiveness of communication
- Visual aids and use of visualization
- Materials and handouts
- Handling and completeness of responses to judges’ questions
All finalist presentations will be videotaped so the presentations can be shared.