Awards
Monetary awards will be granted to up to 6 finalist teams.
First Prize: $7,500
Second Prize: $5,000
Third Prize: $3,500
Honorable Mention: $1,000 (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 travel for team members who present at the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference. Conference registration will be provided for up to 5 student members per finalist team.
Judging Criteria
The written report your team provides in the 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 GM's upper management on the critical elements in the analytics decision process.
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 problem is clearly defined.
- Objectives and tradeoffs are addressed and weighed.
- The report proposes a solution that makes sense and adds value to GM. 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.
- The report presents a clear methodology.
- The report presents a justification for its procedure.
- The proposed solution can be executed efficiently.
Quality of Report (20 points)
- The report is clearly written (few typos; few distracting grammatical errors; 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 (GM 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, Oral Presentation and Judging
Six 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 14-16, 2019 in Austin, TX. Judging will be based on both the written report and the team's oral presentation. With respect to the oral presentation, judges 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.