Each spring at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering teams of Management Science seniors perform consulting projects for local industry, government, and non-profit organizations. The objective of their EMIS 4395 Senior Design course is to put into practice the quantitative decision-modeling methods that they have been studying, as a preview of life after graduation.
Under the direction of their supervising professor, these groups typically:
- Meet with client organizations to define and scope a project
- Design solution approaches
- Collect empirical data
- Develop and implement models
- Test and validate the models
- Apply the models to the empirical data
- Draw conclusions and prepare recommendations for their clients
Typical deliverables to the client are:
- A final report
- Formal presentation
- Any software created and data gathered
- Benchmarking
- System engineering and design
- Financial engineering
- Decision-support systems
- Economic analyses
- Business process modeling
Client responsibilities:
- Have suitable semester project involving mathematical
or statistical modeling
- Have time to meet with team
- Provide helpful feedback
Example Topic Areas
- Optimization models
- Computer-based simulation models
- Forecasting models
- Decision analysis applications
- Supply-chain management
- Distribution & logistics systems
- Network optimization
- Integrated production and distribution models
- Facilities location and layout
- Non-repetitive operations methods: job-lot manufacturing, aggregate scheduling, job sequencing and scheduling
- Repetitive operations management: line-balancing techniques, queuing/waiting lines
- Project Management
- Inventory/materials management
- MRP systems
- Just-in-time systems
- Quality management/control
- Statistical quality control
- Process improvement and cycle time reduction