Andrea is a CONFIRM PhD student based in University College Cork.
“Have an open mind! Join new challenges and get involved as much as you can.”
Tell us a bit about your research...
My research focuses on inventory control policies when there is uncertainty in demand. They are used by a company to decide when to order material from the suppliers and the size of the order. The goal of a policy is to be able to satisfy the demand of the customers with minimum costs. My work includes the uncertainty of future demand. This allows to represent better real-world problems, where generally it is not possible to know the futures sales with certainty.
Ordering a high amount of products guarantees to satisfy future demands, but it leads to high storage costs and the risk that the material will not be sold. On the contrary, maintaining a low inventory in stock can lead to losing sales if more customers than expected try to buy the product. Our solutions try to balance these two approaches.
Could your research be of benefit to society in any way?
The recent crises put a considerable stress into the supply chains, especially the food ones. Better algorithms can lead to more robust logistic systems, that will deal better with unforeseen demands.
What did you study as an Undergraduate?
I have a Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Padua (Italy).
I completed an MSc with Hons in Computer Engineering from the same university. I did the second year of my Master at UCC through the Erasmus program.
I joined a PhD program in 2015 at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics (UCC). I discussed my PhD thesis a few weeks ago.
What made you decide to go into research?
The possibility and the freedom of working in lot of different projects and learn different skills.
Most of our work is a personal challenge, looking for better ways to solve problems. It is like solving puzzles for work!
What do you enjoy most about being a PhD Student?
The people. I met and worked alongside brilliant and kind minds. Our office is a wonderful mix of cultures.
I loved the University environment. UCC offers a wide range of extracurricular activities that strongly contributes to my years in Cork.
Do you have any advice for someone who is thinking about a career or research in STEM?
Have an open mind! Join new challenges and get involved as much as you can.
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