Dr. Christian Mandl

Research Interests

  • Methods:
    • Data-Driven Optimization & Prescriptive Analytics
    • Machine Learning-Enabled Optimization 
    • Stochastic Optimization
  • Application:
    • Commodity Procurement (Link)
    • Inventory Control
    • Supply Chain Risk Management

Academic Career and Positions held

  • 2014-2019: Research assistant at the Department of Logistics and SCM (Prof. Stefan Minner), TU Munich
  • 2018: Research visit at Cornell University (Prof. Nagesh Gavirneni), Ithaca (NY), USA

Academic Education

  • 2019: Ph.D. ("Optimal Procurement and Inventory Control in Volatile Commodity Markets - Advances in Stochastic and Data-Driven Optimization"), TU Munich
  • 2014: Graduation as Master of Science (M.Sc.) at TU Munich
  • 2013-2014: Study of Heuristic and Stochastic Methods in Operations Research, Istanbul Technical University
  • 2012-2014: M.Sc. in Management and Technology (TUM-BWL) with Major in Operations, TU Munich
  • 2008-2012: B.Eng. in Industrial Engineering, Munich University of Applied Sciences

Awards

  • Master's thesis:
    • 2019:
      • Deep Learning for Procurement Optimization in Volatile Freight Markets
      • Data-driven heating oil demand forecast - A machine learning approach to the customer order pattern problem (in cooperation with LIV-T GmbH)
      • Data-Driven and Machine Learning-Inspired Procurement in Volatile Energy Markets
      • Supplier Evaluation and Selection using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Models (in cooperation with Munich Re)
    • 2018:
      • Fleet Renewal for Container Liner Shipping – A Stochastic Programming Approach (in cooperation with DTU Copenhagen)
      • Prescriptive Maintenance in Production Systems (in cooperation with KPMG IT Consulting, Awarded with GOR Master's Thesis Award)
    • 2017:
      • Optimal Inventory Control in a Data-Driven Online Retail Environment (in cooperation with Merkkur GmbH)
      • Decision Support for Tendering Contract Logistics in a Multi-Criteria Environment (in cooperation with EOS GmbH)
      • Linear Programming-based Demand-to-Site Allocation Planning in the Semiconductor Industry (in cooperation with Infineon Technologies AG)
      • Data-Driven Freight Rate Hedging under Risk Consideration
    • 2016:
      • Cost Allocation in a Cross Company Supply Chain Environment (in cooperation with Webasto)
      • Multi-Criteria Supplier Selection and Evaluation in a Start-Up Environment (in cooperation with Konux)
      • Contribution of Panel Suppliers/Life-Cycle Purchasers to Open Innovation (in cooperation with Faurecia)
      • Procurement under Markov Regime Switching Prices
    • 2015:
      • Cost Optimization of the Material Planning Process for Pre-Series Production of Car Body Parts (in cooperation with BMW Group)
      • Supplier Relationship Management in Innovation Purchasing at Faurecia - Insights from Principal-Agent Theory (in cooperation with Faurecia)


  • Bachelor's theses:
    • 2018:
      • Data-Driven Spark Spread Optimization at Gas-Fired Power Plants
      • Optimized Inventory Control in Raw Material Procurement (in cooperation with Allod GmbH)
      • Commodity Procurement from a Competition Perspective
      • Data-Driven Commodity Procurement via Financial Options and Swaps
    • 2017:
      • Analysis of the Optimal Inbound Delivery Strategy in the Home Appliance Industry (in cooperation with BSH Hausgeräte GmbH)
      • Commodity Price Risk Sharing from a Supply Chain Perspective
      • The Logistics Performance Index
      • Cooperative Game Theory in Logistics: Coalition Building and Cost Allocation
      • Sales and Operations Planning as Group Decision Processes - State-of-the-Art and New Concepts
      • Data-Driven Commodity Procurement - Application to Metal Markets
      • Optimized Data-Driven Commodity Procurement with Derivative Hedging (Awarded with GOR Thesis Award
    • 2016:
      • Optimization of a Global Supply Chain Network for Wearable High Technology Products (in cooperation with Bragi GmbH)
      • Natural Gas Procurement under Price Risk - An Analysis of International Gas Markets (in cooperation with Faurecia)
      • Optimized Inventory Control under Stochastic Prices - An Application to Fertilizer Industry (in cooperation with Proferba)
      • Supply Chain Performance Measurement with Stochastic KPI - Approaches and Applications
      • Commodity Price Modeling with Markov Regime Switching Approaches
      • Commodity Procurement under Price Uncertainty - Extensions to the Kingsman Model
    • 2015:
      • Global Market Forecast Modeling at Airbus Defence and Space (in cooperation with Airbus Defence and Space)
      • A Comparison of Sampling Strategies in Global Supply Chain Design under Uncertainty - Literature Review and Numerical Comparison
      • Screening and Evaluation of Innovations in Innovation Purchasing at Faurecia Automotive Seating (in cooperation with Faurecia)
      • Supply Chain Design in Consideration of Winner Determination in Tendering Transportation and Warehousing Services
      • Evaluation of Commodity Market Mechanisms in Europe, USA and China on the Purchase Side and Comparison of Potential Commodity Price Risk Measures Exemplified by Essential Commodities of BMW Group (in cooperation with BMW Group)
      • A System Dynamics Approach to Energy Storage Investment
      • Optimized Freight Procurement
    • 2014:
      • Die Methodik des Bundesverkehrswegeplans aus Entscheidungstheoretischer Sicht
      • Commodity Procurement under Price Uncertainty - A Purchasing Model for Selected Metals


  • Project studies:
    • 2017:
      • Footprint Optimization in the Automotive Supply Industry (in cooperation with Faurecia)
    • 2016:
      • Digital Business Models in Logistics (in cooperation with Roland Berger Strategy Consulting)
    • 2015:
      • Tax and Duty Optimized Supply Chains (in cooperation with Faurecia)
    • 2014:
      • Optimierung der Warengruppenstrategie von Dreh- und Frästeilen im Rahmen des Lieferantenmanagements bei der Kathrein-Werke KG (in cooperation with Kathrein-Werke KG)

  • Summer 2019:
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Winter 2018:
    • Stochastic Modeling & Optimization in Logistics & Operations (Master)
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Winter 2017:
    • Stochastic Modeling & Optimization in Logistics & Operations (Master)
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Summer 2017:
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Winter 2016:
    • Stochastic Modeling & Optimization in Logistics & Operations (Master)
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Summer 2016:
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Winter 2015:
    • Stochastic Modeling & Optimization in Logistics & Operations (Master)
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Summer 2015:
    • Procurement & Sourcing (Bachelor)
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)
  • Winter 2014:
    • Stochastic Modeling & Optimization in Logistics & Operations (Master)
    • Advanced Seminar in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (Master)

  • 2019
    • MSOM Annual Conference, Singapore. "Structured Data-Driven Operating Policies for Commodity Storage“.
    • POMS Annual Conference, Washington D.C., USA. "Structured Data-Driven Operating Policies for Commodity Storage“.
  • 2018
    • GOR Symposium on "Mathematical Optimization meets Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence", Bad Honnef, Germany. "Combining Mathematical Optimization and Machine Learning for Optimized Energy Procurement at BASF SE".
    • OTIM Workshop, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. "Data-Driven Reoptimization Approaches for the Stochastic Commodity Warehouse Problem“.
  • 2017
    • INFORMS Annual Meeting, Houston, USA. "Data-Driven Commodity Procurement under Price Uncertainty“ (Session Chair Finance-Operations Interface).
    • MSOM iFORM SIG Conference, Chapel Hill, USA. "When Do Commodity Spot Price Regimes Matter for Inventory Managers?".
  • 2016
    • 33. Deutscher Logistik Kongress, Berlin, Germany. "Commodity Procurement from an OR Perspective"
    • ISIR Symposium, Budapest, Hungary. "Commodity Spot Market Procurement under Hidden Markov Modulated Price Regimes". 
    • POMS Annual Conference, Orlando, USA. "Commodity Spot Market Procurement under Hidden Markov Modulated Price Regimes".
    • OSCM Seminar, TUM School of Management, Munich, Germany. "Commodity Spot Market Procurement under Hidden Markov Modulated Price Regimes"
  • 2015
    • ISIR Summer School, Hamburg, Germany. "Commodity Spot Market Procurement under Hidden Markov Modulated Price Regimes".
  • 2014
    • Automotive Workshop, Mannheim, Germany. "Global Supply Network Design under Uncertainty in the Automotive Supply Industry - A Stochastic Programming Approach".