Juan Manuel García Sánchez’s doctoral thesis defense, “A First Proposal Towards Anticipatory Shipping Implementation in Automotive Manufacturing Through Machine Learning and Optimization”

On September 10, 2024, the defense of Juan Manuel García Sánchez’s doctoral thesis took place in the Sala de Grados at La Salle Campus Barcelona. The thesis is titled “A First Proposal Towards Anticipatory Shipping Implementation in Automotive Manufacturing Through Machine Learning and Optimization”. The research, supervised by Dr. Xavier Vilasís Cardona, was conducted in collaboration with SEAT S.A. and the SmartSociety research group.

The thesis proposes a gradual solution, starting with redirecting in-stock vehicles to markets with short-term demand. Several machine learning algorithms were tested to match or improve upon the decisions made by the company's experts. Additionally, data from the online Car Configurator was analyzed to predict user purchase intentions, using heuristic algorithms to adjust production based on forecasted demand.

The research results have been presented at three international conferences and published in a top-quartile journal, with support from the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia.

The committee, composed of Dr. Jordi Vitrià, Dr. Míriam Calvo, and Dr. Diego Villuendas, positively evaluated the research. Congratulations to Juan Manuel for his excellent work and contribution to the field of automotive logistics!