Data-Driven Practices in Supply Chain Optimization: Innovation at JD.com

Max Z.J. Shen is Vice President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Hong Kong. Concurrent with this role, Professor Shen is appointed Chair Professor jointly in the Faculty of Engineering (Department of Data and Systems Engineering) and the Faculty of Business and Economics. He is also the Dean of Graduate School, Acting Director of Technology Transfer Office and Knowledge Transfer Office, and the Founding Director of HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science.

Professor Shen obtained his PhD from Northwestern University in 2000. That same year, he began his academic career as Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, and joined the University of California, Berkeley in 2004, where he rose through the ranks to become Chancellor’s Professor and Chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He was also a Center Director at the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute and Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University.

With research interests in the areas of logistics and supply chain management, data-driven decision making, and system optimization, Professor Shen’s research programs cut through businesses, energy systems, transportation systems, smart cities, healthcare management, and environmental protection. He has worked closely with industries and has a strong track record of securing major research grants from government agencies and the private sector. PhD students and Postdoctoral scholars he graduated now hold positions in leading universities in North America, Europe, and China, as well as at major technological companies globally.

Internationally recognized as a top scholar in his field, Professor Shen is a Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), a Fellow and past President of the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, and a past President of the Society of Locational Analysis of INFORMS.

–––––

Dr. Yongzhi Qi is the Technical Director of the Supply Chain Algorithm Team at JD.com (JINGDONG) and serves as a Guest Professor at the University of Hong Kong. He is also a committee member of the Data Science and Operations Intelligence Branch of the Operations Research Society of China.

Dr. Qi obtained his Ph.D. from Shandong University in 2016. Following that, he conducted postdoctoral research at the China Electric Power Research Institute. During this time, he was also a visiting scholar at Stanford University, focusing on the optimization of water supply systems. In 2018, he joined JINGDONG and has been dedicated to supply chain optimization.

His work encompasses algorithm optimization techniques and practices throughout the supply chain, including assortment planning, pricing strategies, inventory management, network planning, and fulfillment. Dr. Qi is committed to enhancing supply chain efficiency for both JINGDONG and society at large through algorithm-driven methodologies.

He leads significant projects funded by the National Ministry of Science and Technology, collaborating with enterprises and research institutions to develop an intelligent supply chain AI platform and to bridge the gap between academia and industry for practical applications. Under his leadership, his team has achieved significant recognition, including being finalists for the INFORMS Franz Edelman Award and receiving multiple accolades such as the INFORMS Prize, the Daniel H. Wagner Prize, and Gartner’s Technology Innovation Award.

Dr. Qi has published extensively in prestigious journals, including Management Science, Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (M&SOM), and IEEE Transactions. His work continues to advance the fields of supply chain management, artificial intelligence, and operations research.