Artificial intelligence in operations management: AI-driven techniques for decision making
File(s)
Author(s)
Wang, Hanzhao
Type
Thesis
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated substantial success across diverse fields, revolutionizing predictive and prescriptive analytics. Motivated by these advancements, this thesis explores the application of artificial intelligence within Operations Management (OM), specifically targeting challenges related to choice modeling, assortment optimization, and sequential decision-making problems. The thesis has three primary contributions. First, a neural network-based discrete choice model is introduced, tailored for single-choice scenarios, capable of accurately capturing complex customer behaviors without reliance on traditional model assumptions. This model can be used successfully for assortment optimization through integer programming methods. Second, the Transformer Choice Net is developed to handle single, sequential, and multiple-choice contexts within a unified transformer-based architecture, significantly enhancing prediction accuracy and scalability across diverse consumer decision settings. Third, an Operational Management Generative Pre-trained Transformer (OMGPT) is presented, adapting GPT-style transformer networks to general sequential decision-making problems, such as dynamic pricing, inventory management, and queuing control. OMGPT provides a robust, data-driven, model-free approach, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance and strong generalization capabilities across varying operational tasks. Collectively, this thesis underscores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence to enhance decision-making and analytics in OM, advancing both theoretical understanding and practical capabilities.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2025-05-20
Date Awarded
01/07/2025
License URL
Advisor
Kalyan, Talluri
Publisher Department
Business School
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)