They ranked first in Turkey with supply analysis

Nil Korkmaz, Halil Kaan Kaçar, and Onur Özbek, students from Department of Industrial Engineering at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), became the first in Turkey in the 22nd Inter-University Logistics Case Competition held this year. As required by the competition format, the students, who performed a supply chain analysis for a logistics company, won the jury's appreciation and the award with their innovative ideas, considering criteria such as customer satisfaction, supply-demand balance, risk management, inventory level, and sustainability.

The Inter-University Logistics Case Competition, organized in cooperation with Mars Logistics and the Logistics Association (LODER), was the scene of great excitement. Nil Korkmaz, Halil Kaan Kaçar, and Onur Özbek, third-year students in IUE Department of Industrial Engineering, who competed in the ‘Category A’ for undergraduate and 4-year school students, reached the final with their ‘supply chain development’ study for a logistics company, which they completed in about 2 months.

GREAT PRIDE AND JOY

The suggestions presented in a report by the students and the analyses they performed were evaluated by jury members consisting of academics and high-level logistics managers from various sectors. IUE students experienced the pride and joy of achieving first place in the final held at Hilton Mall of Istanbul.

“COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION ARE ALSO IMPORTANT”

Pointing out that not only technical knowledge but also teamwork and stress management were crucial in the competition, the prospective engineers Nil Korkmaz, Halil Kaan Kaçar, and Onur Özbek said, “We developed sustainable and efficiency-enhancing solutions by reflecting on the problems faced by a real logistics company. During the analysis process, we simultaneously evaluated many variables such as customer satisfaction, cost optimization, and risk management. As a team, we benefited from each other's strengths. This experience showed us that success in engineering comes not only from calculations but also from communication and collaboration. The positive feedback we received from the jury showed that we were on the right track. Winning the championship is very valuable in terms of seeing the practical strength of what we learned in our department and increasing our motivation for the future.”

“PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS DEVELOP”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hamdi Giray Reşat, Head of IUE Department of Industrial Engineering, congratulated the students, saying: “Our students achieving this significant success is a concrete indicator of our department's emphasis on applied education and analytical thinking skills. Nil, Halil Kaan, and Onur also stood out with their teamwork, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills. Such competitions enhance students’ competency in solving real-world problems and prepare them for professional life one step ahead. I wholeheartedly congratulate our students who prepared very well for the competition and made us all proud with their championship.”