Nicole needs you!

Her family name is almost as complicated as the mathematics behind Panalpina’s new inventory forecasting application: Ayiomamitou. Nicole by first name and of Greek origin, she has spent most of her time in the past three years to search for the ‘hidden formula’ for lean inventories. She was on a mission for Panalpina where she partnered with Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University in Wales.

The innovative partnership bore fruit and has allowed Panalpina to launch the application ‘Demand-Driven Inventory Dispositioning’, in short ‘D²ID’. Panalpina has thus become the first global logistics company to develop its own application that helps customers manage, forecast and reduce inventory levels in their supply chains.

Andrew Lahy, Panalpina’s global head of logistics strategy and innovation, points out that everyone benefits from the application: “The project not only reduces customers’ costs in terms of inventories, but it also has the potential for a major impact in terms of environmental sustainability. By reducing inventory obsolescence you cut down on the number of items that are transported. In addition, you cut down on products that are not sold and would have to be discarded. What’s more, reduced supply chain costs eventually translate into lower prices paid by end-consumers.”

It’s a win-win situation and the application has already won the business innovation award at Cardiff. But now, Nicole needs everyone’s vote to win the ‘People’s Choice’ award, too. Cardiff University, has selected her and four other pioneering projects which have transformed policy and practice in healthcare, business, and society and is now asking the public to vote for their favorite via social media.

All research projects are described here with a short video. If you, like us, feel that Nicole should get the award, you can vote for her using one of three methods:

• Twitter: Send a tweet to @CardiffUni with your reason for voting for Nicole’s project. It is important that you include Nicole’s hashtag when doing so: #CUII2

• Facebook: Go to Cardiff University’s Facebook page and leave a comment saying why you are in favor of Nicole and her project. Use Nicole’s hashtag here, too: #CUII2

• YouTube: Click on the video of Nicole's project below and leave a comment saying why you think this is the winner. Again, use Nicole’s hashtag: #CUII2

Voting for the 'People's Choice' award closes at 10 a.m. on Monday 20 June.

The winner will be announced at the University’s annual Innovation and Impact Awards on June 22 2016.

We sincerely hope that – once the envelope has been opened and the winner announced – Nicole will be even more in demand as an expert on lean inventories.

Good luck to the person saying Nicole’s family name on the night! ; )