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About

About

Full Professor at Industrial Engineering and Management, FEUP, and Porto Business School. Co-founder of LTPlabs (spin-off of INESC TEC and FEUP). Member of the board of Trustees ("conselho de curadores") of Fundação Belmiro de Azevedo

His main area of activity is Management Science/Operations Research. He develops and applies advanced analytical models and methods to help make better decisions, solving managerial problems in various domains (manufacturing, health, retail and mobility), with a special focus on Operations Management.

Advanced Management Programme, INSEAD. PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management, UP. Degree in Management and Industrial Engineering (5 years degree), FEUP. Former researcher at Operations Research Center of Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT/ORC. Certified Analytics Professional from The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

Former Member of the Board at INESC TEC Technology and Science. Former Vice-Academic Director of IBM Center for Advanced Studies Portugal (IBM-CAS). Co-founder of start-up Adjust Consulting (that was acquired by Glintt HealthCare).

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Details

Details

  • Name

    Bernardo Almada-Lobo
  • Role

    Diretor
  • Since

    01st December 2010
019
Publications

2025

Order allocation in online retail: Classification and literature review

Authors
Vasconcelos, S; Figueira, G; Almada Lobo, B;

Publication
European Journal of Operational Research

Abstract
Online retail is transforming the way distribution networks are managed. One prominent change is that retailers can now use their full network to fulfil orders. This process involves allocating orders to fulfilment nodes and, depending on the setting, can include other operational decisions, such as order consolidation, shipping mode selection and product substitution. This order allocation problem (OAOR) has garnered considerable attention in recent years. However, there is no comprehensive view of what has been done in the literature, nor a consistent terminology across papers, which makes it hard to position existing work and identify research gaps. To address these concerns, we conduct a systematic literature review, where we find over 60 articles contributing to the OAOR literature. From this review, we formulate the baseline problem, consider multiple extensions, and identify key problem characteristics. Additionally, we analyse and categorize the solution methods found based on the optimization mechanism, policy class, and incorporation of future information and learning. Our review points to several avenues for future research, both in problems and in solution methods. © 2025 The Authors

2025

An optimisation approach for the agricultural and industrial tactical planning in the fresh fruit processing industry

Authors
Rocco, CD; Guimaraes, L; Almada Lobo, B; Morabito, R;

Publication
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH

Abstract
This paper presents an optimisation approach based on mixed-integer programming for tactical planning decisions within fresh fruit processing industries. It applies to fruits such as oranges, tomatoes, guavas and others, where diluted fruit juice needs to be concentrated in evaporators to produce semi-finished or finished products. It considers agricultural and industrial activities, integrating them to address complex and interconnected decisions. Agricultural tasks include planting, harvesting, and transporting fruits from fields to processing plants, while industrial activities involve the production, inventory, and transportation of semi-finished and final products. This approach accommodates multiple agricultural regions, fruit varieties, processing plants, and products, operating on a weekly basis within a one-year planning horizon. It offers a detailed solution for harvesting, the fruit juice concentration process, inventory management for the products produced, and transportation of raw materials and products among processing plants. Production of semi-finished products is modelled using the Proportional Lot-Sizing and Scheduling Problem and the production of finished products is modelled adopting a blending lot-sizing problem. The results were validated through computational experiments using a dataset from a company that processes tomatoes and guavas. Scenario analyses were conducted to evaluate the solution's consistency and real-world applicability. The findings indicate that the approach can support decision making in practice, highlighting its potential as a valuable managerial, analytical, and optimisation tool for some agri-food industries.

2025

From policy to practice: Rolling out the clinical nurse specialist role in Portugal

Authors
Amorim-Lopes, M; Cruz-Gomes, S; Doldi, E; Almada-Lobo, B;

Publication
HEALTH POLICY

Abstract
The specialization of Health Human Resources (HHR) is increasingly recognized as essential for addressing evolving healthcare demands. This paper presents a comprehensive policy framework for assisting with the implementation of Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) roles at the national or regional level, integrating key dimensions including barriers and enablers, regulation and governance, education and training requirements, career development, workforce planning, and economic analysis. The framework was applied to the implementation of CNS roles in Portugal, resulting in the issuance of a decree-law by the government. Our findings demonstrate that the economic analysis step was critical in addressing concerns from government authorities and health system funders regarding the potential budgetary impact of CNS implementation. By providing evidence-based projections of costs and benefits, the economic analysis facilitated smoother negotiations and consensus-building among stakeholders, including nursing unions. Furthermore, the integration of workforce planning ensured the alignment of educational capacity with workforce needs, thus avoiding potential implementation bottlenecks. The application of the framework also revealed important feedback relationships between its dimensions, highlighting the interdependent nature of the implementation process. This dynamic approach, which adapts to real-time feedback and stakeholder input, underscores the necessity of a holistic and iterative strategy for successful CNS role integration. The insights gained from the Portuguese case underscore the utility of this policy framework in guiding the implementation of advanced nursing roles in diverse healthcare contexts.

2025

A production quality monitoring approach based on a condition index: an application on the glass container industry

Authors
Oliveira, MA; Guimaraes, L; Borges, JL; Almada Lobo, B;

Publication
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH

Abstract
Ensuring process quality in modern manufacturing is increasingly challenging due to the complexity of production processes and reliance on skilled operators, which can lead to suboptimal solutions and poor quality. To address these challenges, we introduce a novel, unsupervised, robust, nonparametric control chart for Phase II monitoring. This chart tracks the degradation of a quality characteristic using a condition index that captures mean and scale shifts without relying on assumptions, offering high flexibility and adaptability. Comparative studies with state-of-the-art nonparametric schemes demonstrate faster detection capabilities and competitive accuracy across various scenarios. We validate our approach through its application in the glass container production process, showcasing its effectiveness in monitoring multiple defective rates. Although tested on defective rates, the methodology is adaptable to any quantifiable quality characteristic.

2024

Correction to: Enhancing robustness to forecast errors in availability control for airline revenue management (Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, (2024), 10.1057/s41272-024-00475-9)

Authors
Gonçalves, T; Almada Lobo, B;

Publication
Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management

Abstract
In the original version of this article, "Data availability" statement was mistakenly inserted. The following data availability statement should be removed. As a final point, while the traditional independent demand model involves comparing unconstrained bookings with unconstrained demand forecasts to assess prediction accuracy, handling dependent demand is more complex, since the availability of a class affects the demand for other classes. Therefore, it is essential to have forecast data for all control policies, as advocated by Fiig et al. (2014), to establish a standardized method for computing forecast errors. This ensures the accurate functionality of the predictive model for optimal margin correction. The original article has been corrected. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2024.