Keynote at International Symposium

On September 29, Professor Arne Strauss of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management delivered a plenary talk at the 53rd International Symposium on Operational Research, SYM-OP-IS 2026, in Kopaonik, Serbia. His talk focused on how companies can design their offers and prices to better align customer preferences with efficient transport planning.

Online grocery delivery provides a practical example: the delivery slots offered and their prices influence customers’ orders—and, in turn, the subsequent delivery routes. Making these decisions jointly creates opportunities for more cost-effective operations. Strauss presented research approaches and further applications, ranging from meal delivery and home healthcare to air traffic management, and discussed future directions for the field.