Resource Optimisation for Decision Makers

Programme Overview:

Organisations today operate in increasingly complex and resource-constrained environments, making resource optimisation a critical capability for effective planning and decision making. This Executive Education programme on Resource Optimisation for Decision Makers at IIM Bangalore introduces practical optimisation techniques that help managers make data-driven, transparent and defensible decisions across operations, supply chains, manufacturing, finance, infrastructure and public administration.

Whether allocating budgets, planning production, optimising logistics, deploying manpower or prioritising projects, decision makers are expected to balance multiple constraints while achieving organisational objectives. This programme equips participants with practical knowledge of Linear Programming (LP), Integer Linear Programming (ILP) and optimisation techniques to improve resource allocation, operational efficiency and strategic decision making.

Why This Programme?

Organisations across manufacturing, infrastructure, supply chains, logistics, finance and the public sector are under increasing pressure to make faster, data-driven and resource-efficient decisions. As businesses embrace digital transformation and analytics, managers need practical resource optimisation skills to improve planning, reduce costs and maximise operational performance.

Today’s organisations face growing pressure to:

• Improve operational efficiency and productivity
• Reduce costs while maximising resource utilisation
• Strengthen production planning, logistics and supply chain performance
• Support evidence-based and data-driven decision making
• Improve transparency, accountability and governance
• Accelerate digital transformation and analytics initiatives

This programme equips managers and professionals with practical knowledge of Linear Programming (LP), Integer Linear Programming (ILP) and resource optimisation techniques that can be immediately applied to real-world planning and operational challenges.

Programme Objective:

This Resource Optimisation for Decision Makers programme is designed to equip managers and professionals with the strategic, analytical and practical skills required to solve complex resource allocation and operational planning challenges. Participants will learn how resource optimisation, Linear Programming (LP) and Integer Linear Programming (ILP) can be applied to improve decision making, increase operational efficiency and support data-driven planning across industries.

The programme focuses on enabling participants to:

• Resource Optimisation & Strategic Planning – Apply optimisation techniques to allocate resources effectively while aligning operational decisions with organisational objectives.
• Linear Programming (LP) & Integer Linear Programming (ILP) – Develop practical skills in formulating and solving optimisation problems for production planning, logistics, supply chain management, scheduling and capacity planning.
• Operational Excellence & Efficiency – Improve resource utilisation, reduce costs and enhance productivity through optimisation-based decision making.
• Data-Driven Decision Making – Interpret optimisation results, sensitivity analysis and trade-offs to make transparent and defensible business decisions.
• Introduction to Nonlinear Optimisation – Understand situations where nonlinear optimisation models are required and recognise the limitations of linear models.
• Practical Application – Build hands-on experience through real-world case studies, spreadsheet-based modelling and applied optimisation exercises.

Programme Content:

• Foundations of Optimisation
• Linear Programming (LP)
• Integer Linear Programming (ILP)
• Resource Allocation and Capacity Planning
• Logistics and Supply Chain Optimisation
• Model Interpretation and Sensitivity Analysis
• Introduction to Nonlinear Optimisation
• Spreadsheet-based Optimisation
• Industry Case Studies
• Hands-on Exercises

Key Benefits:

For Participants

• Develop an optimisation mindset for better managerial decisions.
• Gain practical experience with LP and ILP models.
• Improve confidence in working with analytics and operations research teams.
• Understand the strengths and limitations of optimisation models.

For Organisations

• Improve operational efficiency.
• Optimise resource allocation.
• Enable transparent and auditable decision making.
• Build stronger planning capabilities.

Learning Methodology

Learning combines:

• Short conceptual sessions
• Real-world case studies
• Spreadsheet-based optimisation exercises
• Group discussions
• Practical interpretation of optimisation models

The programme focuses on practical business application rather than mathematical complexity.