Research Collaboration System

We are going to work together on a shared environment in Overleaf (UT pays for the premium!) and GitHub for the thesis and auxiliary documents. As the project evolves, we will update the documents and give feedback using comments and tracked changes.

In our Overleaf project, we will update a file named PROJECT_MANAGEMENT.md that will document the history of the project (meetings, questions, changes, etc.). This way, we can see what we have been discussing and how the project evolved!

How to Start?

To make your experience with Latex smoother, I created a thesis template comprising the most important elements of any thesis (Figures, Glossaries, Tables, Algorithms, Code, Cover, Mathematical Model, etc.).

The structure and text are a mix of what we commonly see in other IEM theses and ChatGPT-generated content on a generic thesis aiming to solve a VRP for Company X.

To use this template:

  1. Copy the project on Overleaf (Menu > Copy Project) and rename it to “degree_year_company_surname_name”.
  2. Share the project with me () (make sure you choose “Can Edit”).

You can also use UT’s latex thesis template. However, make sure you first examine the provided template to learn how to create typical theses’ elements.

Keeping Track of Our Progress

For each meeting, I will leave the main feedback on the PROJECT_MANAGEMENT.md file under the “Feedback” heading. If you have any specific discussion topics for the coming meeting, please add them below the “Questions” heading. If necessary, more detailed feedback will be provided using the Overleaf commenting system (tracked changes).

Please create a PROJECT_MANAGEMENT.md file on our Overleaf project with the information about your project. Use the format below:

---
student: "Name Surname"
company: "Acme LTDA"
level: "msc/bsc"
title: "My awesome thesis name"
status: "ongoing"
date_first_contact: "YYYY-MM-DD" <--- Date we first contacted to set up the thesis
date_official_start: "YYYY-MM-DD" <--- Official start date of the project
date_project_plan:  "YYYY-MM-DD" <--- Around 2 months after start (project plan includes first 3 chapters)
date_greenlight: "YYYY-MM-DD" <--- (BSc=10 weeks / MSc=20 weeks) after official start date
date_colloquium: "YYYY-MM-DD" <--- At least 3 weeks after greenlight
---

# Project management

## YYYY-MM-DD

### Feedback

### Update

### To_do's

### Questions

Below, you can see an example of this file.

---
student: "James Bond"
company: "Bol.com"
level: "msc"
title: "Improving processes at Bol.com"
date_first_contact: "2022-12-01"
date_official_start: "2023-01-03"
date_project_plan:  "2023-03-03"
date_greenlight: "2023-06-03"
date_colloquium: "2023-06-24"
status: "ongoing"

---

# Project management

## 2023-05-05

### Feedback

- Repeat capacity calculation using better size estimates.
- Check if they are obeying the capacity restriction (bar chart comparison).
- Work in charts & figures (at the end!) to improve understanding (captions, labels, etc.).
- How to set up an experiment? What is the input and expected output? How to test the accuracy?
- The wrong category assignment is off by a small percentage; how to convince the reader this is relevant?
- About the bin packing, you could consider each compartment as a bin.
- I am not quite sure we are dealing with an online version. It looks more offline since we have a prediction of the incoming items, probably even the inbound schedule.
- What if you can order more knowing that demand will extinguish part of items?
- Why is the discrepancy in the size of the items important?
- Does it make sense to consider "uncertainty" in the item sizes and inbound arrivals? Searching for BP under uncertainty I found this: https://hal.science/hal-02119351v2/file/main8.pdf
- In the graphs, during December inventory > capacity. How is that possible?

### Update

- Added the desired output of the model as well as literature about the Bin Packing Problem and the Knapsack Problem. 
- Currently working on possible heuristics, so hopefully that will be finished before our meeting. 

### To_do's

- Finish literature
- Sizemix accuracy statistical test (when I have the data)
- Start with describing/making the model

### Questions

- Is there anything missing in the LR? Should things be left out? Is it clear?

The file is written in Markdown format. You can preview it on tools such as Visual Studio Code or online.

Why Am I Proposing This System?

  • Prevents file proliferation (e.g., thesis_v1.docx, thesis_v1(2), thesis_final.docx, thesis_final2.docx)
  • Prevents re-work (did I read this before? Haven’t we already discussed this?)
  • Prevents email back and forth.
  • Keeps the history of our discussion on a project management file to avoid circular thinking.
  • Keeps all files relevant to the project in one location rather than spread throughout email.
  • Avoid painful editing/reviewing in Word (theses are typically complex documents full of equations, mathematical symbols, tables, figures, etc.).

Word vs. Latex. Latex will make your life easier in the long run.

Making an Appointment and Feedback Cycle

Have you finished a unit of work (e.g., a chapter, section, code—something that accomplishes a specific goal that moves us closer to the project completion)? Or do you want to discuss something face-to-face?

Follow the steps below to schedule a meeting:

  1. Book a meeting one week later in my Calendly page. The meeting notification will warn me that I should read your (shared) report!

  2. You update the project management document with the main topics to discuss during the meeting (e.g., highlights, questions, etc.). I can help you better if you let me know how!

  3. You make sure all items of the Quality Checklist are addressed. Be aware that if, upon a quick scan, any of these items are not fulfilled, I will ask you to work on them (and possibly reschedule the meeting).

  4. I check the document to:

    • Provide feedback on new content (remember to activate tracked changes in latex) and put main comments on the project management document.
    • Close comments from previous feedback (e.g., how you answered a question, etc.).

  5. We discuss feedback in the meeting and set goals. We also update the project management document.

  6. You address my feedback (change text, reply to a question, etc.).

Important: Due to capacity limitations, I can read and give feedback once every two weeks. We can meet more frequently if no preparation is required.

Preparing for the Meeting

I will leave feedback on our shared document in advance, shortly before our meeting. To prepare for our meeting, please check this feedback so we can address the main points immediately! If there are any questions on the feedback, please add them to the document.

Meeting location (in person or online?)

At the Calendly page, please share your preference for an on-campus or online meeting (we meet online by default, but we can also meet in person if I am on campus at the time of our appointment).

Looking forward to meeting you!