Centre for Business Analytics in Practice research

Areas of research

We are engaged in the following areas of research:

• Causal Analytics
  Led by Dr Xun Zhou
  Causal analytics utilizes randomized experiments or non-experimental techniques to identify the causal effects of business strategies/programmes on operational outcomes.
• Circular Manufacturing Analytics
  Led by Dr Christopher Turner
  Circular Manufacturing Analytics involves the systematic analysis of data from digital manufacturing practices to optimise resource utilisation, minimise waste, and enhance product lifecycle performance.
• Crime Prediction & Offender Profiling
  Led by Dr Vikas Grover
  Advanced machine learning and AI techniques on crime prediction and offender profiles provide actionable law enforcement by predicting crime locations, enabling proactive interventions.
• Data Privacy Analytics
  Led by Dr Athina Ioannou
  Data Privacy Analytics uncovers patterns in customer interactions, preferences, and behaviours to inform privacy-aware data-driven business performance and drive business growth, while ensuring regulatory compliance and stakeholder trust.
• Digital Strategy Analytics
  Led by Dr Mahdi Tavalaei
  Digital Strategy Analytics offers insights related to an organisation’s digital ecosystem by helping decision makers and optimise business models, strategies, processes, and platforms.
• Holistic Analytics in Sustainable Systems
  Led by Dr Tamimi
  Holistic analytics combines systems thinking, lean principles, resilience assessment, circular design, and sustainability analytics to optimise sustainable business ecosystems.
• Inclusive Technology Analytics
  Led by Dr Wolfgang Garn
  Inclusive Technology Analytics emphasises the application of data and techniques to ensure access, equity, and user preference, while offering insight for optimising inclusive technology design.
• Market and Behavioural Models
  Led by Dr Ashit and Dr Hewei
  Innovation and behavioural modelling, applied econometrics, complex systems and mechanisms design using agent-based modelling.
• Performance Analysis
  Led by Dr Mehdi Toloo
  Often the limitation on resources managers are closely concerned with their optimal allocation. Performance Analysis helps understand efficient input-output relationships in real-world contexts.
• Production Optimisation Analytics
  Led by Dr Abdolreza Roshani
  Production Optimisation Analytics introduces manufacturing efficiency and motivation tools to operations leaders to scheduling, severity-lab balancing, lot sizing models and equipment reconfiguration.
• Regulatory Economics and Statistical Analysis
  Led by Dr Rosanna Cole and Dr Dimitris Giraleas
  Regulatory supply chain analytics investigates new quasi-experimental methods and emerging evaluation strategies to optimise effectiveness, process management, and transparency in policy delivery.
• Risk Analytics for Decision Makers
  Led by Dr Andrew Hill
  Risk Analytics for Decision Makers applies quantitative techniques for analysing and managing business risks, financial decision-making, and knowledge management.
• Simulation & Operations Analytics
  Led by Dr Masoud Fathi
  Simulation & Operations Analytics refers to the utilisation of simulation techniques alongside analytical models to optimise operational processes and inform decision-making under various constraints.

Projects 

• “A workflow project with Royal Mail” - Funded by Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). (Professor James Aitken)
• “An inventory modelling activity for Tilda Limited” - Funded by Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). (Professor James Aitken)
• “Analysis of efficiencies and productivity evolution in manufacturing industries with CO2 emissions” funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. (Professor Ali Emrouznejad)
• “Economic Impact of the University of Essex on the Local, Regional and National Economy (Research Lead, University of Essex, 2015)” - Estimating the overall impact on the University of Essex’s operations on the local, regional and national economies. (Dr Abhijit Sengupta)
• “ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (2014-2019)”-  One of the named researchers in the £5 million ESRC funded big data research centre. (Dr Abhijit Sengupta)
• "Exploring power dynamics in digital platforms". Funded by British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants (Dr Mahdi  Tavalaei)
• “Measuring efficiency of small-scale sugarcane growers in Africa” - Funded by British Council and several others. (Professor Ali Emrouznejad)
• “Supply chain improvement projects for a company that remanufacturers 1920s Bentley cars” - Funded by Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). (Professor James Aitken)
• “Transportation optimization with Surrey County Council” - Funded by Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). (Professor James Aitken)
• “Use of Insurance to Manage Reliability in the Distributed Electricity Sector (2019-2020)” - Modelling energy transition from centralized grid structures towards decentralized insurance based schemes using complex systems and simulation based approaches. (Dr Abhijit Sengupta)
• “Use of Machine Learning to optimise milk yields and animal feed in the supply chain through to the cheese manufacturing processes” - Funded by Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). (Professor Ali Emrouznejad).