Ralf Seifert

Full Professor
ralf.seifert@epfl.ch +41 21 693 00 22 http://tom.epfl.ch
Citizenship: German and Swiss
+41 21 693 00 22
EPFL
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CDM
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CDM-MTE
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MTE-ENS
EPFL CDM MTEI TOM
ODY 1 03 (Odyssea)
Station 5
1015 Lausanne
+41 21 693 00 22
+41 21 693 00 39
Office:
ODY 1 03
EPFL
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CDM
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MTEI
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TOM
Web site: Web site: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/tom/
Fields of expertise
Biography
Ralf W. Seifert is Professor of Technology & Operations Management (TOM) at the College of Management of Technology (CDM) at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) since 2003. His primary research and teaching interests relate to operations management, supply chain strategy and technology network management. He is also active in industry analysis, international project work and new venture formation. Based on his work with companies, Professor Seifert has co-authored more than 30 case studies covering different industries. These efforts have been recognized by multiple international case awards granted by EFMD in 2018, 2012, 2009 and 2003, ECCH in 2011 and 2006, as well as POMS in 2004. He continues to actively research issues of supply chain strategy, supply chain finance and technology management and has more than 70 articles and international conference presentations to his credit. In addition, he co-authored two books: one focused on strategic supply chain management and another one concerning start-up challenges of technology ventures. In parallel to his appointment at EPFL, he continues to serve a position at IMD, were he has been appointed Professor of Operations Management in 2000. Prior to joining IMD, Professor Seifert studied and worked in Germany, Japan and the US. He earned PhD and MS degrees in Management Science at Stanford University, a Diplom Ingenieur degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and a Master's degree in Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering from North Carolina State University. While in the US, he consulted for Hewlett-Packard and served as Teaching and Research Assistant at Stanford University. In Germany he worked for Booz & Company, McKinsey & Company and Freudenberg & Co. In addition, he spent one year as a Visiting Scholar in Operations Research at Waseda University in Tokyo.Publications
Infoscience publications
Main publications
2024
Balancing Resilience and Efficiency: A Literature Review on Overcoming Supply Chain Disruptions
Production and Operations Management. 2024. DOI : 10.1177/10591478241302735.2023
Assortment optimization using an attraction model in an omnichannel environment
European Journal Of Operational Research. 2023. DOI : 10.1016/j.ejor.2022.08.002.Optimizing Sales Forecasting, Inventory, Pricing and Sourcing Decisions
Lausanne, EPFL, 2023. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-10040.Utilizing additive manufacturing and mass customization under capacity constraints
Journal Of Intelligent Manufacturing. 2023. DOI : 10.1007/s10845-022-02007-x.Quantitative Methods for Omnichannel Decision-Making
Lausanne, EPFL, 2023. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-10058.Information Retrieval Under Network Uncertainty: Robust Internet Ranking
Operations Research. 2023. DOI : 10.1287/opre.2022.2298.2022
A Machine Learning-based Framework for Forecasting Sales of New Products With Short Life Cycles Using Deep Neural Networks
International Journal of Forecasting. 2022. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijforecast.2022.09.005.Limiting the impact of supply chain disruptions in the face of distributional uncertainty in demand
Production And Operations Management. 2022. DOI : 10.1111/poms.13781.Managing Perishability in the Fruit and Vegetable Supply Chains
Sustainability. 2022. DOI : 10.3390/su14095378.Modeling and mitigating supply chain disruptions as a bilevel network flow problem
Computational Management Science. 2022. DOI : 10.1007/s10287-022-00421-3.Why Do Companies Need Operational Flexibility to Achieve Sustainability at Source?
Sustainability. 2022. DOI : 10.3390/su14010367.2021
Industry 4.0 Technologies and Customer-centricity for Digital Supply Chains
Lausanne, EPFL, 2021. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-10736.Modeling Supply Chain Disruptions: A Network Flow Approach
Lausanne, EPFL, 2021. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-10689.Manufacturing Management in Process Industries: The Impact of Market Conditions and Capital Expenditure on Firm Performance
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. 2021. DOI : 10.1109/TEM.2019.2914995.Benefiting from additive manufacturing for mass customization across the product life cycle
Operations Research Perspectives. 2021. DOI : 10.1016/j.orp.2021.100201.2020
Product assortment and space allocation strategies to attract loyal and non-loyal customers
European Journal Of Operational Research. 2020. DOI : 10.1016/j.ejor.2020.02.019.Mitigating Product Shortage Due to Disruptions in Multi-Stage Supply Chains
Production And Operations Management. 2020. DOI : 10.1111/poms.13286.2019
Is Demand Planning Ready for AI
Supply Chain Quarterly. 2019.2018
Optimal replenishment cycle for perishable items facing demand uncertainty in a two-echelon inventory system
International Journal of Production Research. 2018. DOI : 10.1080/00207543.2018.1504244.Roles of inventory and reserve capacity in mitigating supply chain disruption risk
International Journal of Production Research. 2018. DOI : 10.1080/00207543.2018.1504173.2017
Optimal Dynamic Order Scheduling Under Capacity Constraints Given Demand-forecast Evolution
Production and Operations Management. 2017. DOI : 10.1111/poms.12759.Improving firm performance through sustainable operations
Lausanne, EPFL, 2017. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-7788.How Process Industries Can Improve Supply Chain Performance
Supply Chain Quarterly. 2017.Benefits of working capital sharing in supply chains
Journal Of The Operational Research Society. 2017. DOI : 10.1057/s41274-016-0009-2.Inventory dynamics in process industries: An empirical investigation
International Journal Of Production Economics. 2017. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2017.06.019.Building up Resilience in a Pharmaceutical Supply Chain through Inventory, Dual Sourcing and Agility Capacity
Omega-International Journal Of Management Science. 2017. DOI : 10.1016/j.omega.2017.01.001.A test of inventory models with permissible delay in payment
International Journal Of Production Research. 2017. DOI : 10.1080/00207543.2016.1224947.2016
The International Human Epigenome Consortium: A Blueprint for Scientific Collaboration and Discovery
Cell. 2016. DOI : 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.007.Measurements of the Higgs boson production and decay rates and constraints on its couplings from a combined ATLAS and CMS analysis of the LHC pp collision data at $ \sqrt{s}=7 $ and 8 TeV
Journal of High Energy Physics. 2016. DOI : 10.1007/JHEP08(2016)045.Supply Chain Management in Process Industries: Empirical Investigations for Commodity Markets
Lausanne, EPFL, 2016. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-7190.Dynamic Product Portfolio Management with Life Cycle Considerations
International Journal of Production Economics. 2016. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.10.017.Supply Chain Disruption Risk Management : Modeling Risk Mitigation Strategies
Lausanne, EPFL, 2016. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-7399.Knowledge spillovers in the supply chain: Evidence from the High Tech Sectors
Research Policy. 2016. DOI : 10.1016/j.respol.2015.12.007.Quantifying the Bullwhip Effect Using Two-Echelon Data: A Cross-Industry Empirical Investigation
International Journal of Production Economics. 2016. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.08.027.New Markets, New Customers and New Supply Chain Problems: Seven Mitigation Strategies to Tackle High Sales Variances
20162015
Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass in $pp$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8 TeV with the ATLAS and CMS Experiments
Physical Review Letters. 2015. DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.191803.Dynamic Capabilities in Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Theoretical Framework
Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal. 2015. DOI : 10.1080/16258312.2015.11728690.Carbon footprint and responsiveness trade-offs in supply chain network design
International Journal Of Production Economics. 2015. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.04.016.Taking an Integrated View on Point of Sales Materials Supplies: Three Lessons from L’Oréal to Increase Loyalty and Obtain New Customers with Gifts and Testers
2015On the optimal frequency of multiple generation product introductions
European Journal Of Operational Research. 2015. DOI : 10.1016/j.ejor.2015.03.041.Knowledge Spillovers in the Supply Chain: Evidence From The High Tech Sectors
2015. EurOMA Annual Meeting, Neuchâtel, June 2015.Coherent Measures of Customer Service Level
2015. EurOMA Annual Meeting, Neuchâtel, June 2015.Does the Bullwhip Still Strike? Detecting Variability in the Supply Chain
20152014
Joint product assortment, inventory and price optimization to attract loyal and non-loyal customers
Omega-International Journal Of Management Science. 2014. DOI : 10.1016/j.omega.2014.02.002.The value of updated information on future price behaviour
International Journal Of Production Research. 2014. DOI : 10.1080/00207543.2013.848481.Inventory Leanness and the Financial Performance of the Firm
Production Planning & Control. 2014. DOI : 10.1080/09537287.2013.797123.2013
Financial Supply Chain Management: Working Capital Requirements with Short-term Debt
Computers & Operations Research. 2013. DOI : 10.1016/j.cor.2013.07.008.Variable Product Portfolio Management in Retail Operations
Lausanne, EPFL, 2013. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-5784.Operational Decisions and Supply Chain Dynamics : An Empirical Investigation
Lausanne, EPFL, 2013. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-6034.What is the Value of Updated Information on the Time of Price Decrease?
2013Lego: Consolidating Distribution (Abridged)
Supply Chain Forum: an International Journal. 2013. DOI : 10.1080/16258312.2013.11517309.Trade Credit: Literature Review and Research Directions
European Journal Of Operational Research. 2013. DOI : 10.1016/j.ejor.2013.03.016.The Perks and Pitfalls of Knowledge Diffusion in the Supply Chain
IMD – Tomorrow’s Challenges. 2013.Inventory Management with Working Capital Restrictions
Lausanne, EPFL, 2013. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-5658.Assessing the Comprehensiveness of Supply Chain Environmental Strategies
Business Strategy and the Environment. 2013. DOI : 10.1002/bse.1749.2012
Mobility Carsharing: An IT Leadership Crisis
2012.Aligning Supply Chain and Product Portfolios
International Journal of Production Economics. 2012. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2011.08.032.A three-echelon supply chain with price-only contracts and sub-supply chain coordination
International Journal Of Production Economics. 2012. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2012.04.006.Corporate Environmental Strategies : Towards Supply Chain Approaches
Lausanne, EPFL, 2012. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-5389.Strategic Supply Chain Management: The Executive Role
London: Routledge.Benefits and Scepticism of Ecolabels as Accountability Mechanism
European Business Review. 2012.Designing Service Level Contracts for Supply Chain Coordination
Production and Operations Management. 2012. DOI : 10.1111/j.1937-5956.2011.01301.x.Oracle: An Evolution of the IT Paradigm
2012.Reviewing the Adoption of Ecolabels by Firms
2012Mobility Carsharing: An IT Leadership Crisis
2012.2011
Hilti (A & B): Gearing the Supply Chain for the Future
2011.Strategic Assessment is a Must in Selecting Ecolables
Gulf News. 2011.Umweltsiegel: Was bei Zertifizierung wichtig ist
Business-Wissen.de. 2011.Interrelating Operational and Financial Performance Measurements in a Multi-Product Inventory System
International Journal of Services and Operations Management. 2011. DOI : 10.1504/IJSOM.2011.042925.Unilever Tea: Revitalizing Lipton's Supply Chain (A & B)
2011.Financing the Chain
International Commerce Review. 2011.Managing business dynamics with adaptive supply chain portfolios
European Journal Of Operational Research. 2011. DOI : 10.1016/j.ejor.2011.06.026.Unilever Tea: Revitalizing Lipton's Supply Chain (A)
2011.Unilever Tea: Going Beyond the Low-hanging Fruits (B)
2011.Unilever Sustainable Tea. Part II: Reaching out to Smallholders in Kenya and Argentina
The Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative: Utrecht, IDH007-22.; Utrecht: The Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), 2011.2010
Systematic and Comprehensive Supply Chain Environmental Management
Euro 2010, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2010.A Heuristic to Locate Distribution Centers in Large Supply Chains
EURO 2010, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2010.Interrelating Operational and Financial Performance Measurements in a Multi-Product Inventory Control
2010Interrelating operational and financial performance measurements in inventory control
European Journal Of Operational Research. 2010. DOI : 10.1016/j.ejor.2009.11.001.Responding to Business Dynamics with Adaptive Supply Chain Portfolios
2010Supply Chain Finance: Foundations, Benefits, and Success Factors
2010Estimating the Impact of Stochasticity in Operating Theatres
EURO 2010, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2010.Being Proactive about Supply Chain Environmental Management
IMD- Perspective for Managers. 2010.Collaborative working capital management in supply networks
Lausanne, EPFL, 2010. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-4617.Designing Service Level Contracts for Supply Chain Coordination
2010Trade Credit: Literature Review and Research Directions
2010An Analysis of Supply Chain Environmental Management Practices of Sustainability Leaders
2010An Analysis of Supply Chain Environmental Management Practices of Sustainability Leaders
POMS 2010, Vancouver, Canada, May 2010.Unilever Sustainable Tea: Leapfrogging to Mainstream
2010.2009
On the Optimal Working Capital Allocation in a Multi-echelon Supply Chain
INFORMS Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA, November 2009.Aligning Supply Chain and Product Portfolios
2009The Effect of Supply Chain Disruptions on Suppliers, Customers, and Rivals
POMS 2009, Orlando, USA, May 2009.Third-party Provision of Conversion Technologies in Network Markets
Journal of Technology Management and Innovation. 2009. DOI : 10.4067/S0718-27242009000200001.Price-only Contracts with Sub-supply Chain Coordination
2009Attaining Sustained Supply Chain Alignment – Step by Step
2009The Effect of Supply Chain Disruptions on Suppliers, Customers, and Rivals
2009Interrelating operational and financial performance measurements in inventory theory
Lausanne, EPFL, 2009. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-4304.Lego (B): Consolidating Distribution
2009.Lego (A & B): Consolidating Distribution
2009.Pièges Mortels pour Jeunes Pousses High-Tech
L'Expansion Entrepreneuriat. 2009.Aligning Supply Chain and Product Portfolios
2009Adoption of Network Technologies in the Presence of Converters
Economics of Innovation and New Technology. 2009. DOI : 10.1080/10438590701663701.Lego (A): Consolidating Distribution
2009.Supply Chain Finance - What is it Woth?
IMD- Perspective for Managers. 2009.2008
Interrelating Operational and Financial Performance Measurements in Inventory Control
POMS 2008, La Jolla, USA, May 2008.Nurturing Science-based Ventures: An International Case Perspective
Springer.Hilti (A): Gearing the Supply Chain for the Future
2008.Modeling and implementing strategies for supply chain alignment
Lausanne, EPFL, 2008. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-4118.Fighting Technology Standards Competitions: Adapting to New Rules
IMD - Perspective for Managers. 2008.Aligning Supply Chain Portfolios with Product Portfolios
POMS 2008, La Jolla, USA, May 2008.Working Capital in Times of Financial Crisis: Three Trade Credit Strategies
IMD - Perspective for Managers. 2008.Contextual and Tactical Changes in Standard Wars: What Consequences for "Winners"?
International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management. 2008. DOI : 10.1142/S0219877008001485.Hilti (B): Reflections and Outlook
2008.Optimal Retail Channel Selection under Decentralized Decision Making
2008Managing competing technology standards in the digital economy
Lausanne, EPFL, 2008. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-3989.2007
Shape Up Your Technology Start-Ups! Or How to Avoid the Most Common Management Problems in Early-stage, Science-based Companies
IMD- Perspective for Managers. 2007.Managing Complexity in Marketing and Supply Chains
Managing Complexity in Global Organizations; Wiley, 2007. p. 205 - 228.Managing Complexity in the Electronics Manufacturing Service Industry
Managing Complexity in Global Organizations; Wiley, 2007. p. 87 - 102.Covaly: Managing the Companies Growth and Development Strategy - The VC Perspective
2007.Applications of RFID in Supply Chain Management
Trends in Supply Chain Design and Management: Technologies and Methodologies; London: Springer, 2007. p. 29 - 48.Maximizing Supply Chain Profits with Selective Channel Strategies
INFORMS Annual Meeting, Seattle, USA, November 2007.Novo Nordisk Engineering: Running for Fast-Track Project Execution
2007.Item-Level RFID in the Retail Supply Chain
Production & Operations Management. 2007. DOI : 10.1111/j.1937-5956.2007.tb00166.x.2006
GigaTera Inc: Pulling the Plug?
2006.EndoArt SA: Creating and Funding a Medical Technology Start-Up (B)
2006.Performance of Service Level Contracts in Two-Level Supply Chains with Decentralized Decision-Making
2006EndoArt SA: Creating and Funding a Medical Technology Start-Up (A)
2006.Unaxis: Going Asia (A&B)
2006.Netcetera (A): Hiring an External CEO?
2006.Integrating Direct and Indirect Sales Channels Under Decentralized Decision Making
International Journal of Production Economics. 2006. DOI : 10.1016/j.ijpe.2005.06.006.Covalys: Managing the Companies Growth and Development Strategy
2006.Novo Nordisk' Engineering: Running for Fast-Track Project Execution - A Customer's Perspective
2006.Netcetera (C): Reflections and Outlook
2006.Modeling the Value of Updated Information on the Time of Price Decrease
2006Relaxing Channel Separation – Integrating a Virtual Store Into the Supply Chain
IIE Transactions. 2006. DOI : 10.1080/07408170600854453.Netcetera (B): Organizing for Sustainable Business Success?
2006.Satisfying Customer Preferences via Mass Customization and Mass Production
IIE Transactions. 2006. DOI : 10.1080/07408170500346386.2005
SA: Creating and Funding a Medical Technology Start-Up
2005.Sentron at the Crossroads (B)
2005.The Food and Beverage Industry
2005.Unaxis: Going Asia (A)
2005.Running Effective Group Assignments
Mastering Executive Education: How to Combine Content with Context and Emotion, The IMD Guide; Prentice Hall, 2005.AC Immune: Managing Options for Sustained Business Growth
2005.Lyncée Tec SA: Scaling Up a Technology Venture
2005.Unaxis: Going Asia
2005.Unaxis: Going Asia (B)
2005.Sentron at the Crossroads (A)
2005.2004
Market Dynamics in a Retail Supply Chain under Item-level RFID
2004. INFORMS, Denver USA, Octobre 2004.Hewlett-Packard: Creating a Virtual Supply Chain (A & B) (Abridged)
Supply Chain Forum. 2004. DOI : 10.1080/16258312.2004.11517127.Novartis: The Art of R&D Collaborations
2004.Outsourcing Patterns in the Pharmaceutical Industry
2004.Hewlett-Packard: Creating a Virtual Supply Chain (B) (Abridged)
2004.The mi adidas Mass Customization Initiative
2004. INFORMS, Denver USA, Octobre 2004.Outsourcing in the Global Automotive Industry – Drivers, Patterns and Lessons
2004.Optimal Procurement Strategies for Online Spot Markets
European Journal of Operational Research. 2004. DOI : 10.1016/S0377-2217(02)00754-3.Hewlett-Packard: Creating a Virtual Supply Chain (A) (Abridged)
2004.Teaching & PhD
Teaching
Management of Technology