Virtual Professional Development Meeting

Date: October 21, 2026

Time: 5:30 PM (MDT)

Location: Virtual

Cost: $0, must register by 10/20/26 at 5:00 pm (MDT)

*Registrants will receive a link the day before the Meeting

Topic: Beyond Forecasting: How AI Decision Intelligence Can Improve Supply Chain Resilience

Speaker: Lakshmanaprakash Murugesan

Beyond Forecasting explores how statistical and machine-learning forecasting can support better supply-chain decisions and how AI-enabled decision support can help connect forecasting results with broader operational context. Using an independently developed educational prototype with public or controlled simulated data, the session compares forecasting approaches including Holt-Winters, Prophet, and XGBoost under consistent chronological validation conditions using unseen data. The broader discussion explores how forecasting results could be considered alongside deployable inventory, supplier lead times, operational risk signals, and governed human decision-making, with the human planner remaining responsible for the final business decision. The presentation and prototype were developed independently for educational and professional knowledge-sharing purposes and do not use or represent any employer's proprietary systems, confidential data, or internal processes.

Bonus: The source code will be available through GitHub so interested attendees can clone the repository, run the forecasting prototype locally on their own computer, explore the workflow, and experiment with compatible time-series datasets after the session.

Prakash Murugesan is a supply-chain and analytics professional with a strong interest in forecasting, machine learning, and data-driven decision support. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, and his independent study has focused on comparing forecasting approaches, evaluating models on unseen chronological data, understanding when external signals provide predictive value, and exploring how analytical tools can support responsible human-led supply-chain planning decisions.

Schedule 

5:30---Networking

6:00---Speaker Presentation

 Fees

Virtual is Free

Appetizer: Best of Class

Salad: Something Fresh

Entrée: Your Favorite

Dessert: Something Sweet