Projects

Here you can find project write-ups and links to sample code on GitHub

The Question Isn't “Buy OR Build?” — It's “How Do We Build and THEN Buy”?

A Case Study in Inventory Optimization and Client Communication I had a recent consulting engagement to help a Fortune 500 company understand tradeoffs between different network designs, reorder points, and quantities. But within the first week, I realized we had a communication problem that would shape the entire four-month engagement. Four stakeholder groups sat around the table, each asking for something different. Executives wanted high-level strategy for network redesign

ciciodonnell

The Optimization Engine: From Cocktail Party to Production Tool

When I joined Target's Fulfillment Strategy team, I wasn't handed a problem statement. I was handed a calendar. My first few weeks were spent sitting in meetings across the department — operational teams, planning teams, inventory management, logistics — observing, asking questions, and taking notes. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. But patterns started to emerge. Different teams were wrestling with what looked like different problems. Where should we open new ful

ciciodonnell

Product Rollouts in Retail: What I Learned About Stakeholder Alignment and Why A/B Testing Isn't Enough

During my time at Target, I led data science support for several high-stakes software rollouts aimed at optimizing store fulfillment operations. These weren't minor tweaks—we're talking about changes to how 1,800 stores physically moved through picking workflows, where a 1-unit improvement in Units Per Hour (UPH) translated to nearly $4 million in annual savings for ship-from-store alone. The projects taught me two hard lessons. First, the non-technical work of aligning stake

ciciodonnell

Case Study: Optimizing Order Fulfillment with Simulation

To improve labor productivity and customer satisfaction across Target’s stores, I led the development of a discrete event simulation. The project created a modular, high-fidelity digital twin of in-store operations, helping teams evaluate trade-offs across staffing strategies, order flow policies, and new consumer offerings. Problem Statement Several operational challenges highlighted the need for a reusable simulation tool. For instance: Labor balancing: Some stores had only

Dec 9, 2025

Zero Evaluation AI: Where are my DS peeps?!

I have a quick story to share. The year is 1904. You’re riding your horse down a dusty road when you see something extraordinary: the very first automobile sputtering past in a cloud of mechanical glory. “Incredible”, you think. “No more shoveling horse shit. The future is amazing!” The next morning, a letter arrives inviting you to an “Automobile Exposition” in town. There will be over a hundred vendors showcasing the newest innovations in motorized travel. You show up at t

Dec 9, 2025

Building an AI-Powered Diet Tool

For the last 20 years, I have been the designated cook when the family gets together for the holidays. Some of my relatives are vegetarian or vegan, some are diabetic, and some are low-carb or Paleo. This Thanksgiving I had to cook a meal that accommodated all of these requirements simultaneously. I realized that I had accumulated a vast amount of knowledge in which substitutions work. For example, I can tell you when to use almond flour versus lentil flour as a substitute f

Dec 9, 2025

Validating Clinical Data for Quality Measures using AI

Today I’m going to walk through a tool built to automate clinical quality validation for HEDIS measures. I contributed to the enhancement...

Aug 6, 2025