Two groups of Industrial Engineering students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines Quezon City (T.I.P. QC) bagged 1st and 3rd place in the Undergraduate Research Competition category of the 5th North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM) held last August 10-14, 2020.
The best research entitled Pandemic Response Based Healthcare Services System Architecture Among Urbanized Communities In The Philippines topped the said category. It focuses on innovating the current telemedicine application to help residents for easy access to proper medication and consultation with doctors regarding their physical health amidst the COVID-19 pandemic through the system architecture, house of quality (HOQ), and multiple regression analysis. It was authored by 5th year IE students Jesraah Nadine Sedavia, Lance Paolo Sacdalan, Christian James Madrid, Zaira Angelica Baliday, and Jerick Timbang.
The other winning research was entitled Quay Crane Scheduling Based Problem: A Process Optimization For An International Container Terminal in the Philippines. It aims to optimize the berth scheduling of quay crane service and waiting times by the application of integer programming and queueing theory in identifying the actual waiting time and service time of an international container terminal in the Philippines. It was authored by another group of 5th year IE students Vincent Salosagcol, Princess Faith Fernandez, Mark Angelo Martinez, and Martin Rafael Valencia.
Industrial Engineering program chair Engr. Arianne Palisoc and faculty member Engr. Yoshiki Kurata guided the students from the start-up to the presentation of their research. Engr. Palisoc praised the dedication and effort exerted by the students, “Due to the pandemic, the teams had limited time and resources but with their grit and determination, they were able to accomplish their research.”
Jesraah Nadine Sedavia shared her team’s experience in joining the competition, “At first, we were hesitant that our research paper would be picked after all the difficulties we encountered while we were doing it, especially amidst a pandemic. But with teamwork, perseverance, and encouragement from the Industrial Engineering Department, we were able to strive through.”
T.I.P. has been joining and winning in IEOM since 2018. When asked about the importance of participating in the competition, Engr. Palisoc noted, “The substantial experience from the competition allowed our students to extend their academic interests, motivate enthusiasm for learning, and expand their vision as future Industrial Engineers.”