{"686987":{"#nid":"686987","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Synthetex Team Named Winner of 2025 Fall Senior Design Competition  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOf the 17 teams of undergraduates in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial \u0026amp; Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE), the \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/capstone.isye.gatech.edu\/research\/inventory-innovations-supporting-synthetexs-transition-make-stock\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInventory Innovation: SyntheteX Marks the Spot\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d group has been named winner of the Fall 2025 Senior Design Competition.\u202fStudents Aanan Biswas, Ethan Benater, Will Fox, Molly Hickman, Sristi Karamchandani, Guzide Melis Kargin, Rohin Shah, and Joshua Wen were selected for their project, working under the guidance of faculty advisor Alexander Shapiro.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Growing Manufacturer Facing Volatile Demand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESynthetex is a Georgia-based manufacturer of geosynthetic fabric systems used for erosion control and infrastructure protection, with headquarters in Peachtree Corners and a production facility in Toccoa. With dozens of products and extensive customization, the organization operates in a complex manufacturing environment shaped by fluctuating construction demand. Historically, Synthetex relied on a make-to-order system, leading to sharp swings between overtime-heavy production and prolonged idle periods, delayed material procurement, and workforce challenges. These factors pushed average lead times beyond 12 weeks, sometimes as long as six months, putting customer deadlines at risk. To address these challenges, the winning senior design team developed a comprehensive plan to transition Synthetex to a proactive, hybrid production model.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERedesigning the System from the Ground Up\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWhen we analyzed the sales pipeline, we found that one in four orders experienced margin loss,\u201d said Aanan Biswas during the team\u2019s final presentation, noting that expediting materials and paying overtime eroded profitability, as one in ten orders was lost due to long lead times.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than optimizing the constraints of the existing system, the team proposed a fundamental redesign.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe students\u2019 solution centered on three integrated design changes: introducing strategic safety stock for raw materials so production can begin immediately, using idle-time production planning to turn unused capacity into semi-finished inventory, and redesigning the facility layout to accommodate higher inventory levels while meeting safety requirements. Together, these changes create a data-driven production planning framework that puts the right products on the right machines at the right time, reducing changeovers and avoiding stockouts.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing Data to Make Measurable Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cOne of the key ways that we\u0027re helping Synthetex derive value from this project is through its data,\u201d said Rohin Shah. The team took their client\u2019s siloed data sources and created a streamlined solution. \u201cFor example, if the client wanted to look at its material usage, they would have to hunt through dozens of files in SharePoint and extract all of that manually, before even being able to look at that data. With our automated solution, it\u2019s structured, it\u0027s aggregated, it\u0027s tabulated, and easy to use and analyze. Ultimately, in the future state, every decision that Synthetex makes has the potential to be data-driven because of these automated data assets.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe redesigned system is projected to cut average lead times by nearly 39% (from more than 12 weeks to under 7.5 weeks) while significantly reducing margin losses and lowering the rate of lost orders from one in ten to one in fourteen. Overall, the team estimates a 14% increase in profit in the first year alone, and Synthetex has already begun implementing the recommendations with an initial investment of approximately $7,000.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClient Praise for Insight, Dedication, and Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERachel Wewengkang (IE 2023), Business Analyst at Synthetex and the team\u2019s primary client contact, praised both the impact of the students\u2019 work and the process behind it.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cInitially, the project was submitted with a focus on pricing optimization. However, after conducting lots of research, the team proposed a change in scope that proved to be far more valuable,\u201d said Wewengkang. \u201cTheir solution would give us significant improvement in inventory management. Their second opportunity provides a pathway to utilize idle resources for bulk roll production, supported by a model that prioritizes production decisions with data-driven evidence.\u201d\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWewengkang also highlighted the students\u2019 persistence and initiative throughout the project, noting how they not have access to all the data they ideally needed. Nonetheless, they impressed the client by working with limited information, gathering new data where possible, and making well-reasoned assumptions to deliver meaningful results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Senior Design Experience That Defines ISyE\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAll fourth-year students in ISyE culminate their undergraduate educational experience with the Senior Design course to provide firsthand experience in solving real world problems in a team environment. Groups work with leading businesses and organizations to take engineering principles learned in the classroom and apply them to create solutions. The other finalist in this semester\u2019s competition, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/capstone.isye.gatech.edu\/research\/perfecting-pin-placement\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPerfecting Pin Placement (Green Jackets)\u003C\/a\u003E, worked with a top golf course to help their client make more informed and consistent daily pin-placement decisions for their tournament.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty leaders say the project exemplifies the purpose and impact of ISyE\u2019s senior design program.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI couldn\u2019t be prouder of what our students accomplish in senior design,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/dima-nazzal\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDima Nazzal\u003C\/a\u003E, ISyE Associate Chair for Academic Administration.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese projects represent not just technical excellence, but a journey filled with challenges and perseverance. Our alumni often tell us that senior design was the most impactful experience of their education, and it\u2019s because of this exact process of learning to push through uncertainty and ambiguity to create impact.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course is intentionally structured to mirror real-world engineering practice, explained \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/gamze-tokol-goldsman\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGamze Tokol-Goldsman\u003C\/a\u003E, ISyE Senior Lecturer and Senior Design Co-Coordinator. Tokol-Goldsman also works alongside ISyE Senior Lecturer and Senior Design Co-Coordinator \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/ying-li\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELaura Li\u003C\/a\u003E, to provide students with guidance during the semester. Li added that the open-ended nature of the experience is often the greatest challenge, and the greatest source of growth.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is a journey; students must learn how to formulate a problem and analyze that problem, and they are doing everything on their own. In the end, we\u2019re always pleasantly surprised by how much they\u2019ve learned throughout the process. That\u2019s the most enjoyable part \u2013 to see how much progress the students have been making.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPreparing Engineers to Lead Through Ambiguity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFor this semester\u2019s winning Senior Design team, the recognition marks the culmination of months of analysis, site visits, modeling, and iteration, but also the beginning of their professional impact beyond the classroom.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy delivering a solution that Synthetex is already putting into practice, the students demonstrated not only technical mastery, but the ability to navigate ambiguity, collaborate with industry partners, and design systems that create lasting value\u2014hallmarks of the ISyE senior design experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough collaboration with Synthetex, the ISyE senior design team delivered a comprehensive, data-driven redesign of the company\u2019s production and inventory systems, addressing long-standing challenges. By combining strategic inventory planning, idle-time production optimization, and facility layout redesign, the students created practical tools and frameworks that are already being implemented and are projected to significantly improve efficiency, profitability, and long-term operational stability.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students deliver a practical, data-driven solution that is transforming how Synthetex plans inventory, manages production, and serves its customers. "}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2025-12-18 15:33:48","changed_gmt":"2025-12-29 18:53:05","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678890":{"id":"678890","type":"image","title":"ISyE Senior Design Winners - SyntheX Marks the Spot ","body":null,"created":"1766072034","gmt_created":"2025-12-18 15:33:54","changed":"1766072034","gmt_changed":"2025-12-18 15:33:54","alt":"ISyE Senior Design Winners - SyntheX Marks the Spot ","file":{"fid":"262980","name":"Synthetex.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/18\/Synthetex.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/18\/Synthetex.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2292580,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/18\/Synthetex.jpg?itok=y7O2I6U7"}},"678891":{"id":"678891","type":"image","title":"ISyE Senior Design Finalists - Green Jackets","body":null,"created":"1766072090","gmt_created":"2025-12-18 15:34:50","changed":"1766072090","gmt_changed":"2025-12-18 15:34:50","alt":"ISyE Senior Design Finalists - Green Jackets","file":{"fid":"262981","name":"IMG_3914.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/18\/IMG_3914.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/18\/IMG_3914.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2088615,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/18\/IMG_3914.jpg?itok=UdzmD18I"}}},"media_ids":["678890","678891"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167319","name":"senior design"},{"id":"180027","name":". ISyE"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EErin Whitlock Brown, Communications Manager II\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}