OPTIMIZATION

Making Optimization Accessible
to Everyone, Everywhere
With FICO® Xpress
Optimization:
An airline saved $49
million a year in costs
An energy company
reduced CO2 emissions by
20–50 million metric tons
a year
A bank increased newsales by 29%, amounting
to $41 million in revenue
the first year
An auto financecompany helped 10,000
customers a year avoid
delinquency

Optimization is the mathematical process of finding the best
decision for a given business problem within a defined set ofconstraints—and it can be the difference between success andfailure in today’s highly competitive marketplace. FICO® Xpress
Optimization products and services allow businesses to quickly
and easily apply optimization techniques to solve their businessproblems, faster.
Our deep portfolio of optimization options enables users
to easily build, deploy and use optimization solutions thatmeet their needs. Standard capabilities include scalable
high-performance solvers and algorithms, flexible modelingenvironments, rapid application development, comparative
scenario analysis and reporting capabilities, for on-premises
and cloud installations.

Known

RecommendedAction

Variable valuesdiscovered by descriptive& diagnostic analytics

Unknown

Optimize

Variable values
forecasted by
predictive analytics

CapturedConstraints

In business rules
created & edited
by business experts

e.g., HR policies,
campaign exclusions,
regulations

Find best solutions(variable values) thatmaximize the objective
while honoring theconstraints© 2017 Fair Isaac Corporation. All rights reserved.

1

OPTIMIZATION
FICO® Xpress Optimization Products and Services

Designed for Every Level of User
FICO® Xpress Optimization products and services are both deep and wide and provide a framework for all types of users.
They generally serve five main groups and their key requirements are:
BUSINESS ANALYSTSOLUTION
DEVELOPERSDATA SCIENTISTSOPERATIONS RESEARCH
PROFESSIONALSIntuitive scenario
creation

Design and configuration ofdecision impact models

Build web applications/
optimization solutions

Build mathematicalmodels to reflectbusiness problems

Design, develop andconfigure models, services
and solutions

Collaborativevisualization andreporting of results

Define key metriccalculations

Create overall
analysis andvisualizations

Access broad solver andalgorithm choices

Comparative “what-if?”analysis

Detailed decision analysis

Enable business users
and analysts to control
aspects of the modelthrough a user-friendly
interface

Utilize robust andflexible modelinglanguages

Model and metriccustomization

BUSINESS USER

FICO offers products, solutions and services that allow every level of user to successfully utilize optimization to solve business problems.

Key Building Blocks for Successful Optimization
Industry-Leading Optimization
Algorithms and Solvers
FICO offers powerful and versatilesolvers to help you model with greater
accuracy and solve highly complex, realworld problems. We provide a wide arrayof sophisticated optimization algorithms
for solving large-scale linear and mixed
integer problems, as well as non-linear
problems.

Ability to Model the Business Problem
Prescriptive analytics is about much more than the technology. It is vital tounderstand how to construct the problem and to validate the results very carefully,
whether developing a mathematical model or configuring a framework that allows
you to bring together:• Decision variables, constraints and objectives• Profit model of the decision• Predictive and action-effect models• Business expertise

Detailed Scenario Configuration,
Analysis and Reporting

Interactive Visualizations

The true power of optimization to solve
business problems comes from runningcomparative scenarios that show
where you are today, and identifying thepotential opportunities that exist. FICO’soptimization solutions provide a widearray of simulation and optimization
techniques that allow you to modify
constraints and explore trade-offs inorder to identify the optimal strategy thatbest meets your goals and constraints.

Users can explore various optimization scenarios and do side-by-side comparisons to determine
the effectiveness of each strategy. Engaging visualization features help the user easily navigate
the model and key in on important information.

The scenario output provides
tremendous insight into more profitable
decisions and the impact of different
combinations of business objectives,factors and constraints, across different
segments and sub-populations.

Ease of Deployment
FICO optimization solutions have extensive capabilities aimed at streamlining theprocess for creating, managing and deploying optimized decisions into production,either through optimization solutions that directly manage production systems(batch, near real-time or real-time) or by converting decisions into decision rules ordecision trees that can be used in production decision management solutions.
© 2017 Fair Isaac Corporation. All rights reserved.

2

OPTIMIZATIONFICO® Xpress Optimization Products and Services

FICO Optimization Products and Services
FICO has a wide range of tools, solutions and services within its optimization portfolio.

FICO® Xpress
Optimization

Xpress Insight
Visualize, collaborate and decide using solutions

Optimization tools and• Extensible software application for deploying
optimization models as solutions• Scenario management, execution,
file management• Visualization and data analysis

technology for use byKey Building
Blocks for Successful Optimization
operations researchers,• Optimization execution services• Executes Xpress Mosel models using theengines real-world problems.
Optimization
sold in foursolvers toDeploy
FICO offers powerful
andisversatile
help andyouexecutemodelmodels
with greater accuracy andXpress
solveoptimization
highly complex,• Provides SOAP and REST interfaces for FICO
components.
Itisavailable
We provide a wide array of sophisticated, robust optimization algorithms for solving large-scalelinear and mixed integer problems,
TECHNOLOGY
or external applications
on-premises and in the cloud.
data scientists
and solution
Industry-Leading
Optimization
Algorithms and Solvers
developers. FICO Xpress

Xpress Executor

as well as non-linear problems.

• Widest breadth of industry-leading
optimization algorithms and technologies

Ability to Model the Business Problem Xpress Solver
Optimization technologies

Includes Continuous Solvers, Mixed
Prescriptive analytics is about much more than the technology. Powerful tools in the •wrong
hands can do more harm than good.
Integer/Quadratic Solvers, Non-Linear Solvers,
It is vital to understand how to construct the problem and to validate the results very carefully,
developinga Tuner
program orConstraintwhether
Programmingand Xpress
configuring a framework that allows you to bring together:

Xpress Workbench• Decision variables, constraints and objectives• Profit model of the decision

Develop models, services and solutions

FICO® Xpress
OptimizationSolutions• Includes Xpress Mosel, an algebraic modeling& procedural program language• Directly supports Python, Matlab, Xpress BCL• Predictive and action-effect models• Business expertise• Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for
developing models, services and solutions

FICO Xpress Optimization Solutions have been applied successfully across hundredsof use cases, including the following:
Use cases:• Logistics and Supply
Chain Planning• Vehicle Route Planning

Industries:• Fraud Referral• Banking and Financial Services• Transportation and Logistics• Social Networks• Energy and Utilities• Call Center Management• Health Management andResource Planning• Process Industry Optimization• Education

Detailed Scenario
Analysis and Reporting
Point-and-clickConfiguration,
applications• Account Originations
designed for use by business

The true power of optimization to solve business problems comes from running comparative scenarios that show where youusers and analysts to run and• Personnel Planning• Manufacturing• Ad Placement
are today, andanalyze
identify
the potential opportunities
that exist. FICO’s optimization
solutions provide a widearray of simulation andoptimization• Scheduling• Telecommunications• Merchandising
scenarios in highly
optimization techniquesthat intuitive
allow you to modify
constraints
in orderGoods
to identify• theoptimal strategy that• Production
Planningand explore •trade-offs
RetailConsumer Packaged
andvisualuserinterfaces.
•RetailSpacePlanning•
ConsumerGoods•
Hospitality
Pricing
best meets your goals and constraints.
•MaintenancePlanning•Technology•
NaturalResource
Extraction
SOLUTIONS• Logistics
SupplyChain• Healthcare(Biotech, Medical,• Pricing andand Revenue
The scenario output provides tremendous insight
intoandmore
profitable
decisionsthe impact of different
combinationsofPharmaceutical)
Marketingdifferent
Channel andbusiness objectives, factors and constraints,• acrosssegments andManagement
sub-populations.
Offer Management

Ease of Deployment• Collection Optimization• Deposit Pricing• Defense• National and Local Government• Mortgage Pricing
FICO optimization solutions have extensive capabilities
aimed at streamlining the process for creating, managing and deploying• Alternative Deal Structure Pricing • Utilities Generation andoptimized decisions into production, either throughoptimization
solutions that
directly manage production systems (batch, nearDistribution• Credit Limit Management
real-time or real-time), or by converting decisions
into decisionrules or decision trees that can be used in production decision• Transaction
Authorization
management solutions.
FICO can help you develop a custom FICO optimization solution for just about any business problem.

FICO® Xpress
Optimization Services
SERVICESBest-in-class optimization
solution services

Work with FICO experts to tailor solutions,services and training to meet your needs• Outsourced Solution Creation• Partnership Development Projects• Methodology Knowledge Transfer• Standard Methodology and Frameworks• OR and Business Domain Experts• Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics© 2017 Fair Isaac Corporation. All rights reserved.

3

OPTIMIZATIONFICO® Xpress Optimization Products and Services

With more than 30 years of experience in modeling and optimization,
FICO brings a wealth of knowledge to help our clients apply
optimization to all their complex decisions, whether through ourtools, solutions or custom development services. FICO’s suite ofoptimization products, solutions and services can help you develop
better decisions that are more profitable, more manageable and meetyour business goals and constraints.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.fico.com
www.fico.com/blogs

NORTH AMERICA+1 888 342 6336
info@fico.com

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN+55 11 5189 8267
LAC_info@fico.com

For more information and tolearn how to try our software
or get a demo, visit
www.fico.com/optimization.

EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA+44 (0) 207 940 8718
emeainfo@fico.com

ASIA PACIFIC+65 6422 7700
infoasia@fico.com

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and in other countries. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
© 2017 Fair Isaac Corporation. All rights reserved.
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