Beyond ROI: The Personal and Social Value of Decision Intelligence Technology

By Kostja Siefen and Ronald van der Velden

When it comes to implementing new technologies, most business leaders have one question in mind: What’s the return on investment (ROI)? In these discussions, the bottom line often takes center stage.  

But to focus solely on direct financial returns is to ignore the bigger picture. What if the true value of decision intelligence technology like mathematical optimization extended beyond financial gains to benefit our everyday lives, and even society at large?  

Thousands of companies around the world use mathematical optimization, a powerful decision intelligence technology, to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize profits. However, its potential to create personal and social value is equally profound.  

By examining how mathematical optimization drives broader impacts—from reduced waste to streamlined aid distribution—we can develop a fuller understanding of its true worth.  

Redefining Value  

Traditionally, ROI is used to measure financial success—and mathematical optimization certainly delivers. In fact, according to a Forrester Total Economic Impact study, Gurobi’s technology provides an estimated ROI of 518%.  

However, this technology’s ability to create scalable solutions for complex problems makes it uniquely positioned to address challenges that extend beyond the boardroom. This is especially important as more and more businesses look to align their financial goals with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives.  

Core Drivers of Optimization’s Value

There are several core drivers that define the transformative potential of mathematical optimization: 

1. Significant Time Savings: Faster decision-making accelerates processes, facilitating faster reactions to critical problems.
2. Improved Quality: Optimized outcomes can be held to higher standards and scrutiny compared to other methods, improving reliability and leading to greater benefits. That’s because optimization makes it possible to not only minimize costs, but also maximize adherence to quality restrictions.
3. Higher Throughput: By maximizing the efficiency and productivity of existing resources, optimization enables organizations to do more with less, eliminating the need to invest in additional resources.
4. Better Explainability: Transparent models foster trust and make it easier to explain decisions to leadership by explicitly describing the decision-making process, along with rules and objectives.
5. Complexity Management: Mathematical optimization is a powerful technology for handling system complexity, making decision situations with many factors, dimensions, and dependencies more manageable and actionable.

These value drivers illustrate why mathematical optimization remains relevant and impactful across industries and applications. But how can these qualities drive impact beyond the bottom line? 

Societal Impact of Optimization

The social impact of optimization extends across many sectors, improving efficiency, sustainability, and accessibility in ways that directly benefit society. For example: 

• Energy Distribution: Optimization can help balance electricity supply and demand and create plans for long-term grid investments. This can ensure stable energy distribution, promote sustainability, and justify infrastructure improvements.  

• Healthcare: Efficient resource allocation improves patient care by ensuring that medical facilities are adequately staffed and supplied. Optimized staffing and scheduling can significantly enhance a patient’s experience by reducing wait times and improving therapeutic progress. 

• Public Transportation: Smarter routing algorithms reduce congestion, improve reliability, and enhance mobility for urban populations. Numerous decisions shape the travel experience, and mathematical optimization can make a significant impact—from timetabling to disruption management. 

In addition to these societal benefits, optimization also supports humanitarian efforts by ensuring that aid reaches those in need quickly and efficiently.  

Through Gurobi Gives Back, qualifying nonprofits—such as ESUPS, a humanitarian logistics and preparedness project—can access free, full-featured Gurobi licenses to optimize their operations and advance their work toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 

Sustainability and Adaptability

A healthy environment is essential for long-term societal well-being. Optimization can support a wide range of sustainability initiatives by enabling: 

• Waste Reduction: Manufacturing processes can be optimized to minimize material and energy usage. Reducing waste can significantly lower emissions, promote efficient recycling, and minimize pollutants that harm air, water, and soil quality. 

• Sustainable Resource Allocation: Industries like agriculture use mathematical optimization to conserve resources while maintaining productivity. This results in more efficient water and energy management, reduced use of chemicals such as fertilizers and biocides, and ultimately, improved soil health and lower greenhouse gas emissions.  

• Adaptability: The world is constantly evolving, and mathematical optimization technology keeps up effortlessly. Whether it’s responding to market trends, unforeseen disruptions, or new constraints, decision intelligence technology ensures smarter, faster, and more efficient decision-making in an ever-changing landscape. 

Personal Impact

While optimization has the power to transform enterprises, the environment, and society as a whole, its impacts can also be felt in our personal lives.  

For example:

• Enhanced Quality of Life: In cities, optimized traffic flow reduces commute times and even makes parking easier, while efficient delivery systems ensure quicker access to goods. 

• Workplace Efficiency: Decision intelligence tools enable planners and decision-makers to spend less time on manual processes and more time analyzing and optimizing outcomes. Employees gain more time for strategic thinking as repetitive tasks are automated and processes are streamlined. 

• Customer Experience: Real-time optimization in industries like food delivery or e-commerce enhances service reliability and customer satisfaction. 

By streamlining systems and simplifying complexity, optimization empowers individuals to lead more productive and less stressful lives. 

Embracing a Broader Perspective

The power of mathematical optimization extends far beyond profits. The question isn’t just how it can increase ROI, but how it can help us all live better lives.  

At Gurobi, we know that whether it’s reducing waste, improving quality, or saving time, optimization has the potential to shape a better, more sustainable future. That’s why we offer free, full-featured Gurobi licenses for qualifying non-profit organizations working to support at least one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 

Learn more about the Gurobi Gives Back program, or request an evaluation license today to experience the difference Gurobi can make for you.