Transform Enterprise Operations with Scalable AI Solutions
Cut through the complexity of operational bottlenecks. Our research-backed AI optimization delivers not just efficiency, but clear, measurable ROI by turning your most complex challenges into streamlined, high-performing processes.
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Who Are Our Services For?
Trusted by leading organizations across industries
Sports Organizations & Leagues
We help sports leagues and federations create fair, efficient schedules that balance competitive integrity, travel costs, venue availability, and broadcast requirements—saving time and millions in operational costs.
Educational Institutions
Universities and schools trust us to build optimal timetables that eliminate conflicts, maximize resource utilization, and improve satisfaction for students and faculty alike.
Manufacturing Companies
We optimize production schedules, minimize changeover times, and balance workloads across multiple lines—helping manufacturers increase throughput while reducing costs and waste.
Healthcare Facilities
Hospitals and clinics rely on our workforce scheduling solutions to ensure optimal staffing coverage, match specialized skills to departments, and reduce overtime costs while improving staff satisfaction.
Logistics & Distribution
Delivery companies and logistics providers use our route optimization to cut fuel costs, improve on-time performance, and handle more deliveries with fewer vehicles—all while reducing carbon footprint.
Warehousing & Fulfillment
E-commerce and distribution centers benefit from our space optimization solutions that reduce picking time, maximize storage capacity, and adapt to seasonal demand changes without facility expansion.
Explore detailed sub-niches and 24+ practical examples
The Reality in Many Operations
Many organizations struggle with the same operational challenges: Schedules take weeks to create manually, resources sit idle while others are overworked, and planning decisions rely on gut feeling rather than data.
At the same time, optimization is everywhere in theory—but between academic research and practical application, there's a huge gap. You know there's potential, but don't know where to start or if it's worth the investment.
Manual scheduling takes weeks and still has conflicts
Resources are wasted due to poor planning
Decisions based on intuition, not data
Optimization sounds promising—but you don't know where to begin
Why Virtual Optima?
We bridge the gap between advanced academic research and real-world operational challenges, transforming complex problems into tangible results.
"The Architect" Pose
Owner A, Technical Lead - The Architect
Direct gaze, hands on laptop, organized algorithm display, clean workspace
Academic Foundation
20+ years of pioneering research in mathematical optimization and operations research. Born as a spin-off from the University of Fribourg, our expertise runs deeper than any off-the-shelf tool.
Practical Focus
Industry-specific solutions tailored to your unique operational needs. We don't deliver generic software—we model your exact constraints, your real data, and your specific objectives.
Quantifiable Results
Proven efficiency gains, cost reductions, and enhanced decision-making. Every solution we deliver comes with measurable KPIs so you know exactly what you're getting.
Long-Term Partnerships
Trusted by leading organizations for sustained operational excellence. From the Swiss Ice Hockey Association to multinational manufacturers, our clients stay with us because results compound over time.
Practical Examples from the Industry
Optimization Solutions in Action
Challenge: Fair Season Schedule
Creating a balanced fixture list where every team plays each opponent equally at home and away, without exhausting travel or unfair advantages.
Solution
Our system automatically generates schedules ensuring perfect balance—no team gets an easier path than others, and travel distances are distributed fairly across all teams.
Results
- Perfect home/away balance for all teams
- 90% reduction in scheduling time (3 weeks → 2 hours)
- €966K saved in travel costs annually
- Zero scheduling conflicts or bias
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Managing Venue Conflicts
Stadiums host concerts, other sports, and maintenance—making certain dates unavailable while still completing the season on time.
Solution
Our optimizer works around thousands of blackout dates while maintaining schedule quality, automatically finding the best game placement without manual trial-and-error.
Results
- Handles 500+ venue restrictions simultaneously
- 100% conflict-free schedules
- Maintains competitive balance despite constraints
- Flexible rescheduling for last-minute changes
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: TV Broadcast Optimization
Networks want prime matchups during peak viewing times, but every team deserves fair exposure and revenue opportunities.
Solution
We balance broadcast requirements with fairness rules, ensuring marquee games fill prime slots while every team gets their share of TV coverage and revenue.
Results
- Optimized prime-time slot allocation
- Fair TV exposure across all teams
- 25% increase in viewer engagement
- Maximized broadcast revenue potential
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Minimizing Player Fatigue
Back-to-back games, long road trips, and compressed schedules impact player performance and injury risk.
Solution
Our algorithm ensures adequate rest between games, limits consecutive away games, and minimizes cross-country back-to-backs to keep players fresh throughout the season.
Results
- No more than 3 consecutive away games
- Mandatory rest days between games
- 40% reduction in travel-related fatigue
- Improved competitive balance
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Student Schedule Conflicts
Students need specific courses but they're often scheduled at overlapping times, forcing difficult choices or delayed graduations.
Solution
Our system analyzes all student needs and creates timetables where required courses never conflict, so students get everything they need each semester.
Results
- 95% conflict elimination for required courses
- Students graduate on time
- 85% satisfaction with schedule quality
- Reduced need for course overrides
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Efficient Room Utilization
Large lectures need auditoriums, labs need equipment, but these specialized spaces sit empty while smaller rooms overflow.
Solution
We match every class to the perfect room size and type, maximizing space usage throughout the day while meeting all technical requirements.
Results
- 31% better room utilization
- Labs and equipment properly allocated
- Eliminated double-bookings
- Reduced need for additional facilities
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Professor Availability
Faculty teach multiple courses, attend meetings, and have research time—all needing coordination across hundreds of instructors.
Solution
Our optimizer respects every professor's constraints and preferences while building a complete timetable, eliminating teaching conflicts automatically.
Results
- Zero professor double-bookings
- 80% of preferred time slots honored
- Balanced teaching loads
- More time for research and office hours
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Minimizing Student Gaps
Students waste hours between classes or face rushed schedules with no breaks for lunch or commuting.
Solution
We create compact schedules that minimize idle time while ensuring reasonable breaks, optimizing for both efficiency and student wellbeing.
Results
- 45% reduction in schedule gaps
- Fewer campus commutes per week
- Better work-life balance for students
- Increased attendance rates
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Changeover Time Waste
Switching between products means stopping production, cleaning equipment, and adjusting settings—wasting 1-4 hours per change.
Solution
We determine the optimal production sequence that minimizes changeovers and groups similar products together, keeping your lines running longer.
Results
- 47% reduction in changeover time
- 31% throughput increase
- €2.3M annual savings
- More products with same resources
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Meeting Fluctuating Demand
Customer orders vary daily but production runs are inflexible, leading to stockouts or excess inventory eating up warehouse space.
Solution
Our system creates dynamic production plans that match demand patterns while balancing inventory costs and machine capacity.
Results
- 99% order fulfillment rate
- 35% reduction in inventory costs
- No stockouts on key products
- Just-in-time production achieved
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Maintenance Scheduling
Machines need regular maintenance but stopping production loses money—timing is critical to minimize impact.
Solution
We schedule preventive maintenance during natural production gaps and low-demand periods, protecting equipment without sacrificing output.
Results
- Zero unplanned downtime
- 28% longer equipment lifespan
- Maintenance during optimal windows
- Production targets consistently met
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Multi-Line Balancing
Some lines run overtime while others sit idle, creating bottlenecks and uneven costs across your facility.
Solution
Our optimizer distributes work evenly across all production lines based on capacity, speed, and product compatibility.
Results
- Balanced workload across all lines
- 23% reduction in overtime costs
- Eliminated bottlenecks
- Consistent output across shifts
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Coverage Gaps
Not enough staff during busy periods, too many during quiet times—leading to either service failures or wasted labor costs.
Solution
We calculate exact staffing needs hour-by-hour and build schedules that match demand perfectly while respecting labor budgets.
Results
- Optimal coverage 24/7
- 20% reduction in overtime costs
- No understaffing during peak hours
- Minimized idle time
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Skill Matching
Nurses have specialties, but schedules often mismatch skills to departments, compromising patient care or forcing expensive adjustments.
Solution
Our system assigns staff based on qualifications, matching ICU-certified nurses to ICU shifts and specialists where they're needed most.
Results
- 100% qualified coverage per department
- Better patient outcomes
- Reduced training incidents
- Staff working in their expertise areas
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Fair Shift Distribution
Night shifts and weekends are unpopular but necessary—unfair rotation creates resentment and turnover.
Solution
We automatically rotate undesirable shifts fairly across all staff while respecting seniority, preferences, and legal rest requirements.
Results
- Equal distribution of night/weekend shifts
- 35% fewer schedule complaints
- Improved staff retention
- Transparent fairness for all
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Last-Minute Changes
Staff call in sick, emergencies happen, but finding replacements manually takes hours and often fails to maintain coverage.
Solution
Our system instantly identifies qualified replacements who are available and rested, enabling quick schedule adjustments without coverage gaps.
Results
- Replacement staff found in minutes
- Maintained coverage during emergencies
- Reduced manager stress
- Compliance with rest period rules
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Delivery Time Windows
Customers want packages within 30-minute windows, but coordinating hundreds of deliveries across a city seems impossible.
Solution
Our routing algorithm plans optimal routes that hit every time window while minimizing drive time and fuel consumption.
Results
- 98% on-time delivery rate
- 22% reduction in total distance
- €180K annual fuel savings
- Happier customers, fewer complaints
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Vehicle Capacity Management
Trucks have weight and space limits, but manual route planning often results in half-empty vehicles or overloaded trucks.
Solution
We calculate optimal package combinations per vehicle, maximizing capacity utilization while respecting weight and volume constraints.
Results
- 28% more deliveries per vehicle
- Fewer trucks needed daily
- Reduced fleet operating costs
- Optimized cargo space usage
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Dynamic Re-Routing
Urgent orders arrive mid-day, but existing routes are already planned—forcing suboptimal additions or delayed deliveries.
Solution
Our system instantly recalculates routes to insert urgent deliveries with minimal disruption to existing schedules.
Results
- Real-time route adjustments in seconds
- Same-day urgent delivery capability
- Minimal impact on planned routes
- Maintained efficiency despite changes
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Driver Workload Balance
Some drivers finish early while others work overtime, creating fairness issues and excessive labor costs.
Solution
We distribute deliveries evenly across drivers based on historical performance data, ensuring balanced 8-hour workdays for everyone.
Results
- Equal workload distribution
- Reduced overtime by 30%
- Improved driver satisfaction
- Lower turnover rates
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Picking Distance Waste
Popular items stored far from packing stations means workers walk miles daily just to fulfill orders.
Solution
We analyze order patterns and place high-velocity items closest to packing areas, minimizing travel for your most frequent picks.
Results
- 35% reduction in picking time
- €450K annual labor savings
- Workers walk 40% less per shift
- Faster order fulfillment
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Wasted Vertical Space
Large items sit on bottom shelves while light, small items occupy premium eye-level spots—inefficient use of cubic capacity.
Solution
Our optimizer assigns items to slots based on size, weight, and picking frequency, maximizing 3D space utilization throughout your warehouse.
Results
- 23% increase in storage capacity
- No need for warehouse expansion
- Proper weight distribution for safety
- Accommodates 50% inventory growth
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Co-Located Items
Products often ordered together are stored far apart, forcing workers to traverse the entire warehouse per order.
Solution
We group frequently co-purchased items in the same zones, so related products are picked together in one efficient trip.
Results
- 40% faster multi-item order picking
- Reduced errors from complex routing
- Higher orders per hour per worker
- Improved order accuracy
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Challenge: Seasonal Demand Shifts
Holiday items take up prime space year-round, while seasonal products occupy wrong zones during peak demand periods.
Solution
Our system recommends dynamic slotting adjustments based on demand forecasts, moving seasonal items to optimal locations before peak periods.
Results
- Proactive seasonal repositioning
- No bottlenecks during peak seasons
- Maintained efficiency year-round
- Adaptive to market changes
Expert Note: Most systems miss optimizations like this because they don't account for multiple constraints simultaneously.
Let's Work Together!
From initial analysis to ongoing optimization – a clear, proven process.
"The Welcome" Pose
Owner B, Business Expert
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Initial Consultation
We will discuss your current situation, challenges and goals. We will show you where we can help in your specific case.
Modelling
We'll build a mathematical model out of your challenge and build a first prototype.
Implementation & Testing
We integrate the solution into your operations, test thoroughly, and refine based on real-world performance.
Optimization & Support
Ongoing monitoring, adjustments, and support to ensure sustained performance improvements and ROI.
Typical Project Timeline
Initial results within 2-4 weeks | Full implementation in 6-8 weeks
FAQ
Everything you need to know before we start.
Who is this suitable for?
Our solutions serve organizations across sports, education, manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and warehousing. From small institutions to large enterprises, we tailor our approach to your specific operational challenges and scale.
How much does the collaboration cost?
The costs depend heavily on the scope and your specific needs. Every business is different, and we tailor our solutions individually. In an initial consultation, we analyze your situation and create a transparent offer that fits your budget and goals.
How long does implementation take?
A typical project takes 2–4 months from kickoff to go-live. The initial analysis is completed in around 1 month. More complex systems with multiple integrations can take 6–10 months. We define clear milestones in advance.
Do I have to change my existing systems?
No. In most cases, we integrate optimization solutions into your existing infrastructure (ERP, WMS, SIS, etc.). If a change makes sense, we will discuss this with you transparently—but we don't force anyone to use a completely new system.
Do I need technical expertise?
No. Our job is to manage the technology for you. You and your team will receive a brief, practical introduction. The systems are designed to be easy to use on a daily basis—without you having to understand programming or complicated mathematical formulations.
What if it doesn't work after launch?
Every project includes a test phase before go-live and a follow-up support phase afterwards. If something isn't working as desired, we'll optimize it. With ongoing support, we're regularly optimizing anyway and can intervene quickly.
Still have questions?
We're happy to discuss your specific optimization challenges in detail.
Schedule a ConsultationReady for better operations and less overhead?
Tell us about you. We'll demonstrate how advanced optimization can transform your operations and drive measurable results.
"We personally review every inquiry within 24 hours and provide honest guidance"
— Tim & Reto
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