Job shop consulting

Can you cite an example? IF there is a common PROBLEM in any given industry, and there is an existing SOLUTION, what do you do that isn't already being done?

They must be really dumb clients that can't find the problem solver before you arrive on the scene.

But, the model, as I understand it, and feel free to clarify is you want to establish a MIDDLEMAN business.

It is a "hook up" biz model, with you the gate, door or TURNSTILE set up between the two. It differs somewhat from a TOLL position simply because the control is over your knowledge and not a product.

The TURNSTILE is easy to understand. A stadium or subway offers good metaphors. People want to get somewhere (a biz wants profits, the problem you solve in some way has to increase their bottom line)...in order to get where they want to go, they have to take the 2nd Ave. Subway. You set up a turnstile and collect the fee every time they ride. OR, in a one off situation, like
a football game...

You sell tickets and they come through the turnstile.

Your OVERsimplification....find industry problems and find problem solvers has a lot of steps in between.

IF you goal is to become a MIDDLEMAN business, then you need to "crunch the numbers" (something you are apparently good at)...

And figure out how many clients are there with unsolved problems, how many solutions can you find, why do they need you...or X x Y = (abc) - kd + 3 = $$

Again, a little clarififcation would help, what does the Math have to do with it?

GordonJ

You're spot on. The turnstile to a football game is a pretty good analogy.

Re-reading myself, I agree what I wrote wasn't too clear. Tbh, I'm still figuring out the concrete steps.

It might be premature but it's been a while since I've talked to anyone outside academia about career, so I'm running a sanity check.

This is an example of what I might want to work on:
One example would be applications of the traveling salesman problem (TSP)
e.g. if a salesman has to visit x number of prospects, what is the shortest route he can take to maximize his time?

It was originally formulated in the context of sales, but with a bit of imagination, the salesman can be replaced easily by trucks, helicopters, airplanes, paperboy , etc. Many many variants can be found.

This is very misleading problem because the most obvious intuitive answers are usually wrong. It looks very easy but it's actually a very hard mathematical problem. It's easy to see how someone might just put a former trucker as a route planner and ignore what's available.

Such instance has been documented in the past. there are case studies where for example a waste management company is able to save something like up to 25% on distance traveled by their trucking fleet once that mistake is rectified.

That's the kind of "common" problem I am thinking of. In many instances there are no off-the-shelf solutions and it's not easy to compare two different ones.

The problem is not the math so much as translating business problems in mathematical terms.
I think that's a worthwhile skill in itself. I think that is something that someone aiming for mathematical literacy , but not wanting to do research (such as yours truly) would be good at.

So basically you are wanting to apply Dijkstra's algorithm in common workspaces? hmm The thing here is the pitch itself would be easy.. save a ton of money by doing this research. but the expense of the research would kill the deal. Would seem to me you need to find yourself a really good Grant proposal writer, and start looking for DOE or DOT grants to assist local business on decreasing overall emissions or petro footprint.

A pretty recent study out of Microsoft labs you might find interesting: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1504.05140v1.pdf Its a pretty decent read for a math head! LOL

I think I would be going in the direction of an app. insert locations, get best route available be it by distance or time or some other variable.

Here is an idea to wrap your head around. Your back in college. Each class location would be a vertex and each path between the classes would be an edge... Scheduling a semester class load, what would be the ideal scheduling with the minimal amount of travel time? how many college campuses are there the world round? and how many students attend college every year? the numbers are kinda mind numbing. 183 million a year in 2011 with an expected 262 million by 2025. 3% of those will be traveling abroad to attend school and will be completely unfamiliar with the school class location layouts. ( and that is a single instance of possible demand )