A “Google Maps” for gold takes out the SAS Practice Prize
The Business Science Corporation have taken out this year’s SAS Practice Prize with a golden idea that harnesses AI and analytics.
A project that transforms decision-making in gold processing has won the 2025 Melbourne Business School SAS Practice Prize.
Established in 2022, the MBS SAS Practice Prize recognises the best applications of advanced analytics that have resulted in significant and measurable organisational impact with a $10,000 honorarium.
This year’s winners, the Business Science Corporation (BSC), were announced during the SAS Innovate on Tour conference at the W Sydney with the final chaired by Professor of Operations Management Yalçın Akçay and SAS Vice President & Managing Director ANZ Craig Jennings.
Professor Akçay said this year’s finalists demonstrated the sheer breadth of advanced analytics, showcasing its power to solve a diverse spectrum of real-world challenges and deliver measurable organisational impact.
“These businesses are leading the way by harnessing a sophisticated suite of tools, including prescriptive analytics, Large Language Models, and responsible AI frameworks, to create meaningful value and enhance decision making,” Yalçın said.
BSC Managing Director Tony Savides said the winning project came directly from a problem they were trying to solve with a client, a struggling gold processing plant that was facing constant breakdowns and using outdated tools to make decisions.
“When problems occurred, it could take hours to figure out the best response, and by then, costly disruptions had already cascaded throughout the entire operation,” Tony said.
BSC created what they described as "Google Maps for Mining," an intelligent system that continuously analysed real-time plant data and calculated the fastest, most profitable routes for materials to flow through the complex processing network.
“This recognition motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible when human endeavours leverage artificial intelligence,” Tony said.
Global leader in analytics and software solutions SAS was the official sponsor of the Practice Prize building upon a decade-long relationship between SAS and MBS and the Master of Business Analytics program.
Head of SAS Global Academic Program at SAS AP, Ian Edwards said the Prize played an increasingly important role in advancing the field of business analytics by demonstrating proof of impact.
“The Practice Prize helps shift AI and analytics to being seen as a strategic enabler of business performance. It raises the bar for the field, by recognising projects that balance innovation, rigour, and real-world value,” Ian said.
He said this year’s finalists stood out by demonstrating measurable business benefit and putting advanced analytics into action for their organisation and customers.
“They showcased how to cut through complexity to unlock potential and solve real-world challenges.”
The other two companies that made it to the final were SEEK and Suncorp Group.
Seek’s project was a responsible AI Assessment Tool aimed at embedding fairness and bias detection into recruitment algorithms at scale.
The Suncorp Group’s project provided an interpretable NLP solution that detects and corrects miscoded insurance claims, improving data quality and pricing fairness.
For more analytics information and the latest research, stay tuned for the Institute of Digital Innovation and AI (IDIA) page. To stay up to date with the latest developments, follow the official Institute LinkedIn page.
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