Operations research

Operations research in context

Operations research also closely relates to industrial engineering. Industrial engineering takes more of an engineering point of view, and industrial engineers typically consider OR techniques to be a major part of their toolset.

Some of the primary tools used by operations researchers are statistics, optimization, stochastics, queueing theory, game theory, graph theory, and simulation. Because of the computational nature of these fields OR also has ties to computer science, and operations researchers regularly use custom-written or off-the-shelf software.

Operations research is distinguished by its ability to look at and improve an entire system, rather than concentrating only on specific elements (though this is often done as well). An operations researcher faced with a new problem is expected to determine which techniques are most appropriate given the nature of the system, the goals for improvement, and constraints on time and computing power. For this and other reasons, the human element of OR is vital. Like any tools, OR techniques cannot solve problems by themselves.

Areas of application

• designing the layout of a factory for efficient flow of materials
• constructing a telecommunications network at low cost while still guaranteeing quality service if particular connections become very busy or get damaged
• determining the routes of school buses so that as few buses are needed as possible
• designing the layout of a computer chip to reduce manufacturing time (therefore reducing cost)
• managing the flow of raw materials and products in a supply chain based on uncertain demand for the finished products
  

  Professional societies

  
  The International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) is an umbrella organization for operations research societies worldwide. Significant among these are the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and the Operational Research Society (ORS). EURO is the association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO). CORS is the Canadian Operations Research Society (CORS). ASOR is the Australian Society for Operations Research (ASOR). MORS is the Military Operations Research Society (MORS)--based in the United States since 1966 with the objective of enhancing the quality and usefulness of military operations research analysis in support of defense decisions.

Origins and the name

It is known as "operational research" in the United Kingdom ("operational analysis" within the UK military and Ministry of Defence, where OR stands for "operational requirements") and as "operations research" in most other English-speaking countries, though OR is a common abbreviation everywhere. The name is somewhat unfortunate, since OR is no longer concerned only with operations, nor does its application involve any research in the traditional sense (though OR research is still carried out to find new or better techniques).

Examples

Blackett's team made a number of crucial analyses which aided the war effort. Britain introduced the convoy system to reduce shipping losses, but while the principle of using warships to accompany merchant ships was generally accepted, it was unclear whether it was better for convoys to be small or large. Convoys travel at the speed of the slowest member, so small convoys can travel faster. It was also argued that small convoys would be harder for German U-boats to detect. On the other hand, large convoys could deploy more warships against an attacker and also the proportion of merchant ships sunk by a U-boat would be lower. Blackett's staff clearly showed that:

• large convoys were more efficient
• the probability of detection by U-boat was statistically unrelated to the size of the convoy
• slow convoys were at greater risk (though considered overall, large convoys were still to be preferred)

See also