O.R./Analytics at Work Blog
Blog Entries for blog challenge
First, I would like to apologize for being woefully remiss in my blog facilitation duties. But, on the bright side, we have some great things for you that have been keeping us busy here at the home office. Most of the summer was occupied by the conversion of the Highwire platform from H10 to H20, so you have a better user experience when you view your journals online. We are also getting ready for 2012 membership renewals to start, with some exciting additions to your member benefits. You will now have two online journals included (print will have a small surcharge) with your membership, so start thinking about which journal you want to pick; perhaps choose our new addition, Service Science? In order to encourage members to be green and renew online, we will be having a drawing for an iPad for members who renew online between October 3 and October 21.
But now, on to the good stuff… The last challenge was O.R. and Social Networking, and has become quite the hot topic around the INFORMS office. In August, the INFORMS Board of Directors highlighted social networking in one of their official strategic goals and priorities, which states, “INFORMS will provide up-to-date ONLINE systems that enable and encourage access, collaboration, and effective exchange of information, content, services, and benefits to and among our members, potential members, and those interested in knowing more about OR/MS and analytics.” INFORMS maintains accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and an “unofficial” Google + account listed under our fearless leader, Melissa Moore. These have become great places to connect and share with fellow O.R. and analytics people. At the upcoming 2011 INFORMS Annual Meeting, there will be a session held on Monday, November 14 entitled, “Bringing O.R. into the 21st century with Social Networking and Web 2.0 Tools” with Bjarni Kristjansson (@bjarnimax), Tim Hopper (@tdhopper), Laura McLay (@lamclay), Paul Rubin (@parubin), and Michael Trick (@miketrick). Try to attend and do some live-real-time social networking, and keep an eye on the @INFORMS2011 twitter feed for some impromptu “tweet-ups.”
September Blog Challenge: O.R. and the Environment. Please send entries to graphics@mail.informs.org.
O.R. and Social Networking
Anna Nagurney
- Social Networking and a Great INFORMS Student Chapter
- The INFORMS Speakers Program and Social and Professional Networking
Paul Rubin
David Smith
Nathan Brixius
Marianela Pereira
Michael Trick
Thiago Serra
Tallys Yunes
As we say a final farewell to our favorite Harry Potter characters this summer and return to the land of the Muggles, I have to wonder what these muggles – non-wizardy folks with no magical ability – had to say about the events that were taking place right under their noses. Did they even realize they were benefiting from the magic surrounding them? Were the “Mudbloods” ever at a graphic design conference trying to explain how the society they worked for had the potential to make the world a better, more efficient place to live? Oh, wait, that was me.
One of the challenges we face is getting the OR/MS and analytics professions more recognized in fields that need it the most. Many times this requires an explanation and selling of the benefits of O.R. to the uninitiated. So this lighthearted blog challenge for June inspired some of our own O.R. wizards to give their take on trying to explain operations research and analytics to “muggles.” And while it may not be magic, O.R. does have the power to transform.
A warm welcome to David Woods, who posted his first entry to the INFORMS Blog Challenge! He posted on his blog, Simplexify, “Let’s learn from owls and disrupt the postal service.” Note to David: Maybe team up with Mike Trick based on his upgrade from being a mail muggle.
The Capgemini Blog Team submitted four entries in a series featuring the potential for analytics in the London 2012 Olympic Games, including comics!
- Olympic tickets – were you in the winning segment?
- Olympic Tickets bought – How do I get there?
- Mining Olympic Data Gold
- Forecasting a Successful Olympics
"Modelling Magic", the blog entry from O.R. at Work’s John Poppelaars, gives a great condensed history of O.R. and some examples of the magic in action.
“The Science of Better Owl Deliveries,” posted by David Smith, convincing us that O.R. is alive and well at Hogwarts.
Laura McLay gives 10 good reasons "Why We Need Operations Research" on her blog, Punk Rock Operations Research.
“The model as spell and the solver as a wand: O.R. magic for a muggles’ world,” submitted by Thiago Serra.
Mike Trick blogs on “Explaing O.R. to, and being, a Muggle.”
O.R. by the Beach not only blogged but provided a three-part series, written and illustrated by Talleys Yunes, titled “Rescue Mission.”
Paul Rubin blogs on “Hitting the Muggles from All Sides.” And while we take full responsibility for the term “muggles” in the challenge, hopefully you get a bump in traffic anyway.
July’s challenge is O.R. and social networking. Send entries to graphics@mail.informs.org by August 4th.
“Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
catch me a catch
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Look through your book,
And make me a perfect match.”
- Inspired by Larry D’Agostino’s mention of Fiddler on the Roof.
Everything from pink spreadsheets to photos of O.R. memories, love and O.R. were in the blogosphere for the month of February. The blog “O.R. at Work” is involved at a global level with #LoveSafely and the North Star Alliance to provide healthcare services and supplies across Africa to help with the fight against AIDS. O.R. can help in your personal search for love (secretary problem), wooing (transportation problem), and wedding planning (logistics and supplying fake guests.) However, O.R. involvement in relationships should end with the wedding reception, based on Laura McLay’s advice, “Do not try to optimize your spouse.” Capgemini discussed online dating, and then ran a matchmaking exercise to ensure that our bloggers would not be alone on Valentine’s Day. Love will remain as the weather begins to turn warm, but the warm breezes bring to mind spring and…Sports!
So bloggers, O.R. and Sports is your March challenge. E-mail your entries to graphics@mail.informs.org.
A side note to Mike Trick: I hope your secretary (I mean wife) didn’t see your blog. ;)
Read our entries to the February Challenge O.R. and Love
- #LoveSafely, John Poppelaars
- love & operations research, Laura McLay
- Faking It On Your Wedding Day, Aleksey Nozdryn-Plotnicki
- Finding Love Optimally, Mike Trick
- How can Cupid use Operations Research?, Thiago Serra
- Cupids with Computers, Capgemini O.R. Blog Team
- Why I love O.R. – A Photo Essay, Anna Nagurney
- Transporting Flowers with Love, Tallys Yunes
- Science of Matchmaking, Larry D’Agostino
- Optimal search, David Smith
And the extra credit goes this month to Shiva Subramanian for multiple posts.
- Analytics, Astrology, and V-day Objectives, Shiva Subramanian
- Dating and Wedding Logistics, Shiva Subramanian
INFORMS’ first Blog Challenge was a hit! We received 14 entries on the topic of O.R. and the Holidays. As you might suspect, the travelling salesman problem was noted, with Santa needing to make his marathon delivery to all of the good little girls and boys of O.R. However, the O.R. suggestions for holiday success were not limited to Santa, with the elves receiving tips on inventory optimization, making the most of the family vacation with revenue management, maximizing baking production, a mixing model for picking the teams for the office bowling party, and finding the “perfect” parking spot at the mall. Rounding out the bunch was an interview with “Dr. O.R. Field” about her New Year’s Resolutions. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and a Happy New Year to all.
So here they are, in no particular order.
The Joy of Baking (Optimally), Tallys Yunes
OR and … Parking?? Paul Rubin
Help Wanted: Elves with OR Background, Patricia Randall
Graph Coloring Problems Over the Holiday, Laura McLay
Santa’s Problem, Capgemini OR Team
OR and the holidays, David Smith
A Professor who Loves to Bake and Give Out Cookies, Anna Nagurney
Rogo Puzzle and Operations Research, Niclola Petty
Holiday Buying Season and Inventory Optimization, Michael Watson
Happy Holidays thanks to OR, John Poppelaars
New Year’s Resolutions from Dr. O.R. Field, Michael Trick
A Very Operations Christmas, John Angelis
Santa Claus- A Traveling Salesman Problem, Phillip Mah
Christmas Company Competition Problem: Mixing Teams, Hakan Kjellerstrand
Have a topic you would like to blog on or read about? Send the topic to graphics@mail.informs.org. We’d love to hear your ideas.
Topic for January 2011: O.R. and Politics
