INFORMS Career FAQ: Question 2
Q. What exactly is operations research/management science?
A. Operations research and management science are two terms that are used pretty much interchangeably to describe the same field - which is also sometimes called decision technology. (For simplicity's sake, we'll call it operations research for the balance of this booklet.)
- Operations research is a scientific approach to analyzing problems and making decisions.
- It uses mathematics and mathematical modeling on computers to forecast the implications of various choices and zero in on the best alternatives.
- Developed during World War II, operations research helped take the guesswork out of deploying radar, searching for enemy submarines, getting supplies where they were most needed, and the like. And following the war, numerous peacetime applications emerged.
- Manufacturers used operations research to make products more efficiently, schedule equipment maintenance, and control inventory and distribution. And success in these areas led to expansion into strategic and financial planning...and into such diverse areas as criminal justice, education, meteorology, and communications.
- Regardless of their chief field of interest, operations researchers have certain methods in common.
- They begin by immersing themselves tn the details of the problem they're studying. They talk with people involved in all aspects of it, soliciting their varying perspectives and needs and their input into the solution. They examine available data, separating that which is truly relevant from that which is not. And they focus on practical, workable results - making sure what they propose is not just a theoretically appealing model, but one that will function effectively in the real world.