We are drowning in numbers, and we no longer understand what they mean. Every day, headlines bombard us with figures meant to inform: billions in spending, trillions in debt, percentages signaling growth or decline. But for most of us, these numbers blur together. They register as “large” or “small,” but almost never as real. And that is more than a math problem. It is a civic one.
INFORMS has awarded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) its 2026 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Advanced Analytics, Operations Research and Management Science, for reengineering how global cloud infrastructure is planned and delivered, applying advanced analytics and AI to orchestrate complex fulfillment decisions across its rapidly expanding data center network.
In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence, many employers are now requiring that employees use AI tools. As you’re using AI, be intentional and selective. It’s critical that you know yourself. Research published in Management Science found that AI is most valuable for people who understand their own abilities and limitations. Assess yourself, so you can factor this into your process for incorporating AI into your work.
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In the first year of COVID we became armchair experts in infectious disease. The next, we earned our PhD’s in global supply chains, chalking up the months-long wait times for new screen doors and patio furniture to that container ship stuck in the Suez Canal. Most recently, it’s baby formula that’s been affected by disrupted global supply chains.
The Census Bureau announced last week that their estimates of each state’s population had errors, resulting in six states with undercounts and eight states with overcounts. This may shock, or at the very least, disturb some people, who believe that the process of tabulating the nation’s population should be precise and accurate.
Throughout the pandemic, many workers have said they'd quit if employers forced them back to the office. In March, Robert Half, a global recruiting firm, released a survey that revealed 50% of US workers would rather resign than be forced back to the office full-time.
The Transportation Security Administration employs multiple layers to provide a secure air system for travelers. Technologies like millimeter wave advanced imaging scanners for passenger screening and computerized tomography explosive-detection systems for checked baggage screening are some of the key devices deployed at airports. Anytime a new technology is introduced, it should provide benefits that enhance air system security and improve the passenger experience, such as in the form of reduced waiting times.
These words, written in aftermath of the United States’ strategic surprise from Sputnik, ring true again today. Facing growing scientific and technical competition, Congress and President Eisenhower enacted the 1958 National Defense Education Act, increasing Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) talent to invigorate American competitiveness and win the Cold War. Today, we face a similar problem in key technical fields that underpin both military and economic competitiveness.
OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
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Analytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.
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