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.
An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.
Jeff Cohen
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3565
Explore our resources for multiple topics including:
The World Health Organization on Wednesday said that the US could become the new center of the coronavirus pandemic, a prediction that every day looks closer to coming true. As of Thursday, the US was only 6,219 infections behind China’s total: China had reported 81,285 infections, while the US had 75,066.
It’s not a matter of if, but when.
That’s what disease experts are saying about a second wave of coronavirus cases, even as governments and health systems across this country are overwhelmed by a still-rising first wave of patients requiring hospital care. But the likelihood is getting more attention across the world, as other countries that are further along in their disease progression start to see the end of their initial wave of Covid-19 cases and, along with low numbers, begin loosening restrictions on movement and gatherings.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought medical supply chains into the spotlight. There has been a national shortage of testing kits, and at least one drug is already unavailable because of the outbreak, though it hasn’t been publicly named.
The COVID-19 crisis may be unfolding on an unprecedented scale, but to U-M engineering associate professor Siqian Shen, its web of logistical puzzles seems eerily familiar. Where to put testing centers, which public facilities to close, and how to allocate ICU beds and design medical triage processes are the kinds of problems that industrial operations researchers like her have been solving for decades. She believes models that are saving businesses money today could be used to save lives tomorrow.
With the Covid-19 virus disrupting the global economy, what is the effect on the international supply chain? In a pair of articles, MIT News examines core supply-chain issues, in terms of affected industries and the timing of unfolding interruptions.
OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
Access OR/MS Today Magazine
Analytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.
Access Analytics Magazine