Operations Researcher Overview

Managing large organizations require efficient use of materials, equipment, and people. Operations Research (OR) analysts determine the optimal means of coordinating these elements by applying mathematical principles to organizational problems.

 

Operations Researchers solve problems in different ways and propose alternative solutions to management, which then chooses the course of action that best meets their goals. In general, Operations Research analysts are concerned with issues such as strategy, forecasting, resource allocation, facilities layout, inventory control, personnel schedules and distribution systems.

 

Operations research in its classical role of carrying out analysis to support management's quest for performance improvement entails a similar set of procedures. Managers begin the process by describing the symptoms of a problem to the analyst, who then formally defines the problem.

 

For example, an operations research analyst for an auto manufacturer may be asked to determine the best inventory level for each of the parts needed on a production line and to determine the number of windshields to be kept in inventory.

 

Too many windshields would be wasteful and expensive, while too few could result in an unintended halt in production. Operations research analysts study such problems, and then break them into their component parts.

 

Analysts then gather information about each of these parts from a variety of sources. To determine the most efficient amount of inventory to be kept on hand, for example, Operations Researcher analysts might talk with engineers about production levels, discuss purchasing arrangements with buyers, and examine data on storage costs provided by the accounting department. 

 

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