bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STDSIM: A Microsimulation Model for Decision Support in STD Control
Authors: Van der Ploeg Catharina P. B. , Van Vliet Carina , De Vlas Sake J. , Ndinya-Achola Jeckoniah O. , Fransen Lieve , Van Oortmarssen Gerrit J. , Habbema J. Dik F.
Published: October 2008

STDSIM is a dynamic stochastic simulation model for decision support in attempts to control sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It describes the mechanisms responsible for the transmission of five STDs, including HIV/AIDS, at the level of individuals. A large variety of outcome measures (for example, STD prevalence, incidence, and mortality) can be calculated for different groups of the population (for example, adolescents, prostitutes, pregnant women, and migrants) to evaluate the effects of alternative STD control interventions. We designed the model to support decision making for different settings in developing countries, with Nairobi (Kenya) as its first application area. The model adequately describes STD prevalences and the time-trend of HIV prevalence measured in Nairobi. As an illustration of the possibilities of the model, we show model predictions of the effects of improved STD care and increased condom use on the prevalence and incidence of HIV.
Santa Fe Railway Uses an Operating-Plan Model to Improve Its Service Design
Authors: Gorman Michael F.
Published: October 2008

Santa Fe Railway's intermodal business unit has developed an innovative approach to designing its service offerings. The operating-plan model (OPM) minimizes the schedule-related costs of service subject to rail-operating capabilities while meeting customers' expectations for service. The algorithm produces a weekly train timetable and assigns traffic to trains. Because of the problem's size and complexity, a combination of genetic and tabu searches is used to search for successively better operating plans. The OPM shows the potential to improve global service by four percent while reducing costs by six percent over the existing operating plan. Santa Fe Intermodal has realized savings by applying the OPM to more narrowly focused problems.
The Teachers' Forum: Teaching Nonlinear Programming Using Cooperative Active Learning
Authors: Lasdon Leon , Liebman Judith S.
Published: October 2008

In teaching nonlinear programming (NLP) to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in engineering or operations research, we have changed our instructional objectives, course content, and approaches to teaching because of recent dramatic improvements in optimization software and computer hardware. Our primary instructional innovation is to use cooperative active learning methods rather than a traditional lecture format.
Airbus Packing at Federal Express
Authors: Thomas Clive , Campbell Kevin , Hines Gail , Racer Michael
Published: October 2008

Success in the express-mail market hinges on paying attention to every parcel in the system. A key component is safe, efficient loading of aircraft. Federal Express, a perennial leader in the express business, has recently added the Airbus A300, a lighter aircraft, to its fleet. Because of the Airbus design, shear limits—shear being a measure of the downward forces exerted on the plane—are extremely sensitive to the loading, a problem not experienced in the heavier craft. We developed a heuristic for loading containers into positions on the aircraft to address loading preferences and maintain feasibility constraints.
Using Product Profiling to Illustrate Manufacturing-Marketing Misalignment
Authors: Hill Terry J. , Menda Rafael , Dilts David M.
Published: October 2008

As companies choose among process alternatives, they need a clear understanding of the changing alignment between manufacturing and the needs of their markets. Assessing how well existing processes fit these market requirements and making choices to meet future needs are critical strategic responsibilities for manufacturing. Product profiling can be used to examine the degree of alignment between the needs of a company's markets and the characteristics of its existing manufacturing process and infrastructure investments. We compare product profiling with another tool, the product-process matrix, and examine the applicability of both in a typical mismatch situation. In-depth analysis in one firm indicates that product profiling is a valuable tool to uncover the origins of misalignments that occur over time and to illustrate the phenomenon to executives.
Stochastic-Tree Models in Medical Decision Making
Authors: Hazen Gordon B. , Pellissier James M. , Sounderpandian Jayavel
Published: October 2008

The stochastic tree is a recently introduced generalization of the decision tree which allows the explicit depiction of temporal uncertainty while still employing the familiar rollback procedure for decision trees. We offer an introduction to stochastic-tree modeling and techniques involved in their application to medical-treatment decisions. We also describe an application of these tools to the analysis of the decision to undergo a total hip replacement from the perspectives of an individual patient (via utility analysis) and of society (via cost-effectiveness analysis).
The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company Plans Gas Supply
Authors: Knowles Thomas W. , Wirick John P.
Published: October 2008

A gas utility's profits depend on its portfolio of gas supply and storage contracts and their effective utilization. The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company serves the Chicago market. Demand for natural gas depends on temperature, which is difficult to forecast. We developed an optimization model that considers multiple weather scenarios in determining a supply portfolio. We originally developed it to support filings of integrated least-cost supply plans with the Illinois Commerce Commission. With deregulation of the natural gas industry, the company has used the model to restructure supply portfolios, saving more than $50 million annually.
An Example of a Good but Partially Successful OR Engagement: Improving Outpatient Clinic Operations
Authors: Bennett Joanne C. , Worthington D. J.
Published: October 2008

We undertook a study to improve the running of hospital outpatient clinics that were regularly overbooked, overrun, and had excessive patient waiting times. The methodology adopted entailed a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches, but was problem-driven and so only emerged as the project developed. We generated a number of proposals for the improved running of the clinics during the project, some implemented and some not. For future studies we would recommend that a flexible and open-minded approach is adopted. This may well involve an initial, mainly qualitative, study followed by the application of a series of modest models—occasionally more sophisticated modeling may be appropriate. We would also recommend that the benefits of such studies are not judged solely in terms of one-off implementation leading to measurable improvements in performance. They should also be seen as part of an overall process of improving health care practices.
Water from the Desert: Minimizing Costs of Meeting Libya's Water Demands
Authors: El-Geriani A. M. , Essamin O. , Loucks D. P.
Published: October 2008

Libya has two choices for meeting its water demands: the Mediterranean Sea and groundwater from the Sahara Desert. We performed two studies supporting Libya's decisions regarding further investments in desalination and in groundwater pumping and conveyance systems. We used static and dynamic mixed-integer optimization models to identify least-cost combinations of investments in infrastructure that would meet specified water demands at specified sites. Desalination does not appear to be an economically efficient alternative to the groundwater system, called the “Great Man-made River Project” (GMRP). Results from the static models showed that as water demands increase, various new GMRP components are needed, then get replaced by other new units, and then, under higher demands, are needed again. This demonstrated the need for dynamic capacity-expansion-planning models. The results of both studies are contributing to the Great Man-made River Authority's decision making.
Use of OR Systems in the Chilean Forest Industries
Authors: Epstein Rafael , Morales Ramiro , Serón Jorge , Weintraub Andres
Published: October 2008

The Chilean forestry sector is composed of private firms that combine large timber-land holdings of mostly pine plantations and some eucalyptus with sawmills and pulp plants. Since 1988, to compete in the world market, the main Chilean forest firms, which have sales of about $1 billion, have started implementing OR models developed jointly with academics from the University of Chile. These systems support decisions on daily truck scheduling, short-term harvesting, location of harvesting machinery and access roads, and medium- and long-term forest planning. Approaches used in solving these complex problems include simulation, linear programming with column generation, mixed-integer LP formulations, and heuristic methods. The systems have led to a change in organizational decision making and to estimated gains of at least US $20 million per year.
Long-Term Forest Ecosystem Planning at Pacific Lumber
Authors: Fletcher L. Russell , Alden Henry , Holmen Scott P. , Angelides Dean P. , Etzenhouser Matthew J.
Published: October 2008

In 1995, the Pacific Lumber Company contracted with VESTRA Resources to develop a 120-year, 12-period forest-ecosystem management plan for its properties to meet new California Board of Forestry wildlife, fisheries, and timber resource requirements and to optimize its timberland operations and profitability. VESTRA Resources developed the ecosystem-planning express model, Ep(x), which seamlessly integrates geographic information systems with a database resource capability model and a policy-alternative model, providing the inputs to a linear program. The Ep(x) model uses an underlying adaptive management approach that also maximizes the knowledge base of the ecosystem through detailed sensitivity analyses. The model increased present net worth by over $398 million and generated a more optimal mix of wildlife habitat acres, including spotted-owl-nesting habitat.
Decision Support Systems Support the Search for Win-Win Solutions in Railway Network Design
Authors: Hooghiemstra Jurjen S. , Kroon Leo G. , Odijk Michiel A. , Salomon Marc , Zwaneveld Peter J.
Published: October 2008

Railned is an independent organization that advises the Dutch government on investments in future railway infrastructure. It generates and evaluates infrastructural scenarios that stem from the government's objectives and those of the operators of the railway network, the Dutch railway company Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) being by far the largest. The government and the railway operators often have different objectives, which may conflict sometimes. The government finances and manages the infrastructure, and wants to meet certain social and environmental priorities, thereby not exceeding budget limits. The operators exploit the infrastructure and wish to have a dependable infrastructure that guarantees long-term profitability. Railned uses various decision support systems (DSS) to develop and analyze infrastructural scenarios that yield win-win solutions for both the Dutch government and the railway operators.
Return on Quality at Chase Manhattan Bank
Authors: Rust Roland T. , Keiningham Timothy , Clemens Stephen , Zahorik Anthony
Published: October 2008

A method called “return on quality (ROQ)” has been proposed to evaluate the financial impact of efforts to improve service quality. It quantifies the projected net present value of an improvement project and calculates return on investment. During 1995 and 1996, Chase Manhattan Bank applied the method in a controlled experiment with four test branches and four control branches within the retail banking network, with a two-day training program aimed at enhancing service delivery and customer satisfaction. Its primary purpose was to assess the usefulness of the ROQ approach in improving customer service. Largely because of the bank's merger with Chemical Bank, the study was not executed as planned. Despite this, the study showed favorable results from the training effort. The ROQ model facilitated interpretation of the study and appears useful for estimating the financial returns arising from service quality initiatives.
Data Envelopment Analysis and Its Use in Banking
Authors: Thanassoulis Emmanuel
Published: October 2008

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear-programming-based method for assessing the performance of homogeneous organizational units and is increasingly being used in banking. The unit of assessment is normally the bank branch. Studies are mostly centered on deriving a summary measure of the efficiency of each unit, on estimating targets of performance for the unit, and on identifying role-model units of good operating practice. Additional uses for DEA in banking include the measurement of efficiency in light of resource and output prices, the estimation of operating budgets that are conducive to efficiency, the assessment of financial risk at bank-branch level, and the measurement of the impact of managerial change initiatives on productivity.
Measuring Efficiency by Product Group: Integrating DEA with Activity-Based Accounting in a Large Mideast Bank
Authors: Kantor Jeffrey , Maital Shlomo
Published: October 2008

We built a method for measuring product-specific inefficiency in bank branches to facilitate precise measurement of waste and identify its causes. Our method combines and integrates two separate, widely used models for measuring costs and efficiency performance: activity-based cost accounting (ABC) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). The resulting method for activity-based management provides managers with detailed quantitative performance benchmarks for the specific business activities of their firms or divisions. We used an integrated model to create a branch profile of a large 250-branch Mideast bank that measures inefficiency separately for customer services and transactions.
Benchmarks of the Efficiency of Bank Branches
Authors: Zenios Christiana V. , Zenios Stavros A. , Agathocleous Kostas , Soteriou Andreas C.
Published: October 2008

The Bank of Cyprus commissioned a study of the efficiency penalties paid by its branches operating in different environments. Bank staff and faculty members of the University of Cyprus jointly developed a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model that was used (1) to provide benchmarks on the relative efficiency of the bank's branches, (2) to provide guidelines for improvement to management, and (3) to isolate the effects of the environment on branch efficiency. The analysis showed that tourist branches were on average more efficient than urban branches during the peak tourist season. The DEA model was also used to benchmark seasonality effects. The analysis revealed branch resource underutilization, which depends on the season. The bank uses the DEA model developed to establish policy guidelines and to provide support for operational decisions toward performance improvement.
US Airways Automates Its Weekend Fleet Assignment
Authors: Kontogiorgis Spyros , Acharya Suresh
Published: October 2008

Assigning fleets of aircraft to a weekend schedule is more difficult than assigning them to a weekday schedule. The reason is that we must balance two conflicting objectives. We must meet passenger demand that is different from weekday demand. We must also minimize the costs of realigning airport facilities and personnel that we would incur by changing flight patterns too much. To support US Airways' schedule planners in this balancing act, we built a specialized fleet-assignment model and integrated it into a graphical environment for schedule development. The planners use the system to create safe, profitable, and robust flight plans.
Casey's Problem: Interpreting and Evaluating a New Test
Authors: Smith James E. , Winkler Robert L.
Published: October 2008

Casey, the newborn daughter of one of the authors of this paper, received a positive result on an experimental medical screening test, indicating that she may lack an enzyme required to digest certain fats. The interpretation of this test result was complicated by uncertainty about the false-positive rate for the test—this was the first positive reading—and the prevalence of the medical condition. We used a simple Bayesian model to help assess the probability that Casey actually had the enzyme deficiency and to help better understand the role and value of this screening test. The model we used and, more generally, our style of analysis could also be used with other new diagnostic tests, such as tests used in manufacturing and environmental contexts as well as other medical situations.
Identifying Opportunities for Improving Teradyne's Service-Parts Logistics System
Authors: Cohen Morris A. , Zheng Yu-Sheng , Wang Yunzeng
Published: October 2008

Teradyne is a major manufacturer of electronic testing equipment used in semiconductor and electronics assembly plants throughout the world. In a recent project, we evaluated opportunities for improving Teradyne's global service-parts repair and logistics network. This system is complex because of the large number and variety of parts, the geographic dispersion of the installed base of customers' machines, the use of multiple classes of service, and stringent requirements for prompt response to customer requirements. We used basic inventory models to capture key characteristics of the system. These models provided insight into the relative value of several improvement opportunities. Teradyne used these insights to prioritize change options and has successfully implemented several of them. The project's success was, in part, based on the role of a company-academic team that combined understanding of relevant inventory models with in-depth knowledge of logistics processes.
Location Analysis Helps Manage Solid Waste in Central Portugal
Authors: Antunes António P.
Published: October 2008

By the beginning of the 1990s, the Portuguese Centro Region was suffering from extremely serious solid-waste-sector problems. The Portuguese Centro Region Coordination Agency asked me to prepare a document identifying the main issues involved in finding a solution to the existing problems and to propose a master plan for intervention. My proposal defined a network of sanitary landfills and transfer stations covering the whole region (23,700 square km; 1,714,000 inhabitants). The proposal was the basis for the discussions held at the regional council and for the solution that is currently being implemented. To define the network, I developed a mixed-integer optimization model combining elements of a p-median model and a capacitated-facility-location model with transshipments.
Portuguese Financial Corporations' Information Technology Adoption Patterns
Authors: Gonçalves Vitor F. C. , Palma-dos-Reis António , Duque João
Published: October 2008

A survey of Portuguese financial corporations showed that their adoption of information technologies (IT) depends on strategic variables, such as competitive strategies, competitive aspects, business environment, and geographic strategies. The survey also revealed that firms adopting one information technology are likely to adopt others and that they follow a sequence in adopting information technologies. We identified the IT adoption sequence by estimating, through the Bayes theorem, the likelihood of a firm's adopting a specific technology after having adopted a set of more basic technologies. We propose a classification for information technologies according to their place in the adoption sequence: infrastructure technologies, intermediate technologies, and advanced technologies.
Value-Focused Thinking in a Difficult Context: Planning Tourism for Guimaras, Philippines
Authors: McDaniels Timothy , Trousdale William
Published: October 2008

We used value-focused thinking as a framework for planning tourism in Guimaras, Philippines. Our objective was to help government officials and stakeholders devise new strategies for developing rural tourism. The developing-world setting and a pre-existing commitment to a planning alternative that faced severe obstacles made our work difficult. We clarified the planning context, assessed the tourism market potential, and structured objectives with a series of interviews. In a multi-stakeholder workshop, the objectives were ranked and weighted, and new alternatives were developed. Tourism planning in Guimaras has been substantially changed as a result of these activities, with two new approaches being pursued. This case study, and our past experience, suggest value-focused thinking is useful “decision therapy.”
The Teachers' Forum: Breaking the Mold—A New Approach to Teaching the First MBA Course in Management Science
Authors: Liberatore Matthew J. , Nydick Robert L.
Published: October 2008

In our first MBA course in management science, we integrate management-science concepts and modeling software for immediate application in the students' working environments. In our opinion, the proof of the pudding is in the application. Our approach has empowered part-time MBA students to produce and often implement high-quality management-science application projects. Students learn to appreciate the value of management science as an applied discipline. We plan to improve this course, while steadfastly emphasizing student practice.
End-User Modeling Improves R&D Management at AgrEvo Canada, Inc.
Authors: Sonntag Calvin , Grossman Thomas A.
Published: October 2008

The manager of strategic-project planning used spreadsheet modeling and optimization to change the process AgrEvo Canada uses to allocate resources to crop protection and biotechnology R&D projects. We developed a spreadsheet optimization model to show that a perceived bottleneck actually had excess capacity and that all projects could be funded by reallocating resources. To achieve benefits from these insights required resolving political issues rather than solving optimization problems. Descriptive models proved superior to prescriptive optimization results for achieving buy-in. Use of the model led to the shortest and most objective budgeting meeting ever. We brought clarity to a vexing internal debate and helped to retain R&D projects valued at tens of millions of dollars. Managers can effectively apply management science without intervention by management science professionals. End-user modelers are different from expert consultants. Additional field research on end-user modeling is needed.
Capacity Optimization Planning System (CAPS)
Authors: Bermon Stuart , Hood Sarah Jean
Published: October 2008

IBM's capacity optimization planning system (CAPS) is a decision-support system based on linear programming for strategic planning of semiconductor manufacturing capacity. CAPS finds the volume mix of products to maximize profit, constrained by the existing tool capacity, or identifies the tool capacity required to manufacture a specified mix of products. The major challenge was formulating the linear program to reflect the available manufacturing capacity. The formulation has to deal with parallel, unrelated tool groups that may perform the same operation at different rates, to capture the preferential order in which to use such tool groups, and to identify which are the true bottlenecks. Capacity planners use CAPS to reconcile product-demand forecasts with the available or planned manufacturing capacity and to generate requests for capital investments. The manager of site operations credits CAPS with identifying tens of millions of dollars in revenue opportunities and with avoiding significant unnecessary capital expenditures.
Cooperative Multiobjective Decision Support for the Paper Industry
Authors: Murthy Sesh , Akkiraju Rama , Goodwin Richard , Keskinocak Pinar , Rachlin John , Wu Frederick , Yeh James , Fuhrer Robert , Kumaran Santhosh , Aggarwal Alok , Sturzenbecker Martin , Jayaraman Ranga , Daigle Robert
Published: October 2008

We built and deployed a decision-support system for scheduling paper manufacturing and distribution, an extremely complex task with multiple stages of production and strong interaction between stages. In contrast to earlier approaches, our system considers multiple scheduling objectives and multiple stages of production and distribution simultaneously using multiple evaluation criteria. Our system functions as an intelligent assistant to the schedulers and generates multiple good scheduling alternatives using a portfolio of algorithms and direct human-expert input. The successful deployment of our system at several paper mills in North America has resulted in significant savings, greater customer satisfaction, and improved business processes.
Comment: Using Product Profiling to Illustrate Manufacturing-Marketing Misalignment
Authors: Schonberger Richard J.
Published: October 2008

In their July–August 1998 article, Hill, Menda, and Dilts described Rumack Pharmaceutical Company (disguised name) as an example of misalignment between marketing and manufacturing. The problem was that marketing had stretched the product line beyond manufacturing's capacity limits. The authors stated that operations managers took an action that “would seem unwise or contrary to accepted practice in many of today's manufacturing organizations. Rumack decided to increase production lot sizes by an average of 100 percent” [p. 61]. The authors were respectful (appropriately, in view of Rumack's open door to their research) of the deliberations that resulted in this decision. Many readers, though, will probably wonder, as I do, about the correctness of the decision, considering the widely held impression that lot sizes should fall, not rise.
Outside-In Strategic Modeling
Authors: Matheson David , Matheson James E.
Published: October 2008

The roots of good strategic decision making are in cultural and organizational norms and patterns. One principle, which we call the outside-in strategic perspective, is essential for excellent strategy. This perspective led a company to recognize that its current strategy was counterproductive and that it must make almost a 180-degree turn. While many companies start with themselves and project market shares, earnings, and so forth out into the environment, the outside-in strategic perspective reverses this to start with the environment and work inwards to the company. In this case, we used a framework that starts with consumer spending in various entertainment areas and divided revenues along a simple value chain of retailers, wholesalers, and producers. An influence-diagram-based model led to counter-intuitive insights about the most valuable segments.
Strategic Valuation of Investment Under Competition
Authors: Del Sol Patricio , Ghemawat Pankaj
Published: October 2008

The most serious problem with the widely used discounted-cash-flow (DCF) methods of investment valuation is that they are commonly applied without explicit regard to competition. As a result, the prescriptions they afford are often inconsistent with those given by competitive strategy frameworks. To remedy this, we show how such frameworks can be integrated with DCF methods to value investments (and disinvestments) in competitive and uncertain contexts. We recommend that the DCF analysis be carried out within a framework that includes the following three analytical steps: positioning, which focuses on competitive advantages; sustainability, which focuses on competitive dynamics; and flexibility, which focuses on options to revise the initial investment plan in the face of uncertainty. Valuators using this framework will reduce the likelihood that the DCF analysis misses relevant competitive-strategy considerations. Firms that have used this framework for positioning, sustainability, and flexibility have shaped and clarified their choices, solving apparent inconsistencies between DCF results and the competitive-strategy argument.
Portfolio Management in an Upstream Oil and Gas Organization
Authors: Skaf Mazen A.
Published: October 2008

Implementing portfolio management in an organization presents organizational and analytical challenges. A successful implementation requires an integrated solution for both the people aspects and the analytical aspects of the problem. Strategic Decisions Group (now Navigant Consulting, Strategy Consulting Practice) developed and implemented a portfolio-management process and system for a client organization in the upstream oil and gas industry. The tailored process provides a forum for decision-focused dialogue between senior management and asset teams. The system provides the analytical support for the process and enables management to compare decisions and assets across the portfolio and determine optimal allocation of resources. The system architecture builds on a rigorous model of the asset life cycle and the key decisions in the life cycle. To further integrate portfolio management into its business processes, the organization set up an internal core team to facilitate the process and work with the asset teams on an ongoing basis. This has helped reduce the time for developing regional and business-unit portfolio strategies. The value added from strategic alternatives developed using the method is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Behavioral Science—Experimenting with Curiosity
Authors: Braunstein Daniel N.
Published: October 2008

In this series of columns, we are exploring ways in which various developments in behavioral science, not usually applied to management, may have useful implications for specific problems of management science. In the last issue, we speculated about some interesting possible applications of the information-processing research of D. E. Broadbent. In this issue, we would like to focus on an equally creative behavioral scientist, D. E. Berlyne, and his studies of curiosity and arousal. The work was brought to my attention by two experimental psychologists who are publishing a complete account of their experiment based upon Berlyne's theory [Morrison, Bruce J., Marvin J. Dainoff. 1972. Advertisement complexity and looking time. Journal of Marketing Research 9(November) 396–400].
“Be it Resolved that Structured Debate Not Consensus Ought to form the Epistemic Cornerstone of OR/MS”: A Reaction to Ackoff's Note on Systems Science
Authors: Mitroff Ian I.
Published: October 2008

As is so often the case, Russell Ackoff has put before us a most challenging and provocative series of proposals which in my opinion have not received the proper responses due them. I am referring of course to Ackoff’s recent suggestion that if the election of a TIMS president is to be anything more than a contest of personalities then candidates for the presidency ought to run on a substantial issue, a platform [Ackoff, Russell L. 1972. Open letter to TIMS members. Interfaces 2 (4, August) 42]. I am also referring to his suggestion “that TIMS [Transform] itself into The Institute of Systems Sciences” [Ackoff, Russell L. 1972. Open letter to TIMS members. Interfaces 2 (4, August) 43]. While these two suggestions are not identical with one another and do not necessarily imply one another, they are not necessarily completely independent of one another either. An attitude toward the one will be indicative and expressive of an attitude toward the other, particularly given the dramatic way in which Ackoff has put the two. Granting that this is the case, it is nevertheless my intention to confine myself more to the former suggestion than to the latter. Indeed, I think the fate of the former suggestion is crucial to the fate of the latter.
Planning Nuclear Equipment Manufacturing
Authors: Thomas E. D. , Coveleski D. P.
Published: October 2008

At the Atlantic City TIMS-ORSA-AIIE meeting (November 8–10, 1972), the College on the Practice of Management Science sponsored its second open competition for the best paper describing a completed, real application of management science. The prize winners were Messrs. Elden D. Thomas and Donald P. Coveleski, for their paper.

People in government agencies, electric utilities, industrial concerns, and even average citizens are becoming painfully aware of the problems involved in putting nuclear energy to work in the power generation industry. These difficulties have been particularly significant to Babcock & Wilcox which has been a leader in energy conversion technology through the years. As a result, the company has been working for several years to contribute to the solution of these problems.
Corporate Viewpoints—Interviews with Top Managers: Interview With William H. Wendel
Authors: Brandenburg R. G.
Published: October 2008

Interview with William H. Wendel. William H. Wendel is President of The Carborundum Company, Niagara Falls, New York. He began his career with Carborundum in 1947 and attained his present position in 1962. He is a director of Marine Midland Banks, Inc., American Research and Development Corp., N. Y. Telephone Co., and Allegheny, Ludlum Industries, Inc. He received his education at the United States Naval Academy and the Harvard Business School. He is a trustee of the Committee for Economic Development, a member of the Executive Council of the Harvard Business School Association and numerous civic and charitable organizations.
Anthropogenic ILLs
Authors: Krakowski Martin
Published: October 2008

In recent years the phrase “iatrogenic ills” has been applied to morbid conditions caused or induced by physicians, hospitals, and public health services, or merely attributed to them. Improper or excessive medication, spreading of an infection among patients, redundant surgery, or a neurosis engendered by a psychiatrist are among the many examples. The paper discusses a number of terms applied to differentiate between individual acts of malpractice and calamities resulting from the collective skill of a profession.
Perspectives on MS Applications—All Around the Model
Authors: Shycon Harvey N.
Published: October 2008

There are many times when the management science group should consider inviting outside consultants in the management science field to assist in its work. In the long run, this can only enhance the professional ability and the reputation of the management science group. On the other hand, caution should be exercised not to become too dependent on outside consultants and to obtain all of the benefits of the outside assistance through close working cooperation.
Behavioral Science—The Nonscience of Nonchoice
Authors: Braunstein Daniel N.
Published: October 2008

Never has there been a time when survey researchers have been more concerned about the bias of their work. Those who apply the technology of such an area of behavioral science are particularly concerned about respondents trying to please researchers when reacting to a survey. Marketing researchers and students of consumer behavior are particularly worried about meaningless survey data, and many attempts are being made to develop measures that are less apt to lead the respondent to play a certain role for the investigator. Surveys may be very useful tools for the prediction of human behavior if real choices exist, and the questions are validated. In many cases it may be important to consider alternatives to the survey method.
Management Science Roundup
Authors: Bucatinsky Julio
Published: October 2008

—“IFORS '72 A Success”;

—“Observations on Attending the Sixth International Conference on Operations Research (Dublin: August 21–25, 1972)”;

—“Management Science at Work in Israel: Optimum Water Network and Optimum Product Mix in Plywood and Yarns”;

—“Standardization of Queueing Notation”;

—“TERA—The Total Energy Resource Analysis Model”;

—“Systems Design for Earth Resources Information”;

—“Transforming an Automated Hospital Information System into a Decision Support System”;

—“A Conference on the Implementation of OR/MS Models at the University of Pittsburgh”;

—“Patent Owners Organize to Stress Patent Role”;

—“Midland's School System”;

—“Seen Elsewhere: (1) Work Measurement for Computer Programming Operations by Richard L. Shell, (2) Significance Tests and Tests of Models in Multiple Regression by Elliot M. Cramer, (3) A Comparative Study of Methods for Long Range Market Forecasting by J. Scott Armstrong and Michael C. Grohman, (4) An Application of Integer Linear Programming to the Allocation of Itineraries Between Two Aircraft Types by R. Lee, (5) On Normal Approximations of the Frequency Functions of Standard Forms Where the Main Variables are Normally Distributed by Jack C. Hayya And William L. Ferrara, (6) Computer Scheduling of Vehicles from One or More Depots to a Number of Delivery Points by Anthony Wren and Alan Holliday, (7) APL for Business Decisions by P. Redwood, (8) Drawing a Probability Ellipse by M. J. R. Healey, (9) Operations Research in Planning Political Campaign Strategies by Joel D. Barkan and James E. Bruno”;

—“Bulletin Board”.
Internal OR Consulting: Effective Practice in a Changing Environment
Authors: Fildes Robert , Ranyard John
Published: October 2008

Around 1970 some 96 percent of the largest Fortune-500 companies had established OR groups. The recessions of the '70s and '80s led many to close their groups. In 1993, the UK OR Society, disturbed by further closures, funded a study to identify factors that influenced the success and survival of internal OR groups. The study team found three categories of factors: changes in the external environment, in the organization, and in the OR group's management. This research shows that to be effective, an OR group needs good consulting skills, expert project management, active marketing of its services, and responsiveness to changes in its clients' requirements and in the surrounding organizational culture.
Entrepreneurial Planning for the Small-Scale Project
Authors: Lebell Don
Published: October 2008

The development and publication of formal planning methods reflect a preponderance of large rather than small-scale applications and an emphasis on projects already functioning rather than those in a start-up or termination mode.

This situation is both unfortunate and to a great extent unnecessary. Formal planning can play as important a role for the entrepreneur as for operating management. Further, it is as vital for the success of small-scale as for large-scale projects. Experience with a number of small-scale projects reveals certain generic insights, if not unique principles, of value in applying formal methods to entrepreneurial planning for the small-scale project. Thus this paper contends that (1) Formal methods have an important role in successful planning for small as well as large-scale projects and (2) “Entrepreneurial” and “Small-scale” present a special set of restrictions and opportunities which should shape the selection and application of planning methods.
Building Models for Decision Makers
Authors: Urban Glen L.
Published: October 2008

This paper draws on the literature in management science, information systems and organization development along with practical experience to propose a process of building models that will be implemented. The steps are: (1) formulation of priors, (2) entry, (3) problem finding, (4) specification of model development criteria, (5) model building, (6) estimation and fitting, (7) tracking, and (8) continuing use. After describing the state of the art of model implementation, each step is discussed. It is hoped that this exposition will encourage comments and lead towards the specification of a methodology for model building that will make real the promise of management science.
On Managing Science in the Systems Age: Two Schemas for the Study of Science as a Whole Systems Phenomenon
Authors: Mitroff Ian I. , Betz Frederick , Pondy Louis R. , Sagasti Francisco
Published: October 2008

In the Machine Age science not only took the world apart, but it took itself apart, dividing itself into narrower and narrower disciplines. Each discipline represented a different way of looking at the same world. Shortly before World War II science began to put itself back together again so that it could study phenomena as a whole, from all points of view. As a result, a host of new interdisciplines emerged such as Operations Research, Cybernetics, Systems Engineering, Communications Sciences, and Environmental Sciences. Unlike earlier scientific disciplines which sought to separate themselves from each other and to subdivide; the new interdisciplines seek to enlarge themselves, to combine to take into account more and more aspects of reality. Systems Science is the limit of this process, an amalgamation of all the parts of science into an integrated whole. Thus, Systems Science is not a science, but is science taken as a whole and applied to the study of wholes.
Management Science Roundup
Authors: Bucatinsky Julio
Published: October 2008

—“Using Pert to Manage High Technology Projects”;

—“European Management Book Award”;

—“A Management Science Team Develops a Production System”;

—“Litter Research at Anheuser-Busch”;

—“Ghetto Life Simulated at Oklahoma State”.
Information Systems in Management Science—The Information Systems Option in Master of Business Administration Degree Program
Authors: Vazsonyi Andrew
Published: October 2008

About a year ago in an earlier column [Vazsonyi, Andrew. 1973. Information systems in management science. Interfaces 3 (3, May) 30–33.] I raised the issue of what steps to take in teaching information systems. Since then I have had many discussions both with colleagues in academia and in industry to assemble enough material for this column. I apologize to my contributors for not referencing them, but the material is so fragmentary and sometimes contradictory that attempting to present an integrated view makes it difficult to identify individual sources.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the educational situation in information systems is lack of consensus on what to do and wide disparity in status among schools. The relationship to computer science is also widely divergent. In some schools computer science includes information systems; in some there is a sharp conflict between the two fields; while others have no computer science groups at all, or there is no interaction.
Behavioral Science—Beyond Leavitt's “Narrow” Analytic Manager
Authors: Braunstein Daniel N.
Published: October 2008

Do we too often ignore the limitations of analytic thinking? Is training in management science turning out too many managers who are weak in problem selection and implementation, while overtrained in model analysis? Are decision-makers reacting against a real or imagined attempt at dominance by arrogant management scientists? Finally, is analytical training actually destructive of useful powers of intuition and integration? These questions have recently been raised by Professor Harold J. Leavitt of Stanford Graduate School of Business in a paper, “Beyond the Analytic Manager.” My first reaction to them is on a continuum: “obviously yes” to the first, “possibly yes” to the second, “both yes and no” to the third, and “not proven but vitally important” to the fourth.
Management Science Roundup
Authors: Bucatinsky Julio
Published: October 2008

—“From Paris: Preparation of Bus Line Duty Rosters”;

—“From Rome: OR/MS in Italy”;

—“From Tokyo: OR/MS in Japan”;

—“The Manager and Simulation: An Interaction Experience”.
Perspectives of the Systems Approach
Authors: Churchman C. West
Published: October 2008

My apologies for the particular style of this paper, but I've found that the usual expository method is becoming (for me) more and more ineffective. The difficulty lies in what I perceive to be a very deep lack of communication about the so-called systems approach. There are radically different opinions about how men should try to understand social systems, but the arguments usually proceed at the superficial level. The humanist cries out that we shouldn't try to quantify everything. To the systems analyst this complaint is altogether irrelevant, because of course he isn't trying to quantify everything, since at best such an effort is hopeless. From his point of view, the humanist's complaint amounts to trying to formulate all problems in a ridiculously vague way to justify the humanist's inability to reason precisely. So each side talks and neither listens. To the system's analyst models do provide a reasonable way of describing reality, whereas to the humanist they do not. But why each feel this way is rarely explained by either. I've never heard anyone who works with models explain why they are reasonable approaches to reality, although common sense would seem to argue that anyone who approaches society systematically would have to defend his own inquiring system. But then a very peculiar thing about many systems analysts is that they do not consciously include themselves in the system being studied.
Information Systems in Management Science—In Praise of Syntax
Authors: Vazsonyi Andrew
Published: October 2008

I left syntax, the third branch of semiotics, as the last to be discussed (after semantics and pragmatics) because of our strange attitude toward syntax. We consider it beneath our dignity to be concerned with mere syntax, grammar or even computer programming. “I would have no difficulty mastering programming,” my friends declare. “Even my underlings and students have had no difficulty. Why should I?” But I claim that knowing you can learn programming is not the same as knowing programming.
Information Systems in Management Science—The Syntax of Operands: Data Base Structures
Authors: Vazsonyi Andrew
Published: October 2008

If you are not familiar with concepts like data base, data base management, hierarchially structured data set, you cannot communicate and deal with Information Systems people. We are repeatedly exposed to these new-fangled concepts and are told they are extremely important to management, and therefore to management scientists. But the going is not easy in this rapidly changing, controversial field, and so in this column and the next I would like to describe the private bridge I have built from Management Science to Computer Science.
Analysis for a Satellite Communications System
Authors: Nigam Avadhesh K.
Published: October 2008

The paper describes an investment analysis for a satellite communications system for the United States.

The satellite communications business is a complex one and possesses several key variables which have profound implications on the future profitability of a participant. Uncertainty in these key variables adds yet another dimension of complexity to the characteristics of this business. The model used in the investment analysis is a probabilistic simulation model which attempts to capture the interactions and relationships existing among all the variables. The size and mix of the potential market, competition from terrestrial as well as satellite carriers, communication satellite-launch vehicle combinations, and specific financial arrangements were some of the key variables that were explicitly recognized and accounted for in the model.

The paper describes the course of an actual study from preliminary evaluation to final management decision. It develops the model and management understanding of the business over time. It shows the impact of the management decisions on the model and the impact of model results on management perceptions and decisions. It demonstrates how management and the management scientist, working together, can speed up the decision process as well as lead to a clarification of the underlying issues of the business.