Nature of the Work Working Conditions Employment Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Job Outlook Earnings Related Occupations Sources of Additional Information Significant Points Individuals with a master's or Ph.D. degree in management science or operations research should find good job prospects through the year 2006, despite projected slower than average employment growth. Skills acquired by operations research analysts are useful for higher-level management jobs. Nature of the Work Efficiently running a complex organization such as a manufacturing plant or an airline requires the precise coordination of materials, equipment, and people. Operations research analysts help organizations coordinate and operate in the most efficient manner by applying mathematical principles to organizational problems.
Managers then evaluate alternatives and choose the course of action that best meets their goals.
Operations research analysts tackle a whole host of problems facing large business and government organizations, including strategy, forecasting, resource allocation, facilities layout, inventory control, personnel schedules, and distribution systems. Their methods generally use a mathematical model consisting of a set of equations that describe how things happen within the organization. Use of models enables the analyst to break down problems into their component parts, assign numerical values to different components, and determine the mathematical relationships between them. These values can be altered to examine what will happen to the system under different circumstances. The situation under consideration determines the mathematical method used.