Overview of the Operations Research Modeling Approach:CONCLUSIONS

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CONCLUSIONS

Although the remainder of this book focuses primarily on constructing and solving mathematical models, in this chapter we have tried to emphasize that this constitutes only a portion of the overall process involved in conducting a typical OR study. The other phases described here also are very important to the success of the study. Try to keep in perspective the role of the model and the solution procedure in the overall process as you move through the subsequent chapters. Then, after gaining a deeper understanding of mathematical models, we suggest that you plan to return to review this chapter again in order to fur- ther sharpen this perspective.

OR is closely intertwined with the use of computers. In the early years, these generally were mainframe computers, but now personal computers and workstations are being widely used to solve OR models.

In concluding this discussion of the major phases of an OR study, it should be emphasized that there are many exceptions to the “rules” prescribed in this chapter. By its very nature, OR requires considerable ingenuity and innovation, so it is impossible to write down any standard procedure that should always be followed by OR teams. Rather, the preceding description may be viewed as a model that roughly represents how successful OR studies are conducted.

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