My first job on graduating was in the Operations Research ("OR") department of English Electric at Kidsgrove, in Staffordshire. The idea was conceived during the Second World War and probably made a slight contribution to the war effort. It boiled down to using mathematical methods to optimise strategy eg should ships travel singly or in convoys?
Looking back on this experience I think that OR is a total waste of time and I guess most other people have come to the same conclusion. In the 1960s every big company had an OR department - now they don't. Why not? Let's take a specific example of a classic OR problem to see why.
He has to visit 15 customers in various cities, what route should he take? You can write a computer program that will come up with a route which minimises travel. Hurrah - job done.
Not quite. Because in the real world, there are numerous other factors at work. For example:
Certain places only see salesmen on certain days
The restaurant in Cirencester does a brilliant half price meal on Monday evening but give him a receipt at full price
The Hotel receptionist in Bristol on a Tuesday is clearly available but that is the only night she is on
He likes to spend Wednesday nights at home because he misses his kids and his wife goes to see her mother
His mistress in Cheltenham is only free Thursday evening because her husband works very late that night
He is your best saleman by miles and you cannot risk losing him ...
Stick all that in your computer program and smoke it
Bob Cory
Modified on 25/09/2019 at 08:31:00 by ℗ Bob Cory