What is Operations Research? / Definition of Operation Research:

What is Operations Research –

Operations research is a discipline that deals with the development and application of analytical techniques to improve decision-making. It is also known as operational analysis. In British English, it is known as operational research. Operations research is often shortened to the initialism OR.

Definition of Operation Research –

A uniform and acceptable definition of O.R. is not available. OR has been defined so far in various ways and has still not been defined authoritatively.

Operations Research has been variously described as the “Science of Use”, “Quantitative commonsense”, and “Scientific approach to decision-making problems”. OR deals with problems concerning the best utilization of limited resources.

Read Also – Introduction to Operation Research

Some important and interesting opinions about the definition of OR which have been changed according to the development of the subject been given below:

• Operations Research is a scientific method of providing executive departments with a quantitative basis for decisions regarding the operations under their control. –P M Morse & GE & Kimball (1946)

• Operations Research is the art of winning the war without actually fighting it –Miller & Starr

• Operations Research is the art of finding bad answers to problems to which otherwise worse answers are given. –T.L. Saaty (1958)

• Operations Research is a scientific approach to problem-solving for Executive Management. –H.M. Wagner

• OR is the application of scientific methods, techniques and tools to problems involving the operations of systems so as to provide those in control of the operations with optimum solutions to the problem. –C.W. Chuchman, R.L. Ackoff (1957)

• OR is concerned with scientifically deciding how to best design & operate man-machine systems usually requiring the allocation of scarce resources. –Operations Research Society, UK (1971)

• OR is the systematic, method-oriented study of the basic structure, characteristics, functions and relationships of an organization to provide the execute with a sound, scientific and quantitative basis for decision making. –-E.L. Arnoff M.J.Netzorg

• OR is the systematic application of quantitative methods, techniques and tools to the analysis of problems involving the operation of a system. –Daellenbach & George

• OR may be described as a scientific approach to decision-making that involves the operations of an organizational system. –F S Hiller & G J Lieberman

• This new decision-making field has been characterized by the use of scientific knowledge through interdisciplinary team effort for the purpose of determining the best utilization of limited resources. –-H A Taha

• OR, in the most general sense, can be characterized as the application of scientific methods, techniques and tools, to problems involving the operations of a system so as to provide those in control of the operations with optimum solutions to the problems. –Churchman, Ackoff and Arnoff

A decision, which takes into account all the present circumstances can be considered the best one, is called an “optimal decision”.

(Source – Various books of college library)

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