Foundations of OR: Essential OR Skills for Practitioners
Gain an understanding of the wide spectrum of skills used in Operational Research, including: problem structuring; data collection; analytics; modelling; and simulation. Learn and understand a typical problem cycle
Description
- The course will cover the wide spectrum of skills used in OR from problem structuring, through to data collection, analytics, modelling and simulation.
- Examples will used throughout the course to show how OR skills can be applied to the four quadrants of a typical problem cycle.
- It will enable new practitioners to build on their current personal competencies and expand their skills, knowledge, and confidence into areas of OR.
- On completion of the course delegates will be able to describe how soft and hard OR skills can be blended to address real-world problems and build a powerful narrative that can engage both technical and non-technical decision makers.
Learning objectives
- The identification of the four stages of a problem cycle: definition, data modelling and communication.
- The application of soft OR/PSMs to define a typical problem.
- The ability to select and apply data to a model, an introduction to machine learning vs classic methods.
- Building a range of worked examples, applying model and tools typically used by OR analysts.
- Select data and communication methods to present results to achieve impact.
- Appreciate the role of professional judgement in assuring the quality of OR analysis.
Topics
- What is OR, history & OR cycle.
- Understanding the problem:
- Soft OR, cognitive mapping, soft systems methodology and how to approach complex problem.
- What’s the evidence:
- The policy cycle, data and evidence, machine learning, model building.
- Modelling the options:
- Mathematical and heuristic models (linear programming travelling salesman), system dynamics, discrete event simulation, what if analysis & scenario planning.
- Presenting analysis for impact, considering aspects such as: genre, audience, purpose, and style.
Audience
Those who are new to the OR profession, interested in becoming an Operational Researcher or acquiring a knowledge of OR. An ideal course for delegates making the transition from a scientific, academic, or IT background to an OR role.
Course format
- PowerPoint presentation to introduce the topics
- Case studies based on ‘real world’ problems
- Practical sessions using Simul8 software and Microsoft Excel with the Solver and Data tool packs
- Group discussion/work to explore the topics in more detail
- Bring questions from your own work to embed your learning
- Supporting resource pack available to use following the course
Related courses
- Foundations of OR: OR and the OR Process
- Foundations of OR: Statistical Methods in OR: Descriptive Statistics, Sampling and Regression
- Foundations of OR: Statistical Methods in OR: Forecasting
- Foundations of OR: Simulation