OR/MS Today articles from October 2007

OR/MS Today archives from October 2007

Goodbye to a good guy.(INSIDE STORY)(Obituary)
October 1, 2007... As is so often the case in this age of text messaging, e-mail and assorted instant communication, the news arrived multiple times--swift, cold and harsh--like a couple of slaps across the face. Lloyd Clarke had died the day before in a...

Profession faces tough questions.(PRESIDENT'S DESK)
October 1, 2007... I recently attended the 40th anniversary celebration of the Institute for Operations Research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. I was asked by the organizers to speak on the challenges facing the field of operations...

By integration by differentiation.(INFORMS ONLINE)(Column)
October 1, 2007... In my August 2007 column, I wrote about the growing expectations of, but also growing, complexity at INFORMS Online (IoL). I focus on a more tangible issue here: integration. Integration is an IT consulting buzzword in industry and usually...

Building, operating a hybrid course.(ISSUES IN EDUCATION)
October 1, 2007... This month's column concludes a short series on the notion of a "hybrid" course. The first installment, "Your Next Teaching Vehicle may be a Hybrid" (OR/MS Today, June, 2007) discussed the pressures that OR/MS courses face in the MBA Core and...

Six Sigma operations: from manufacturing to pricing.(QED)(Column)
October 1, 2007... The other day someone said that operations refer essentially to manufacturing. In today's economy, it is worthwhile to discuss how operations underlie everything a company does--manufacturing, finance, human resources, IT, marketing and even...

The Gift Economy.(WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID)(analysis of nonlinear programming)(Column)
October 1, 2007... In graduate school, we spent a lot of time sitting around trying to avoid working on our own research by listening to our friends talk about theirs. At the core of my research, I had formulated a nonlinear program to represent relationships...

Research videos: a star is bORn.(FORUM)
October 1, 2007... Richard Larson's article "Web Video: Transformational Option for O.R." in the April 2007 issue of OR/MS Today suggests that the time has arrived for the operations research community to use new technologies and avenues to disseminate and...

Mass egress and post-disaster responses: Homeland Security Institute analyzes the aftermath of catastrophes.
October 1, 2007... What can be done if, despite best efforts, a disaster strikes, leaving hundreds or thousands of people in danger? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Analytical...

Adventures in O.R.: a team of Cisco Systems analysts gets an eye-opening look at operations research in action at the INFORMS Practice Conference in Vancouver.(Practice Meeting Pays Off)(operations research)(Column)
October 1, 2007... THE ANNUAL INFORMS PRACTICE CONFERENCE is a well-known platform for professionals to share experiences, successes and lessons in operations research. The team went to pre-conference workshops, seminars and the Young Researcher Connection...

New frontiers in simulation: biennial survey of discrete-event simulation software tools.
October 1, 2007... WE USE SIMULATION TO REALIZE OUR IMAGINATION in a specific and detailed way--rendering what we imagination in a way that we can grasp. For instance, one may use laser devices to simulate the effect of actual arms during a military exercise,...

COIN-OR in 2007.(computational infrastructure for operations research)
October 1, 2007... The COmputational INfrastructure for Operations Research (COIN-OR) is the premier Web site devoted to open-source software for the operations research community. Hosted by INFORMS, COIN-OR is home to more than two dozen projects and a...

The best is yet to come--WSC '07.(INFORMS NEWS)(winter simulation conference)
October 1, 2007... The best is yet to come--that's the hope that we all live on, but it also happens to be the theme of the 2007 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) to be held at the JW Marriott hotel in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9-12. It also marks the 40th...

In memoriam: Lloyd Clarke (1964-2007).(INFORMS NEWS)(Obituary)
October 1, 2007... It deeply saddens us to bring you the news that Lloyd Clarke was killed in a bicycling accident on Sept. 20 in Incline Village, Nev. He is survived by his wife, Sherol, and his daughter, Elta. Lloyd was an active member of the INFORMS...

Roundtable winter retreat.(INFORMS NEWS)(Discussion)
October 1, 2007... Fifty Roundtable members and guests met in Tampa, Fla., for the INFORMS Roundtable winter retreat centered on the theme "Human-in-the-Loop"--an introduction to applications of information markets and experimental economics. The idea of...

INFORMS Annual Meeting 2007--Seattle: guide to exhibitors.(INFORMS NEWS)
October 1, 2007... Visit the Exhibit Hall in the Convention Center to see innovative software products, publications and resources. For more information about the meting, go to http://meetings.informs.org/Seattle07/. EXHIBITS OPEN NOV. 4-7: Sunday --...

INFORMS meetings.(INFORMS NEWS)(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... INFORMS National & International Meetings 2007 Nov. 4-7 INFORMS Annual Meeting 2007 Seattle Washington State Convention and Trade Center & Sheraton Seattle Seattle, Wash. Chair: Zelda B. Zabinsky, University of...

Call for nominations; Editor in chief: applied probability and operations research.(INFORMS NEWS)
October 1, 2007... The Applied Probability Society (APS) of INFORMS, in cooperation with the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS), will publish a new journal in the area of applied probability, tentatively titled Applied Probability and Operations Research...

Mathematica 6: 'major' upgrade to popular computational system includes many new features and enhanced ease of use.(SOFTWAREREVIEW)(Column)
October 1, 2007... IN THE DECEMBER 2003 ISSUE of OR/MS Today, I reviewed Mathematica 5 from an operations research professional's viewpoint [1]. I wrote how version 5 is compelling for O.R. professionals who may have been intrigued by Mathematica software in the...

Frontier Analyst[R] efficiency and performance measurement.(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Banxia[R] Frontier Analyst[R] 4 updates an already well proven tool, giving you better insight into how your business units are performing. Quickly identify and target those critical areas that will have the greatest impact on improved...

Impact Explorer[TM] audience response system for opinion gathering.(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Keypad voting systems provide a very effective means of increasing audience participation in your meetings and presentations, and now they really are more affordable than ever. The Impact Explorer[TM] software provides an agenda designer with...

Pivot Forecasting[TM].(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Seamlessly work at any level of aggregation with ease and high performance, yet without rigid predefined "pyramids." Pivot Forecasting has all the advantages of a pivot table, plus changes are allocated to the details as you work--by product,...

Distribution fitting software.(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Stat::Fit[R] statistically fits your data to the most useful analytical distribution. Version 2 includes 11 additional distributions and enhanced graphics capabilities. The Auto::Fit function automatically fits continuous and discrete...

Logical Decisions[R] for Windows[TM].(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Logical Decisions[R] for Windows[TM], Version 6.0 is now available! LDW helps you evaluate choices requiring critical preference and value judgments. LDW lets you combine qualitative and quantitative concerns in a single model. LDW also lets...

Introducing CSIM for Java!(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Mesquite Software now offers CSIM for Java, a fully-featured simulation toolkit for Java programmers. Both CSIM for Java and CSIM 19 for C/C++ enable you to rapidly and economically create process-oriented, discrete event models for large and...

You have a lot at stake. Let Arena[R] help you gain a strategic competitive edge.(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Helping you make sound investment choices, reduce costs, and optimize operations with simulation is what makes Arena[R] simulation software from Rockwell Automation the undisputed industry leader. Thousands of successful users worldwide rely on...

DEA SolverPro.(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... DEA SolverPro has been widely utilized all over the world. With popular demands on additional features, DEASolverPro Version 5.0 is now available. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With more than 146 models in 35 clusters Version 5.0 added such...

Reprints: please accept this $2,000 incentive from OR/MS today for your company's marketing program!(Literature Files)
October 1, 2007... Order 2,500 or more customized Reprints from ANY printed issue and receive a FREE E-Print (a $2,000 Value). Companies get the best mileage out of Reprints when they're customized to meet their specific marketing needs. To that end, all our...

The ORacle reflects.(ORACLE)(Column)
October 1, 2007... Fall's early slight chill was in the air. The kids were back in school. The leaves had not quite begun to turn color. The season's first football games had been played. The group of friends gathered on one couple's large back patio rejoiced...