Description
This text is designed to introduce the reader to the field of operations re- search/management science (OR/MS). Although the book can be used by practitioners or students of any discipline, it is aimed at the business student who will most likely pursue a career in an organization requiring some managerial ability and decision-making skill. The book is written to support the introductory course, whose purpose is to introduce future consumers of OR/MS to the discipline. It is written at a level that is appropriate for both the undergraduate and graduate student.We have written the book with a balanced emphasis on not only the quantitative techniques, but also their application and strengths and weak- nesses. To stress applications, we have begun each chapter with a real world scenario featuring a well-known organization and how it used OR/MS to its benefit. These applications were obtained from success stories in the OR/MS literature and the authors' personal experiences. Additional applica- tions are cited through examples in the individual chapters, as well as in the problems section at the end of each chapter. A section called computer implications is also included in those chapters that present computer-based methods. In this particular section we discuss practical information, such as the availability of software packages or inherent shortcomings or advantages of the relevant computer-based methodology. The computer implications section could also be called "what the manager needs to know." ISBN:9780134857077
