Editing Operations research (section)

==Management science==
{{Main|Management science}}
The field of management science (MS) is known as using operations research models in business.<ref name="UTK">[http://bus.utk.edu/soms/information/whatis_msci.html What is Management Science?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207155115/http://bus.utk.edu/soms/information/whatis_msci.html|date=7 December 2008}} The University of Tennessee, 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2008.</ref> [[Stafford Beer]] characterized this in 1967.<ref>[[Stafford Beer]] (1967) ''Management Science: The Business Use of Operations Research''</ref> Like operational research itself, management science is an interdisciplinary branch of applied mathematics devoted to optimal decision planning, with strong links with economics, business, engineering, and other [[science]]s. It uses various [[science|scientific]] [[research]]-based principles, [[strategy|strategies]], and [[analytical method]]s including [[mathematical model]]ing, statistics and [[numerical algorithm]]s to improve an organization's ability to enact rational and meaningful management decisions by arriving at optimal or near-optimal solutions to sometimes complex decision problems. Management scientists help businesses to achieve their goals using the scientific methods of operational research.

The management scientist's mandate is to use rational, systematic, science-based techniques to inform and improve decisions of all kinds. Of course, the techniques of management science are not restricted to business applications but may be applied to military, medical, public administration, charitable groups, political groups or community groups.

Management science is concerned with developing and applying [[scientific modeling|models]] and [[concept]]s that may prove useful in helping to illuminate management issues and solve managerial problems, as well as designing and developing new and better models of organizational excellence.<ref name="LS">[http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/departments/ManSci/DeptProfile/WhatisManSci/ What is Management Science?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914101120/http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/departments/ManSci/DeptProfile/WhatisManSci/ |date=14 September 2008 }} Lancaster University, 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2008.</ref>

===Related fields===
Some of the fields that have considerable overlap with Operations Research and Management Science include:<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Merigó |first1=José M |last2=Yang |first2=Jian-Bo |date=2017|title=A bibliometric analysis of operations research and management science |url=https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/a-bibliometric-analysis-of-operations-research-and-management-science(97b111d2-d178-4f37-a26e-08076d778b4a).html|journal=Omega - International Journal of Management Science | volume=73 | pages=37–48 |doi=10.1016/j.omega.2016.12.004 |issn=0305-0483}}</ref>
{{cols|colwidth=13em}}
* [[Artificial Intelligence]]
* [[Business analytics]]
* [[Computer science]]
* [[Data mining]]/[[Data science]]/[[Big data]]
* [[Decision analysis]]
* [[Decision intelligence]]
* [[Engineering]]
* [[Financial engineering]]
* [[Forecasting]]
* [[Game theory]]
* [[Geography]]/[[Geographic information science]]
* [[Graph theory]]
* [[Industrial engineering]]
* [[Inventory control]]
* [[Logistics]]
* [[Mathematical modeling]]
* [[Mathematical optimization]]
* [[Probability]] and [[statistics]]
* [[Project management]]
* [[Policy analysis]]
* [[Queueing theory]]
* [[Simulation]]
* [[Social network]]/[[Transportation forecasting]] models
* [[Stochastic processes]]
* [[Supply chain management]]
* [[Systems engineering]]
{{colend}}

===Applications===
Applications are abundant such as in airlines, manufacturing companies, [[service organization]]s, military branches, and government. The range of problems and issues to which it has contributed insights and solutions is vast. It includes:<ref name="LS"/>
* Scheduling (of airlines, trains, buses etc.)
* Assignment (assigning crew to flights, trains or buses; employees to projects; commitment and dispatch of power generation facilities)
* Facility location (deciding most appropriate location for new facilities such as warehouses; factories or fire station)
* Hydraulics & Piping Engineering (managing flow of water from reservoirs)
* Health Services (information and supply chain management)
* Game Theory (identifying, understanding; developing strategies adopted by companies)
* Urban Design
* Computer Network Engineering (packet routing; timing; analysis)
* Telecom & Data Communication Engineering (packet routing; timing; analysis)
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nak-architecture.com/index.php/en/services/blog/55-urban-operations-research-uor |title=Blog |access-date=28 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929183803/http://nak-architecture.com/index.php/en/services/blog/55-urban-operations-research-uor |archive-date=29 September 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Management is also concerned with so-called soft-operational analysis which concerns methods for [[strategic planning]], strategic [[decision support]], [[problem structuring methods]]. 
In dealing with these sorts of challenges, mathematical [[modeling and simulation]] may not be appropriate or may not suffice. Therefore, during the past 30 years{{vague|date=November 2017}}, a number of non-quantified modeling methods have been developed. These include:{{Citation needed|date=June 2016}}
* stakeholder based approaches including [[metagame analysis]] and [[drama theory]]
* [[Morphological analysis (problem-solving)|morphological analysis]] and various forms of [[influence diagram]]s
* cognitive mapping
* strategic choice 
* robustness analysis