However, other than in government and defence, the OR label was not being used by many practitioner groups and some started to use ‘business analytics’ or similar to help clarify their role. As Secretary to the Heads of OR Forum (until May 2022, when John Hopes, a long standing member, took over), I was supportive, as were a majority of members, to extend the name to the Heads of OR and Analytics Forum and this was adopted in 2018. There is currently a discussion about whether this name should be further extended to include data science!
It is gratifying to note that today The OR Society and the OR community have established a key role within the analytics landscape, particularly focusing on decision making, sponsoring workshops, training and the academic journal of Business Analytics.
References
Davenport T.H. and Harris J.G. (2007) Competing on Analytics – the new science of winning. Harvard Business School Press.
Ranyard, J. C., Fildes, R., & Hu, T.-I. (2015). Re-assessing the scope of OR practice: The influences of problem structuring methods and the analytics movement. European Journal of Operational Research, 245, 1-13.
Ranyard J. C. and Fildes R. (2016) Extending the Scope of OR: Business Analytics. Inside OR, issue 550, 18-20.
*Elsie Cropper, who died in service in around 1990, aged 44 years. The Society now manages the Elsie Cropper award, set up by donations from those who worked with her, which provides grants for OR sandwich students.