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

  • OR and the OR Process 
  • Statistical Methods in OR: Descriptive Statistics, Sampling and Regression 
  • Statistical Methods in OR: Forecasting 
  • Simulation Techniques for Decision Making in OR

Want to run this course in-house? Enquire about running this course in-house

Meet the tutors

Mark Westcombe

Mark works as an independent consultant and trainer for attivation. He works principally with project teams in the early stages of project development. He works mostly as a facilitator using Cognitive Mapping and Soft Systems Methodology to negotiate feasible action plans with project teams.

He was previously a lecturer at Lancaster University, where he worked with Prof Peter Checkland and previously with Prof Colin Eden at Strathclyde University.

His clients have included the NHS, British Sugar, ShooSmiths, Swedish Dept of Trade, Dept of HE Indonesia, QinetiQ, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Royal Navy, Dstl, and GORS, amongst many others. His training focuses on transferring the skills inherent to project consultancy, analysis and facilitation.

Mark teaches SSM, Cognitive Mapping and facilitation courses for the OR Society and other clients. He has also held directorships in the Housing Industry and is currently an executive director of a non-profit.

Greg McCormick, FORS

Greg is a consultant and trainer with wide experience of Operational Research, particularly data analysis, modelling, simulation and optimisation. He worked initially in the Coal industry, then the Water industry, and the Highways Agency. His PhD was on optimisation under uncertainty.

Before he retired Greg was a Programme Director at the National School of Government, responsible for courses in analysis and use of evidence, statistics, research methods, and writing and briefing skills among other topics. Since then he has continued to design and run courses, particularly on Data Presentation and Foundation OR topics such as Modelling.

He is a Fellow of the OR Society.