OR and the OR Process

Develop your understanding of Operational Research (OR), its processes and how they are used to address real world problems. Address the modelling issues you may encounter throughout your career.                   

Description

  • Develop a deeper understanding of OR processes.  
  • Address real world problems using this methodology. 
  • Gain an overview of some common OR techniques and methods. 
  • How to use different types of modelling. 
  • Appreciate some of the modelling issues you may encounter throughout your career.  

Learning objectives

  • You will know what OR is   
  • Understand the role of models in OR   
  • Understand the OR process and how it helps define and structure OR projects   
  • Understand the role of data in OR work and the issues in obtaining suitable data   
  • Know how to verify and validate OR models  

Topics

  • Introduction to OR   
  • Models and modelling  
  • The process of developing and using models in OR 
  • Data collection in model building   
  • Verification and validation of models  

Audience

Delegates will typically be in their first or second year of working in an OR role.

Suitable for those who want a better understanding of the scope and process of the OR profession.

Course format

  • PowerPoint presentation to introduce the topics  
  • 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

  • Essential OR Skills for Practitioners 
  • 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 tutor

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.