OR/MS Today - October 2002 Letters To the Editor Problem of the Week To the editor: I could not agree more with Dick Larson ("Frame, Forumulate and Solve," OR/MS Today, August 2002) and Tom Grossman ("Student Consulting Projects Benefit Faculty and Industry," Interfaces, March-April 2002) who both emphasize that the foundation of OR is modeling and not optimization. Unfortunately, teaching mathematical techniques and optimization is easier than teaching problem formulation and modeling. Three decades ago the OR Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania emphasized modeling/problem formulation skills. For example, the Ph.D. qualification examination did not test technique/mathematical skills. Instead the student was required to spend a week developing a formulation/model of a real unstructured problem, often obtained from an RFP advertised in the Commerce Business Daily. In those days I taught a seminar in modeling, sometimes referred to as the "Science of the Art of Modeling." The class read the philosophies of significant OR and science model builders, e.g., Ashby, Churchman, Forrester, Heisenberg, Mesarovic, Simon and von Bertalanffy. Each week I assigned a real-life problem for the students to formulate and model. They also were required to specify how data could be collected and parameter estimated. Solution techniques were "left to the reader." The "problems of the week" were real and local, e.g., how can a graduate program determine the "best" number of students, faculty and their ratio, or from the current news, e.g., how can government/business best (or better) manage: gasoline shortages, newsprint recycling, army recruiting, or unfreezing of prices as industrial capacity increases and hyperinflation becomes controlled? Thankfully, I've ignored my wife's pleas to throw out old teaching and work files. Sid Hess Chadds Ford, Pa. An active INFORMS (including its predecessors) member for 45 years, Hess, a past president of TIMS, continues to serve the Institute as a member of the Public Information Committee. The Rest of the Story To the editor: I read with interest Richard Larson's article in OR/MS Today ("Frame, Formulate and Solve," August 2002). How about a one- or two-hour credit course using Edelman presentations? Each week, the problem faced in a case study would be presented. Students would have the next week to hash out the details of the problem, data to be collected, questions to be answered and likely methodologies. The next class would show the "rest of the story" for the case presented, and students could see how their ideas fared with what was actually done. Class concludes with the start of another case study. Dennis Gimlin Pueblo, Colo. Kudos for Erkut, OR Education To the editor: I just wanted to reinforce your observations on Erhan Erkut from the University of Alberta School of Business in your August OR/MS Today editorial ("A Passion for Education"). As a former student, I found Erhan's instruction instrumental in convincing me of the value of management science. It is one of the reasons I am a member of INFORMS. He had such a solid grasp of his subject material that he was able to simplify it so it could be understood. I had been through one course using the Excel Solver, but only after sitting through his explanation did I actually understand what was going on. He was able to demonstrate the real value and potential for the tools of management science. I am not a core OR practitioner. However, when I was looking for an organization to support my professional development in the field of sales and marketing, after reviewing a number of organizations, I selected INFORMS because it addressed practical issues I face: product mix decision, plant utilization issues, new product diffusion, etc. In fact, the practice conferences that INFORMS has recently started sound exactly like the reason I chose to be a member. It's about solving practical, complex problems. Now, I have not used my training as much as I would have liked. One of the biggest issues has been time. As an operational manager I haven't been able to integrate the use of OR into my work as much as I would like. Even when getting an outside team in, it is a considerable effort to properly support it and so, in all honesty, I am struggling to incorporate this into my toolbox. But I shall persist, because I know the value is there. To return to my original point, I wouldn't be sitting here thinking about how to use OR in my business work had it not been for the positive experience I received while a student of Erhan's. OR education is absolutely a key issue, and I encourage you to continue to support it in your publication. Shawn Gervais Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Gervais is a corporate development manager with the Alberta Research Council. Editor's Note: OR/MS Today welcomes letters to the editor that address subjects relevant to the OR/MS community. Letters should include the author's name, address and contact information. Letters should be sent via e-mail to Editor Peter Horner at horner@lionhrtpub.com. Table of Contents OR/MS Today Home Page OR/MS Today copyright © 2002 by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. All rights reserved. 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