OR/MS Today - February 1998 - President's Desk

February 1998

President's Desk:
JUST DO IT!

By Karla Hoffman

There has never been a more exciting time to be working in the field of OR/MS! The headline in the Money Section of USA TODAY on Dec. 31, 1997, read: "Higher Math Delivers Formula for Success — Business to Turn to Algorithms to Solve Complex Problems." Other headlines bemoan how there are 200,000 unfilled high-tech jobs in the United States, and the number seems to be growing weekly.

Companies in the Washington, D.C., area are paying their employees huge finders fees for OR/MS professionals — there are simply not enough of us for the demand! I truly feel honored and fortunate to serve as president during a time when the field is so vibrant.

With the stunning advances in computer technology, the opportunities for the OR/MS professional are enormous. Why has the demand for our talents suddenly become so appreciated? I believe it is because we perform the unique role of being able to translate multi-gigabyte databases into usable information for good decision making.

The synergies between information technology and OR/MS provide opportunities that are unprecedented. However, while the services of the OR/MS professional are in great demand, we are now more likely to be dispersed throughout organizations without the support structure that an OR department served in the past. INFORMS can provide the collegial and technical support that you want and need, but it requires your help.

Art Geoffrion's last column [OR/MS Today, December 1997] provided a vision of a thriving, ever-changing society that brings full value to each and every member.

What does full value mean? I will not reiterate the long list of new initiatives described in Art's column but will indicate just a few of the many challenges ahead. We need to expand our career development activities to include life-long learning, career services, and a much broader view of job placement. Our on-line services must include web storefronts, electronic publishing, virtual communities and updates of research results using "push" technologies.

We must expand our meetings portfolio to include meetings on emerging technologies, tutorials that build on skills related to OR/MS and meetings about the latest teaching technologies. We also need to test how to best leverage our meetings' successes — by providing program tapes and/or making related digital materials on-line.

Although our subdivisions are flourishing, we have holes in our portfolio of technical areas. There are regions of the country that lack local and/or student chapters. Far more can be done to publicize our successes to the public, the business and government communities, and to those still in school. Can we do it all? Certainly! But only with your involvement. INFORMS has a highly competent professional staff, but it is small compared to the tasks that need to be completed.

It is a new year. You can hope that others will do the things you want done, or you can pitch in. Is it worth the effort? By volunteering to work for INFORMS, I have worked with talented, dedicated, inspiring people who have become close friends and from whom I have learned much. I can honestly say that I have gained far more than I have given!

Knowing how much value I have obtained from my volunteer activities, I must ask why it is that only a very small (though very active and accomplished) percentage of the membership participate? Is it that you do not believe that you can effect the changes you most want? Is it that you think that the leadership will not listen to your ideas?

I ask each of you to consider what new or improved services you want most from INFORMS and then to volunteer some of your time to create the change. INFORMS' organizational structure has the flexibility to enable everyone to contribute according to their particular interests and available time. If you ask volunteers why they work so hard for INFORMS, I believe you will learn how much they personally get out of their involvement.

So how do you get involved? Go to INFORMS On-Line and register as a volunteer. I promise to contact you directly and work with you to assure your success. Or, attend a local chapter meeting and suggest speakers or activities that you want. If there is not a chapter in your area, start one! If there is not a technical section that represents your industry or sub-discipline, start one!

If you are thinking of changing your employment, volunteer for job placement or career development activities. Do you want to broaden your web capabilities? Become a volunteer on INFORMS On-Line. Volunteer to referee for your favorite journal. It is that easy. The number of opportunities are enormous. Choose one that will help you.

Think about what really matters to you, and then JUST DO IT!

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