INFORMS Releases

CATONSVILLE, MD, June 23, 2020 – The weight loss industry in the United States is vast and generates about $20 billion each year from over 100 million dieters. Commercial weight loss programs design customer-focused program policies to shape and optimize satisfaction and development. These two metrics are tied to how well a program does and the success of the customers in that program. New research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science finds one key to success is making sure you have the right role model for dieters.

CATONSVILLE, MD, June 18, 2019 – Many people are using COVID-19 quarantine to get projects done at home, meaning plenty of online shopping for tools and supplies. But do you buy blind? Research shows 97% of consumers consult product reviews before making a purchase. Fake reviews are a significant threat for online review portals and product search engines given the potential for damage to consumer trust. Little is known about what review portals should do with fraudulent reviews after detecting them. 

CATONSVILLE, MD, June 8, 2020 – It’s not uncommon for U.S. pharmaceutical companies to pay medical doctors to promote their medications. Questions over possible conflicts of interest have led to introduction of laws that require payment disclosure so that the public can see which pharmaceutical companies are paying which doctors.

INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research (O.R.) and analytics professionals, has awarded UPS with the 2020 INFORMS Prize for sustained and enduring institutional achievement. UPS is the first company in the history of the prize to win twice; it previously won this prize in 2003. 

INFORMS, the leading international association for professionals in operations research and analytics, has awarded the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada the 2020 UPS George D. Smith Prize. The award recognizes excellence in preparing students to become practitioners of operations research and analytics.