INFORMS Releases

CATONSVILLE, MD, March 5, 2019 – From the very first moment the term operations research (O.R.) was created during World War II, it has been indelibly connected to the development of modern military warfare. And while today, O.R. sees applications in every industry around the world, it continues to serve an integral role in military operations, from manpower and equipment, to strategy and intelligence.

CATONSVILLE, MD, February 7, 2019 – Consumer brands have long used old-fashioned focus groups, interviews and surveys to best gauge consumer wants, desires and needs as part of processes that range from product development, to marketing and sales. As machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged, there is an increasing interest in the ability to harness these solutions to save time and money, and to yield more reliable consumer insights.

CATONSVILLE, MD, February 6, 2019 – The traditional model for setting auto insurance premiums has been to base rates on the motorist’s driving history, age, gender and even marital status (in some states). Thanks to new technological options, insurance companies and motorists have started to work together to give the insurance companies access to better data on an individual driver’s risk level, and give the same driver a sense of greater control over how much he or she will pay in insurance premiums.

CATONSVILLE, MD, January 29, 2019 – One of the more common self-improvement goals, particularly in the winter months before “beach body” season, is to lose weight. How people attempt to achieve their goals may vary by individual, but one of the more popular approaches is enrollment in a commercial weight loss program that uses a ‘buddy system’ approach to weight loss.

INFORMS, the leading international association for professionals in operations research and analytics, has selected three finalists for the 2019 UPS George D. Smith Prize, which recognizes excellence in preparing students to become practitioners of operations research and analytics.