 Contribution
of Operational Research: Practitioners Viewpoints |
| Matt
Biglin |
In an industry without a track record of YM,OR has a key
role to play at every stage from feasibility and design to
prototyping and implementation. There are several well researched
factors required for YM to work successfully. In addition
to the `hard' conditions there are several `softer' factors
which affect the overall commercial success of the system.
OR's expertise in data and forecasting has been crucial in
identifying suitability of existing data and how to improve
it. Finding a new use for old data is a good way of finding
out whats wrong with it. Good YM depends on good forecasting
which in turn depends on good data.
Introducing YM to an organisation inevitably means changing
the way they do business. For YM to work there needs to
be a physical and cultural change at the point of decision
whether to accept or reject custom. OR has been involved
here by project planning, process design and prototyping
ideas and systems.
Finally OR's knowledge has been useful to evaluate results
to (hopefully) ensure that the business gains maximum commercial
benefit.
Matt Biglin
British Airways World Cargo
UK
March 1998
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