On the origins of OR and its institutions

Abstract

Operational Research (OR) is the science of decision-making. From its military origins on the eve of World War II, OR has over the past seven decades matured to become a discipline that is recognised worldwide for its contributions to managerial planning and complex operations on all levels within both private companies and public institutions. Besides being an indispensable tool as a means for decision support, OR is today a well-established academic discipline and a field with its own institutions. Thus, OR-professionals are joined in national societies worldwide, assembled since 1959 in the global organization International Federation of OR Societies (IFORS) which again is subdivided into four Regional Groupings. Among those is the Association of European OR Societies (EURO) having as members the national societies of 31 countries notably in Europe. Two questions will be addressed: what is OR all about? How do National OR societies fit within the frameworks of IFORS and EURO? Partial answers are provided to both.