Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Prologue At the 2004 fall meeting of INFORMS, Sam Savage led a session entitled “Tools and concepts.” The abstract for the session read, “To quote Gene Woolsey, ‘a pencil is a crutch, a calculator is a wheelchair, and a computer is an ambulance.’ This session will explore the relationship between the classroom use of management science tools and the understanding of the underlying concepts. Where do (OR/MS) tools rehabilitate and where do they cause atrophy?” (Savage 2004, p. 48). Now I believe that Doc Savage has hit it right on the button. A moment’s reflection on what I have done in my OR/MS career shows me that I find it important to use an approximate method the customer can understand before reaching for mathematical models. Also, as is well known, I have this quaint notion that we should consider modeling something only after we have watched the present process and, best of all, participated in doing it. Therefore, in honor of Doc Savage, I will present a trilogy of examples in three columns that demonstrate the rightness of his position.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
