The logic and methods of OR consulting practice: towards a foundational view

Abstract

OR consultants aspire to provide their clients with good reasoning. OR methods are designed to support the process of developing good reasoning. Logic examines what counts as good reasoning. The aim of the paper is to investigate the foundations of OR in terms of the relationship between logic and the activities and methods of OR inquiry. The approach taken is: (i) to identify the types of activities that OR practitioners typically engage in during an OR project; (ii) to introduce some of the main areas of logical reasoning, particularly those relevant to OR practice such as deductive, inductive, modal, and informal logic; and (iii) to bring these two lines of thinking together in order to examine the relationship between logic and OR practice and methods. The key finding is that although the core activities and methods of gathering data, analysing it and developing models are logically well founded, the management of uncertainty in the line of argument could benefit from the insights and methods provided by logic. From this analysis, some practical suggestions are made to improve the process of OR, the development of the line of argument, and the honing of advice given to clients.