Journal of the Operational Research Society

L., J. R.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.25pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.26pmid: N/A

Parkinson, W. L.; Taylor, David

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.27pmid: N/A

AbstractThe growth and developments in the organization of the Electricity Supply Industry are outlined and the way in which operational research has been fitted into the organization as a number of separate, co-operating teams is described.Some of the main problems of the Generating Board are explained and the contributions that have been made and that might be made by operational research are discussed.A picture is presented of the widening appreciation of the utility of operational research which, beginning as a service used almost wholly on operational problems of generation, is now being used by an increasing number of departments.

Cook, S. L.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.28pmid: N/A

AbstractUniversity education for operational research in Britain is making great and welcome strides forward, but there has been little open discussion of its aims in relation to the advance of the profession. Progress in operational research, and in its application to the really worth-while problems of industry in particular, depends primarily on strengthening the industrial operational research group in its “front line” role. We need a research study of the teaching and practice of industrial operational research, in relation to effectiveness. We need “collaborative” programmes of operational research education in which the university and the industrial operational research group each contribute, in a man's training over a period of years, in the ways in which each is most competent. We need emphasis on “breadth” as well as “depth” in operational research education, and greater attention to the mutual contributions of operational research, teaching and practice, and the teaching and development of management. An impressionist sketch of a programme which might meet these needs is put forward for discussion of principles and feasibility.

Easterfield, T. E.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.29pmid: N/A

AbstractThe standard definition of “productivity” is shown to be deliberately ambiguous, and to conceal a number of difficulties in selecting an “output” for numerator and an “input” for denominator. The attempt to choose appropriate ones in a given situation leads to better understanding of the working of the organization.A distinction is drawn between effectiveness, efficiency and “profit” (in a rather general sense), and the circumstances in which it is desirable to study one or other of these are examined.Measures of any of these may be of value as a stimulus to better performance (at the risk of leading to attempts to improve the measure rather than the real situation). Alternatively, if they are sound enough statistically, they may be useful tools for analysing the factors that affect the efficient working of the organization.

Tocher, K. D.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.30pmid: N/A

AbstractThe rapid acceptance of the need for special programming languages to aid in computer simulation has led to a large number of such languages in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to review the principal of these languages and to make a comparison of their characteristics. The first characteristic discussed is the method of dealing with time advance and the organization. This is followed by a discussion on the naming and structure of entities.An important aspect of simulation is the comprehensiveness of the test facilities which then receive discussion. The facilities provided by the various programs for introducing procedures or subroutines is described, with special emphasis on sampling, statistic-collecting and output procedures.Lastly, the facilities provided for development are discussed and the paper ends with a brief summary of each of the languages covered.

Beale, E. M. L.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.31pmid: N/A

AbstractThe paper surveys the progress that has been made with the problem of solving linear programming problems when some or all variables are required to take integer values. It is pointed out that there are now four distinct approaches capable of solving real problems of this type: cutting plane methods, primal methods, branch and bound methods, and partial enumeration methods. Each approach is explained briefly. A detailed bibliography is attached.

Berrisford, H. G.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.32pmid: N/A

AbstractThe paper describes the methods of relating gas demand to temperature which have previously been used for forecasting gas demand in the North Western Area, and introduces a new approach which involves the use of exponential weighting as applied to the average temperatures occurring in the 4 weeks prior to the forecast. An analysis of previous gas demand experience (in relation to actual temperatures throughout) showed that the new method gave a much improved fit to the data, and that this accuracy was maintained even in prolonged periods of abnormal weather conditions. The new method also threw more light on the effect on gas demand of other meteorological factors apart from temperature, and showed up significant effects which had not been detected when using other methods. The method can be used for forecasting on both a daily and a weekly basis, and is considered to represent a significant step forward in the technique of gas demand forecasting.

Brown, Robert G.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.33pmid: N/A

James, E. K. G.

doi: 10.1057/jors.1965.34pmid: N/A