Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences

Overview

According to INFORMS' constitution, the Institute's purpose is to improve operational processes, decision-making, and management by individuals and organizations through operations research, the management sciences, analytics and related scientific methods. The constitution provides that the mission of INFORMS is to lead in the development, dissemination and implementation of knowledge, basic and applied research and technologies in operations research, the management sciences, analytics and related methods of improving operational processes, decision-making, and management.

INFORMS is organized, and must operate, exclusively for scientific or educational purposes as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The Institute serves the scientific and professional needs of operations research managements science, and analytics educators, investigators, scientists, students, managers, and consultants, as well as the organizations they serve.

INFORMS publishes 14 scholarly journals about operations research and analytics, including the first and second journals in their class, according to Journal Citation Reports (2005).

The Institute organizes national and international conferences for academics, professionals, and members of the society's special interest groups. It also serves as a focal point for OR and analytics professionals by facilitating communication among members of the society, with members of other professional societies, and with their clients.

INFORMS is a member of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies and the host of the open-source initiative for operations research, COIN-OR. Operations research applies advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions.

Governance

INFORMS is governed by a board of directors which includes a president, past president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, executive director, and vice presidents for chapters and fora, education, information technology, international activities, meetings, membership and professional recognition, practice, publications, sections and societies, and marketing and outreach.

Membership

INFORMS members are operations researchers and analytics professionals who work for universities, corporations, consulting groups, military, the government, and health care. Many are academics who teach operations research, management science, analytics and the quantitative sciences in engineering and business schools. INFORMS members live in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and throughout the world. INFORMS includes masters- and Ph.D.-level members, as well as students working toward their degrees: Membership levels are regular member, student member, and retired member.

The INFORMS Roundtable includes institutional members from operations research departments at major organizations.

Members of INFORMS specialize in operations research and analytics sub-fields such as applied probability, artificial intelligence, decision analysis, financial engineering, information systems, linear programming, logistics, non-linear programming, optimization, simulation, stochastic programming, and yield management.

Publications

INFORMS publishes scholarly journals, including its flagship journals Operations Research and Management Science; and INFORMS Transactions on Education, an online-only, open-access journal. Other journals include

INFORMS also publishes OR/MS Today, the membership magazine; Analytics, the industry magazine; and OR/MS Tomorrow, the student membership magazine

Further publications include Topics in OR (a book series) and INFORMS Cases and Teaching Materials

The list of INFORMS journals includes:

All INFORMS scholarly journals are peer-reviewed.

Awards

INFORMS bestows many prizes to recognize superior achievements in practice, publishing, and teaching, and to acknowledge those who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. Prizes include:

INFORMS communities/subdivisions also honor members, with over 35 prizes and awards.

Other activities

INFORMS offers analytics certification to help advance the use of analytics by setting agreed upon standards for the profession and promoting continued competency for practitioners.

INFORMS has a Job Placement Service that matches employers and members who are job seekers. The yearly highlight takes place at the society’s annual meeting, where employers have the opportunity to meet job candidates and members are able to advance their careers.

INFORMS sponsors many educational and training programs, including the podcasts and videos, INFORMS Forum on Education, Junior Faculty Interest Group Forum, case and teaching materials, multimedia resources, a Speakers Program, a listing of OR graduate and undergraduate programs, and a teacher training program for high school math teachers.

Also known as subdivisions - are important, independent bodies that unite members into local regional groups, focus on special technical interests, and provide the backbone for the organization. Many members belong to more than one group. Communities sponsor conferences, regular meetings, sessions at annual meetings, educational programs, and awards; some provide professional journals and resource publications. INFORMS communities include societies, special interest sections, local and student chapters, forums, a special student honors society, and a Round Table whose members are representatives of OR departments at major organizations.

Meetings provide scholars and practitioners with the opportunity to exchange information, ideas, and perspectives with their colleagues. INFORMS offers an annual meeting, a conference on the practice of analytics and operations research, international meetings, a summer workshop on the teaching of management science, and special interest group meetings.

INFORMS explains the field of analytics and operations research and its tremendous potential impact through an active public relations program and a website, which includes examples, case studies, and a directory of consultants.