Implementation
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Implementation - the importance of managerial involvement in the Operational Research process
John Walker development
and
The opportunity to implement an Operational
devoted
Research project is oniy possible when management
practice of OR groups was published in a special
has accepted the proposed solution. Management
issue of the Journal of the Operational Research Societt
acceptance depends upon their belief that the problem solved is the one they have and on the
(1998).
to
the
Throughout all the references cited is the good manager/OR analyst
importance of communication
understanding of and trust in the process by which
foundation,
for
successful
project
implementation. This was also indicated in survey of practising INFORMS members. (Abdel-Malek et
obtained. Such belief, was the solution understanding and trust depend upon the effectiveness of the communication between
al, 1999).
management and the OR analyst. In this paper, an attempt is made to illustrate, by means of contrasting case studies, the importance of managerial involvement in the Operational Research process.
In the absence
In this paper two eases are presented. The first study, involving the importing of iron ore, was a failure. The second study, involving the setting up of a ear hire service, was a success. Since the
circumstance of almost every attempt at project implementation is unique, sufficient detail of the
Introduction implementation
universal framework for
implementation, case studies continue to provide a useful experiential hase to guide the practice of OR.
oo0oo-
Successful
of a
of
an
manager - OR analyst interaction ('warts and all') is given in order to illustrate the specific fàctors that contributed to failure or success. Although there are a number of contrasts between the two studies, the importance of managerial involvement in the OR process in building a fbundation of belief, understanding, trust and means of communication between the manager and the OR analyst is seen to
Operational
Research (OR) project is of crucial importance to both the manager and OR analyst. Ackoff (1960) examined a number of unsuccessful case studies and
considered the reasons behind the lack of success. This work was an interesting early attempt to review the challenges of implementing OR and was unique in following up studies after a number of years had transpired. Wysocki (1979) classified 276 papers on
be significant.
the topic of implementation that were published between 1953 and 1976. Interestingly, only 39 of Importing of iron ores: these papers were case studies of actual an implementation failure implementations. Unfortunately, case studies covering implementation failure have been rare in the four decades following Ackoff s paper. An Background exception is the text by Tilanus et al (1986), which includes cases of failure (and success). Also, the At the time of the study the OR analyst, John, u as a journal Interfaces, in addition to papers on successful young member of an OR gro
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