Problems Addressed With Operational Research
- Critical path analysis or project planning: identifying those processes in a complex project which affect the overall duration of the project
- Floorplanning: designing the layout of equipment in a factory or components on a computer chip to reduce manufacturing time (therefore reducing cost)
- Network optimization: for instance, setup of telecommunications networks to maintain quality of service during outages
- Allocation problems
- Facility location
- Assignment Problems:
- Assignment problem
- Generalized assignment problem
- Quadratic assignment problem
- Weapon target assignment problem
- Bayesian search theory : looking for a target
- Optimal search
- Routing, such as determining the routes of buses so that as few buses are needed as possible
- Supply chain management: managing the flow of raw materials and products based on uncertain demand for the finished products
- Efficient messaging and customer response tactics
- Automation: automating or integrating robotic systems in human-driven operations processes
- Globalization: globalizing operations processes in order to take advantage of cheaper materials, labor, land or other productivity inputs
- Transportation: managing freight transportation and delivery systems (Examples: LTL Shipping, intermodal freight transport)
- Scheduling:
- Personnel staffing
- Manufacturing steps
- Project tasks
- Network data traffic: these are known as queueing models or queueing systems.
- Sports events and their television coverage
- Blending of raw materials in oil refineries
- Determining optimal prices, in many retail and B2B settings, within the disciplines of pricing science
Operational research is also used extensively in government where evidence-based policy is used.
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