Phases in Operation Research Study:

Since, the main objective of operation research is to provide better quantitative information’s for making decision. Now our aim is to learn how we can have better decisions.

The procedure for making decisions with the OR study generally involves the following phases:

(i) Judgment Phase:

i. Determination of operation.

ii. Determination of objectives.

iii. Determination of effectiveness of measures.

iv. Determination of type of problem, its origin and causes.

(ii) Research Phase:

i. Observation and data collection for better understanding of the problem.

ii. Formulation of relevant hypothesis and models.

iii. Analysis of available information and verification of hypothesis.

iv. Production and generation of results and consideration of alternatives.

(iii) Action Phase:

i. Recommendations for remedial action to those who first posed the problem, this includes the assumptions made, scope and limitations, alternative courses of action and their effect.

ii. Putting the solution to work: implementation.

Without OR, in many cases, we follow these phases in full, but in other cases, we leave important steps out. Judgment and subjective decision-making are not good enough. Thus industries look to operation research for more objective way to make decisions. It is found that method used should consider the emotional and subjective factors also.

For example, the skill and creative labour are important factors in our business and if management wants to have a new location, the management has to consider the personal feeling of the employees for the location which he chooses.