CURRENT APPROACHES TO SOLVING WORKLOAD SCHEDULING, PREDICTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND SMOOTHING PROBLEMS

Conclusion: In any successful Management Science application at least the following steps must be carried out: (1) The problem must be identified and precisely characterized. (2) Data must be collected relevant to the problem. (3) A solution technique must be devised and tested with the actual data. Comparison with actual operations should be made. (4) A method for installing the solution into the operating situation must be devised and tested. (5) Before actual installation is attempted, a 'total systems' study should be made in order to be certain that (a) a valid problem is being solved, (b) the solution of this problem will not create difficulties in other parts of the system, (c) the solution technique is acceptable to the operating personnel who will have to implement it. The implication is that an organization that wants to have such problems solved will have to have an Operations Research department capable of carrying out at least steps (1), (2) and (5). Steps (3) and (4) can be done either by an 'in-house' O R group or else by a consulting firm. (Author)