INFORMS: 30 Years and Going Strong

In 1995, members of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) and The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS) voted to merge, thus creating INFORMS. As a member of ORSA, I think I voted in favor of the merger – at least I hope I did, because it clearly was the right decision. As the leadership is passed to me by the 2024 president, Julie Swann, INFORMS has never been stronger. We have exceeded 12,000 members and set a record with more than 7,000 attendees at the 2024 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Seattle. We also set an astounding record with more than 5.8 million downloads of journal articles in a single year. I appreciate the hard work done by Julie and her predecessors to get INFORMS to this point. I am honored that the membership has elected me to build on this momentum.

When I was voted president-elect, INFORMS Fellow Sheldon Jacobson recommended that I read the book, “Road to Relevance,” on competitive professional associations. INFORMS Executive Director Elena Gerstmann also offered some advice – read “Road to Relevance.” The book presents six challenges faced by all professional associations. Looking at these challenges from the perspective of INFORMS provides a good platform for discussing how INFORMS is evolving for an even stronger future.

1. Understanding Time Pressures Faced by Volunteers

We have an amazing staff that runs INFORMS. Additionally, we depend on our member volunteers for a huge amount of work. However, volunteers have increasing demands on their time because of work, family obligations and other volunteer commitments.

To better distribute the workload and be more inclusive with the volunteer opportunities, INFORMS president-elect Mark Lewis has launched a volunteer management platform (VMP). The concept is to provide a portal for members to sign up if they have an interest in volunteering and some time to spare. Subdivisions and committees looking for volunteers will be encouraged to use the VMP rather than overloading already busy volunteers. This is a win-win, making it easier for members to volunteer at INFORMS and for subdivisions and committees to identify volunteers.

2. Increasing Expectations to Deliver More Value

Whether members are students or well into their careers, it is important to build out networks and stay current with new research and breakthroughs. The INFORMS community has many options for how to do this. So, we must ensure the value a member gets for investing their money and time into participating in INFORMS is better than the value they would get elsewhere.

In her final President’s Desk column, Julie Swann discussed INFORMS’ new relationship with EBSCO, which will be rolled out this year. This expands the reach of our journals from approximately 2,000 libraries to more than 35,000 and enables our global reach to grow from 60 countries to more than 120. This is a significant value boost for everyone involved in producing and contributing to INFORMS journals.

For our practice community, and with Robin Lougee, INFORMS VP of Practice, we are exploring ways to better connect with organizations to build stronger relationships. Several organizations recognize the value of participation in INFORMS, such as providing their employees opportunities to develop leadership skills through volunteering, gaining professional recognition and staying updated on current research. Stronger relationships will also benefit our academic community as we provide more opportunities to create academic-industry collaborations.

3. Continually Changing Membership Market Structure

The pace of new technologies, methods and buzzwords is accelerating. Whether we are talking about analytics, data science, artificial intelligence, quantum computing or the next big thing, the INFORMS community remains at the core of developing and implementing these methods. INFORMS continues to evolve as the market evolves, while remaining true to our mission.

One way INFORMS is evolving is by creating a tiered structure for the Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) program, which expands CAP for different career stages. CAP fills a market need for a vendor- and technology-neutral certification that ensures critical technical expertise and related soft skills are being correctly applied to deliver successful analytics solutions.

We also are advancing the movement into artificial intelligence (AI), championed by Ramayya Krishnan, Radhika Kulkarni and numerous others. Efforts include a memorandum of understanding with the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) to, among other things, jointly host AI-OR events including a bridge event at the February AAAI conference. Efforts also include continued advocacy of O.R.’s role in AI to policymakers and funding agencies.

Additionally, a growing portion of our membership is contributing to quantum computing, especially quantum optimization. To better promote the work being done by INFORMS members and help all members better understand quantum technology, Tamás Terlaky and David Bernal are leading a committee on Quantum Computing and Operations Research. Watch throughout the year for announcements to learn about this emerging technology.

4. Differing Needs by Different Members

INFORMS comprises more than 12,000 members. As tempting as it is to put them into categories – academic vs. practitioner, early career vs. later career, U.S.-based vs. international – every member has their own unique needs and reasons for participating in INFORMS.

If we consider meetings, INFORMS hosts national and international meetings that cover a broad range of topics, whereas our subdivisions host specialty meetings. However, the costs for attending these meetings can be an obstacle for some who would like to participate. Ideas are being explored with the intent of providing more opportunities to network, learn and participate in INFORMS.

First, Scott Mason and Gino Lim are heading an effort to increase the number of regional events, perhaps organized by graduate student chapters, that would have lower price points and could also provide content for undergraduates in O.R. and data science programs.

Second, Vinod Cheriyan, INFORMS VP of Chapters and Forums, is working with the Chapters and Forums Committee to identify ways that INFORMS can better support local chapters, providing more opportunities for local universities and industry members to collaborate. Similarly, Miguel Anjos, INFORMS VP of International Activities, continues to field inquires and identify how we can better serve our chapters and members living outside the U.S.

5. Increasing Competition for Members

Tom Davenport’s declaration that data science is the “sexiest job of the 21st century” coincided with an explosion of data-related university programs, degrees awarded and jobs created. This has led to a rapid increase in professional associations, events and publications directly competing with INFORMS. Competition is good – driving INFORMS to continue advancing.

One of our core competitive advantages is our reputation. An important undertaking by Tinglong Dai, INFORMS VP of Marketing, Communication and Outreach, is how INFORMS can best protect our brand, especially when we are asked to co-host activities. It is critical to make sure that when the INFORMS brand appears in a publication or at an event, it is of the quality expected by our members and consumers of our content.

6. Keeping Pace with Technology

Finally, we continue improving member interactions with INFORMS through more advanced technology. Warren Hearnes, INFORMS VP of Technology, is leading efforts to identify how large language models (LLMs) can be used by INFORMS to improve the member experience. For example, LLMs might help members better navigate the Annual Meeting through customized program recommendations.

We are also revitalizing the Technology Strategy Committee this year. They will be considering ways to support our member volunteers regarding the need for better and more timely information so that our community and committee leaders can make smarter decisions for a better INFORMS.

In closing, I want to express my excitement about working with our amazing members, our dedicated staff and, of course, the entire INFORMS board – some of whom I mentioned in this column, but all of whom I’m deeply grateful for and whose invaluable contributions drive INFORMS’ success. I look forward to serving the membership this year by working with old friends and new colleagues to create an even stronger INFORMS.