A Survey of MS/OR Surveys

Surveys of companies and practitioners on private sector use of MS/OR in the last 30 years have implications far broader than establishing technique applicability. To date they have shown extensive use of MS/OR in large Fortune 500-size firms only. They have become of questionable value in studying large firms although they may still be useful for studying smaller firms. The surveys suggest that analysts should be dispersed throughout the firm, that early MS/OR efforts should rely on simple techniques, and that problems consistently reported by MS/OR professionals can be avoided by enhancing communications with management. A review of the implementation problems consistently cited suggests that education can be effective in removing barriers to MS/OR use.