Lessons for Success in OR/MS Practice Gained from Experiences in Indian and US Steel Plants

I worked on modeling integrated steel plants in India (as an analyst) and in the USA (as a doctoral student). The following factors influence the success of OR/MS practice: positioning the OR/MS team in operations, not in research and development; selecting the right problems; emphasizing problem solving, not model building; learning from failures; the right academic and practical training; and experience working on the shop floor of a factory. Universities should teach OR as research into operations and emphasize the process of implementation.