OR/Statistics in practice in the Commonwealth Bank

In this article the group shares with members of the Australian Society of Operational Research OR its almost five years experience with OR/Statistics in practice in the Commonwealth Bank in response to the reputed ‘death of OR’. The group’s progress has its origin in the combination of internal and external factors, which are discussed in some detail below. In retrospect, it seems that the group has an unorthodox perception of what Operational Research OR is and understands it in a broader sense than is usually accepted, with the inclusion of Statistics and common sense problem solving. Though there are also mathematicians employed in other areas of the bank (actuary, investment, etc), this article does not cover these groups.