Recent developments in spreadsheet optimization

Optimization is now available in all the major spreadsheet programs (Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel and Borland Quattro Pro) as a built-in capability, and millions of copies of these programs are now in users’ hands. Many commercially significant applications employing spreadsheet optimization have been created, and their common characteristics reflect some of the overall trends on OR/MS such as decentralization and the rise of dispersed practitioners, and the growing importance of modelling and user interface issues. Rapid advances are foreseen in several areas of spreadsheet optimization including problem size and performance, diversity of solvers, and improving modelling capabilities.