The role of OR in shaping the future: Smart bits, helpful ways and things that matter

This paper attempts to set out a personal view of the future of OR in the UK. Against a context of a changing political, economic, social and technical environment those areas where OR can contribute are identified. Three areas are selected and illustrated with examples from personal experience. Firstly, in a world awash with data, the smart bits, the algorithms are often primitive. OR is successfully established in this area and can maintain itself as the pre-eminent provider of smart bits. Secondly, OR has developed helpful ways, consulting approaches, to guide successful interventions. Here OR competes with other professional groups. OR has developed unique approaches but will need to contest the ground, vigorously and with imagination. Thirdly, OR can contribute to things that matter, important strategic, political and social issues of the day. OR will have no automatic right to be heard. The contribution will depend on the motivation and skill of key individuals. The recent trend away from in-house OR groups to external consultancies and small firms provides OR with the opportunity to become the discipline that underpins consultancy, offering exciting opportunities for young academics and practitioners.