Implementation – the importance of managerial involvement in the Operational Research process

The opportunity to implement an Operational Research project is only possible when management has accepted the proposed solution. Management acceptance depends upon their belief that the problem solved is the one they have and on the understanding of and trust in the process by which the solution was obtained. Such belief, understanding and trust depend upon the effectiveness of the communication between management and the OR analyst. In this paper, an attempt is made to illustrate, by means of contrasting case studies, the importance of managerial involvement in the Operational Research process.