What is Operational Research? – Full feature

Summary

La investigación operativa es una disciplina que aplica métodos analíticos para mejorar decisiones en el mundo actual. Se encuentra en todo, desde la compra de vuelos hasta la selección de productos en supermercados. Ayuda a salvar vidas, impulsa negocios y es crucial para el gobierno. Con la abundancia de datos, la velocidad de la comunicación y la sofisticación de las computadoras, la investigación operativa está en el centro de las decisiones empresariales. Este resumen destaca su relevancia en sectores como la aviación, el suministro de cadena, el deporte, el gobierno y la manufactura, mostrando cómo la 'O' puede influir en la toma de decisiones y mejorar la eficiencia.

Takeaways

• 🔍 La investigación operativa (O) es una disciplina que aplica métodos analíticos para ayudar a tomar decisiones más informadas.
• 🌐 La investigación operativa está presente en todos los aspectos de la vida moderna, desde comprar boletos de avión hasta hacer la compra semanal.
• 📈 La importancia de la O se ha incrementado con la proliferación de datos, la velocidad de las comunicaciones y el poder de los computadores.
• ✈️ En British Airways, la O influye en decisiones críticas, como qué aeronaves comprar y cómo abordar eficientemente en el Airbus A380.
• 🛒 Para grandes minoristas como Asda, la O es fundamental para mantener el flujo de suministro y distribución eficiente.
• 🏥 En el ámbito de la atención médica, la O ayuda a hospitales a gestionar la capacidad de camas y a minimizar los tiempos de espera de los pacientes.
• 🏟️ En el deporte, la O juega un papel en la planificación de eventos y la mejora de la experiencia del espectador, como en el Emirates Stadium.
• 🏎️ En el mundo de la Fórmula 1, la O es crucial para la estrategia de carreras, incluyendo la carga inicial de combustible y la gestión de paradas técnicas.
• 🏛️ La O también es esencial en la toma de decisiones en el gobierno, afectando áreas como la educación, la atención médica y la planificación urbana.
• 🏭 En la industria manufacturera, como en la producción de acero, la O mejora la productividad y reduce los costos al planificar y programar procesos de manera precisa.

Q & A

¿Qué es la investigación operativa en pocas palabras?

La investigación operativa es la disciplina de aplicar métodos analíticos apropiados para ayudar a tomar mejores decisiones en el mundo actual.

¿Cómo se relaciona la investigación operativa con nuestras vidas cotidianas?

La investigación operativa está presente en casi todo lo que hacemos, desde comprar un vuelo hasta hacer la compra semanal de comestibles.

¿Por qué es importante la investigación operativa en el mundo empresarial actual?

La mayoría de las organizaciones tienen grandes volúmenes de datos, y la investigación operativa ayuda a tomar decisiones empresariales críticas utilizando estos datos.

¿Cómo utiliza British Airways la investigación operativa para mejorar su servicio?

British Airways utiliza la investigación operativa para influir en decisiones como qué aeronaves comprar, a dónde volar, quiénes deberían ser sus socios de alianza y cómo abordar el nuevo Airbus A380.

¿Qué desafío enfrentó British Airways con la introducción del Airbus A380 y cómo lo abordaron?

El desafío fue determinar el tiempo necesario para que el Airbus A380 estuviera listo para despegar después de aterrizar. Utilizaron simulación para evaluar múltiples escenarios y recomendaciones sobre el personal y la operación de puertas.

¿Cómo afecta la investigación operativa el proceso de suministro de una empresa como Asda?

La investigación operativa ayuda a Asda a mantener su cadena de suministro eficiente, asegurando que los productos lleguen a las tiendas de manera rápida y fresca.

¿En qué áreas del gobierno británico se utiliza la investigación operativa?

La investigación operativa se utiliza en todo lo que afecta nuestra vida diaria, desde la educación y la atención médica hasta el transporte y la seguridad nacional.

¿Cómo se utiliza la investigación operativa en el diseño y operación de estadios deportivos?

La investigación operativa ayuda en el diseño y construcción de estadios, como el Emirates Stadium, y en la gestión eficiente del flujo de personas durante eventos deportivos.

¿Qué papel juega la investigación operativa en el mundo del automóvil de alta velocidad, como la Fórmula 1?

En la Fórmula 1, la investigación operativa es crucial para la estrategia de carreras, incluyendo la carga inicial de combustible, la estimación de la carga de competidores, y la planificación de paradas en el box.

¿Cómo se puede incorporar la investigación operativa en una carrera profesional?

Se puede considerar una carrera en investigación operativa si se tiene interés en resolver problemas analíticos y se desea utilizar habilidades matemáticas y lógicas para influir en la toma de decisiones en el mundo real.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Investigación Operativa: Mejores Decisiones y Impacto Global

La investigación operativa es una disciplina que aplica métodos analíticos para mejorar decisiones en el mundo actual. Se encuentra en prácticamente todo, desde la compra de vuelos hasta la selección de productos en el supermercado, y es fundamental para la vida moderna. Con la disponibilidad de grandes volúmenes de datos, la comunicación rápida y computadoras sofisticadas, la inversión en investigación operativa crece. Ejemplos incluyen la satisfacción de pasajeros en British Airways y la optimización del servicio en supermercados, demostrando la aplicación práctica de las matemáticas en el mundo real.

05:02

🚚 Cadena de Suministro y Logística: Mejores Decisiones con O

La cadena de suministro es crucial para que los productos estén disponibles cuando los consumidores los necesiten. En grandes minoristas como Asda, la investigación operativa es esencial para mantener un flujo eficiente. Se utiliza para optimizar rutas de entrega, reducir el impacto ambiental y costos, y para tomar decisiones críticas como la construcción de nuevos almacenes o depósitos. La utilización de vehículos de mayor capacidad y el análisis de la mejor ubicación para nuevos establecimientos son ejemplos de cómo la investigación operativa mejora decisiones empresariales.

10:02

🏥 Investigación Operativa en Salud y Deportes: Mejores Experiencias y Decisiones

La investigación operativa también juega un papel importante en otros sectores como la salud y el deporte. En hospitales, ayuda a determinar la capacidad necesaria para atender a los pacientes de manera eficiente. En el ámbito deportivo, como en el fútbol o la Fórmula 1, es clave para la toma de decisiones estratégicas basadas en análisis de riesgos y teoría de juegos. La investigación operativa mejora la experiencia del espectador y la eficiencia en la toma de decisiones críticas.

15:03

🏭 Investigación Operativa en la Industria y Gobierno: Mejores Procesos y Decisiones

En la industria, como en la producción de acero, la investigación operativa es clave para mejorar la productividad y reducir costos. Se utiliza para planificar y programar procesos de manera precisa, evitando cuellos de botella y optimizando la producción. En el gobierno, influye en decisiones que afectan la vida diaria de las personas, como en la educación, sanidad y transporte. La investigación operativa permite a los gobiernos tomar decisiones más informadas y eficaces, mejorando los servicios públicos.

🎓 Carreras en Investigación Operativa: Mejores Oportunidades para el Futuro

La investigación operativa ofrece una amplia gama de oportunidades educativas y profesionales. Se puede acceder a través de grados universitarios en matemáticas, estadísticas, ciencias de la computación o contenidos de gestión. Los graduados aprenden técnicas como simulación de computadoras, optimización, teoría de colas y control de inventario. La carrera en investigación operativa permite a los profesionales utilizar sus habilidades analíticas y lógicas para influir en la vida real y revolucionar la forma en que vivimos.

Keywords

💡Investigación Operativa

La Investigación Operativa (O por sus siglas en inglés) es una disciplina que se centra en aplicar métodos analíticos para mejorar la toma de decisiones. En el video, se destaca cómo la O es utilizada en diversos contextos, desde la compra de vuelos hasta la gestión de cadenas de suministro, mostrando su relevancia en el mundo moderno.

💡Análisis de Decisiones

El análisis de decisiones es el proceso de evaluar opciones y tomar una decisión informada. El video muestra cómo la Investigación Operativa ayuda a las organizaciones a tomar decisiones mejoradas a través del análisis de datos y la simulación de escenarios.

💡Simulación

La simulación es una técnica utilizada en la Investigación Operativa para modelar y analizar sistemas complejos. En el guion, se menciona cómo British Airways usó la simulación para determinar el número de tripulantes y procedimientos necesarios para la operación del Airbus A380.

💡Cadena de Suministro

La cadena de suministro es el conjunto de procesos que involucran la producción, la distribución y el envío de bienes a los consumidores. El video destaca cómo la O es esencial para mantener la eficiencia en la cadena de suministro, como en el caso de Asda, que utiliza técnicas de O para optimizar el envío de productos a sus tiendas.

💡Optimización

La optimización es el proceso de maximizar o minimizar una función objetivo. En el contexto del video, la optimización se refiere a cómo la O ayuda a las empresas a encontrar la mejor configuración de recursos para mejorar la eficiencia y reducir costos.

💡Análisis de Colas

El análisis de colas es una técnica utilizada para estudiar y mejorar la eficiencia de los sistemas de servicio, como el procesamiento de clientes en una tienda o hospital. En el video, se menciona cómo el análisis de colas es crucial para la gestión de hospitales y para garantizar que los pacientes reciban atención médica oportuna.

💡Modelado

El modelado es la creación de representaciones matemáticas o computacionales de sistemas reales para predecir su comportamiento y optimizar sus resultados. El video muestra cómo el modelado es esencial en la toma de decisiones en la industria aeronáutica y en la planificación de infraestructuras, como estadios deportivos.

💡Teoría de Juegos

La Teoría de Juegos es un enfoque matemático para analizar situaciones en las que los participantes toman decisiones estratégicas basadas en las acciones de otros. En el video, se sugiere que la Teoría de Juegos es importante en el mundo del Fórmula 1, donde las decisiones rápidas basadas en el análisis matemático pueden determinar el éxito o la derrota en una carrera.

💡Análisis de Riesgo

El análisis de riesgo es el proceso de evaluar y gestionar los riesgos asociados con un proyecto o una operación. En el contexto del video, el análisis de riesgo es crucial en deportes de alta velocidad como el Fórmula 1, donde las decisiones estratégicas deben basarse en una comprensión profunda de los riesgos involucrados.

💡Tecnología de la Información

La tecnología de la información es la aplicación de sistemas informáticos y software para gestionar, procesar y analizar datos. En el video, se destaca cómo la tecnología de la información es fundamental para la Investigación Operativa, permitiendo a las organizaciones procesar y analizar grandes volúmenes de datos para apoyar la toma de decisiones.

Highlights

Operational research (O) is a discipline that applies analytical methods to aid decision-making.

O is ubiquitous, influencing everyday activities from shopping to business operations.

It plays a critical role in modern society, from business to government and healthcare.

The current era, with its vast data and advanced technology, is an ideal time for operational research.

Operational research is not just theoretical math but practical applications that make a real impact.

British Airways uses O to optimize operations, such as aircraft boarding and ticket pricing.

Simulation is a key technique used in O, allowing for safe testing of multiple scenarios.

Operational research helps in complex tasks like moving people and products efficiently.

Asda, a UK retailer, relies on O for supply chain management and store operations.

O techniques are crucial for businesses to maintain efficient processes and reduce costs.

In sports, O contributes to designing stadiums and enhancing spectator experiences.

Formula 1 uses O for risk analysis, game theory, and strategic decision-making during races.

Government operations, including emergency services and border control, benefit from O.

Operational research in healthcare, like at St George Hospital, can be life-saving.

Steel manufacturing uses O to improve productivity and reduce costs.

Operational research techniques are key in planning and timing to avoid bottlenecks.

O is at the heart of business efficiency, with a focus on precise planning and timing.

A career in operational research offers a variety of problem-solving opportunities.

Operational research involves a mix of theoretical work and real-world application.

O professionals can work in various sectors, influencing decision-making at all levels.

Learn more about a career in operational research through dedicated educational resources.

Transcripts

what is operational research in a

nutshell o is the discipline of applying

appropriate analytical methods to help

make better

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decisions in today's world o is all

around us it can be found in just about

everything we do

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it forms the building blocks for our

everyday World from buying a flight to

curing for our weekly

groceries it helps save lives it drives

business and

government without o the modern world we

take for granted wouldn't

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exist there has never been a better time

to be an operational researcher today

most organizations have masses of data

the ways we communicate are fast

computers are sophisticated and

powerful and the business world is now

investing heavily in putting operational

research at the center of what they

do this is not maths in theory but maths

in the real world making a real

[Music]

difference

never before have so many people all

products needed to be moved around the

world as passengers and consumers we

expect everything to run

smoothly whether we are buying flights

commuting to work or wanting food

readily available at the

supermarket for businesses moving people

and products around can be a complicated

and expensive matter here at British

Airways getting the maths right can make

passengers more satisfied with the

service and make millions of pounds

worth of difference to the business the

O Department of British Airways has been

here a long time we influence a whole

range of decisions we're a big

complicated business and O thinking is

pretty critical to taking the right

decisions our helps influence a range of

decisions across the business right from

which aircraft should we buy uh where we

should fly who our alliance Partners

should be how we should board the new

a380s how many tickets we should sell of

what type what our customer data is

telling us right across the range of the

business this is the Airbus A380 the

largest passenger aircraft in the world

these new aircraft are a fantastic

opportunity for British Airways to

expand but with this opportunity comes

risk we've never operated an aircraft

this big before and getting it wrong can

have huge imp impacts on the entire

operation there could be delays which

would impact customer satisfaction and

getting it wrong could incur additional

costs which obviously will impact

profitability the business was

interested in seeing how long it would

take between the aircraft arriving and

then being ready to leave again we chose

to solve the problem using simulation

and the reason we used simulation was

because it allowed us to run multiple

scenarios in a safe and virtual

environment we were able to

recommend to the business how many staff

were required how many doors we needed

to use to board the aircraft to ensure

that boarding took no longer than it

currently does on the Boeing 747 whilst

making sure the customers have the best

experience

possible o really valued here by the

company o thinking and O insights are

incredibly useful when you're trying to

take really difficult business decisions

uh and also our people often bring that

different way of looking at a problem

that you you don't see

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yourself in today's world all of us

expect the things we want and need to be

readily available that means shelves to

be always stocked and deliveries to

arrive on time this is what we term the

supply chain of a business

for a major UK retailer like Asda it's

crucial that this process runs like

clockwork and O techniques lie at the

very heart of keeping the business

running we service over 500 shops in the

UK serving almost 8 million customers

every week of the year clearly in

distribution we have a huge

responsibility to make sure that our

customers served on time with product

that's as fresh as

possible we use operational research

pretty much every day in our working

lives one of our biggest challenges in

The Last 5 Years is about how quickly we

can get the products from point of

manufacturer to point of delivery into

our

depos our focus on root planning

analysis has made a real big difference

to the way that we operate it means that

we take miles off the road we we reduced

the impact on the environment and has

helped our cost

position one of our biggest recent

initiatives is the utilization of higher

capacity delivery vehicles um into our

shops through the analysis that we

completed we were able to prove that by

getting almost twice as much product on

these vehicles had a substantial cost

benefit for us and it saves US 10

million a year which could reinvest back

into price here at Asda o techniques run

right through the business helping to

influence big decisions such as where to

build a new store or Depot building a

new Depot is a big investment for Asda

and can cost up to 60 million so it's

critical that we build in the right

location we do this through a large

amount of modeling and Analysis tools to

help us understand where in the country

we will be building new stores so where

that Depo needs to be here o is used to

ensure that Asda are constantly

improving every process within the depos

to get the products out to the stores

more quickly I work in continuous

Improvement for distribution and we look

at our depos um the processes that we

complete how long they take and how we

can improve them so that we can make the

Depo more

efficient every single day that we come

to work it's a new challenge and if we

can use operational research to support

that and make it easier and better for

our customers then we've done a great

job

[Music]

[Applause]

collectively the World of Sport isn't an

obvious place where operational research

is at hand yet many of our much loved

activities rely on

o and whether designing a sports Stadium

or even an Olympic Village o helps make

the spectator's experience much more

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enjoyable this is the Emirates Stadium

in North London home of Arsenal Football

Club here o had a big part to play in

the design and construction of the

stadium as well as in the efficient

running of the site on Match

day just imagine a match day situation

when you arrive at the station itself uh

o starts defeat you immediately you get

off the off the train uh people Marshall

you towards the stadium that part of the

process has already got o taken into

account trying to find the safest way

for you to move then when you reach the

stadium itself a number of turnstyles

for example will have been determined by

uh an O technique and then as you move

around the stadium the places where the

signs are located and the the way you

move to your seat will also have been

determined by by different o techniques

so it's really important to everything

about this this

Stadium the design of this stadium is

obviously magnificent it's a it's a

60,000 capacity stadium and without a

model of people moving in and out you'd

never know whether during a match

situation if there was a fire for

example if those people could be

evacuated safely within the 8 Minute

guidelines

[Applause]

[Music]

the explosive world of Formula

1 highp speeds multi million pound

racing

technology in Formula 1 we we require

more and more uh expert on kind of uh

risk analysis and uh Game Theory and

simul

Formula 1 where split-second decisions

are the difference between success and

failure and often these decisions are a

matter of mathematics resting in the

hands of some of the world's finest

operational

researches I think the first thing that

people will see the direct application

of O is on Define the race strategy the

initial fuel load estimating

uh competitors uh Fu load and where they

going to stop and when we're going to

hit traffic during the race when is a

good LA to come out of the pit stops and

tire degradation this is a all

estimation that we need to do as the

race

[Applause]

develop I strongly believe that OA has a

great role to play in Formula 1 for the

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future don't try to apprehend

it central government is the biggest

business in

Britain and in government o gets

involved in just about everything that

affects our day-to-day

lives operational research plays a

crucial role in improving the quality of

decision making right the way through

the system from senior decision makers

in apartments right the way up to the

prime minister to confront our problems

if you've ever interative with schools

obviously you have or with hospitals or

with a transport system you'll have had

some benefit from the role o has played

in improving the way that those services

are

delivered traveling on motorways how

does the Department of Transport

actually deploy its various Emergency

Services UK borders agency plays a role

in actually modeling the number of

people who arrive and leave the country

the home office they do significant

amounts of work on how we're trying to

reduce crime across the country doing o

in the hard of government really gives

you the opportunity to influence

decision makers right at the very

center it's a real Buzz on a drive to

actually be changing the way that we're

delivering the things that we all live

and breathe and interact with on a daily

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basis this is St George Hospital in

London here using o techniques can

literally be the difference between life

and death one of the really big things

that hospitals have to think about is

how long patients stay and so therefore

how many beds and how many Wards and how

many doctors you have to look after them

it's really important for us to be able

to get as far as we can the right

capacity for the patients who are going

to come through the door so that we can

give them the treatment that they need

when they need

[Music]

it PTI patients when they're referred by

their GP either into A&E or into

outpatients um enter a series of cues

and one of the things that we really

have to do and we've been working very

hard on is getting those cues as short

as we can and making sure that we don't

have bottlenecks in our system and so

therefore we need queuing Theory and

operational research techniques to help

us make sure that we can get that

right

operational research is often at the

heart of what makes a business run

efficiently here everything must be

planned and timed precisely to avoid

bottlenecks tter steel manufactures

steel products and operational research

techniques are key to improving

productivity and reducing

costs what we produce here are big steel

coils that we sell on to various

companies that produce everyday objects

such as tin cans office furniture cars

and

fridges the O team currently consists of

12 members we provide an in-house

service where we incorporate ourselves

into various project teams for all the

Departments we use lots of software

within the department where we can build

real world processes on a computer

screen and Visually show these to the

project managers the process Specialists

and they can play out various scenarios

without having to work them out on real

world processes this in turn can save a

lot of money and is a lot safer in the

long

run dur on the plant we've had a

throughput of up to 4.4 uh million tons

of uh steel and we're looking to take

that up to 5.3 million tons so we got a

project to look at the infrastructure to

see if it can handle the extra 20%

through but the benefits of uh producing

5.3 million tons as opposed to 4.4 will

mean that our cost per T will come down

as an

organization

the reason why we got the O team

involved is because when you're looking

at your own process and you're so close

to it I think you make a lot of

assumptions and the model will take

those assumptions away they started

coming to our meetings first of all but

then we got into the nitt actually going

out on plant and getting them as close

to the process as we could so they could

see for

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themselves as you think about what the

future may hold for you if you want to

consider taking up a career in

operational research take a look at the

interesting University degrees out there

that are the best route into what we

call O the science of

better offering you a truly

inspirational challenge that will test

even the most inquisitive of Minds where

are many different academic paths into

operational research although most

people tend to have degrees um with

mathematics statistics computer science

or management content pupils will learn

a number of O techniques such as

computer simulation optimization

queueing Theory inventory control

problem structuring methods to name just

a few you also get a good balance

between a theoretical work and and an

appreciation of the application of these

techniques that will involve case

studies Project work which might involve

working with a real life company on a

real world

problem operational researchers

encouraging innovation in successful

organizations what I really like about

working in a is the variety of problems

we need to solve and being able to work

on the different production processes on

a week toe basis and going out and

visiting the plant and helping process

Specialists solve their problems if you

really want to use your analytical

mathematical logical skills to actually

make a difference o gives you the

perfect opportunity to actually change

the way people live their lives

excellent problem solvers that the rest

of us turn to to help revolutionize the

way we live thing about an operational

research career is that the variation

you work in you you can work for any

Department you can work even within the

department the projects you work on are

almost buried after the first two weeks

I was on a project right from the start

you know I felt really a important

member of the team I was meeting with

clients and it was really exciting I

enjoy the role that I do because of the

variety of the things that I can be

involved in um and I also get to see

behind the scenes of a a big UK retailer

um and the scale of the operations that

we have and the different processes we

complete within our depos and I also get

to be involved in the decision making

process behind our projects MTH at work

is somewhat different than mass at

school you're not given a structured

problem you become you get a general

problem you to structure it into a math

problem and then solve it and also the

decision and result you come up with is

actually used in real life decisions do

you want to take decisions that can make

a real

difference if you'd like to learn more

about o go to learn about .co.uk

UK okay UK UK

UK