Special Interest Groups and Networks

Our special interest groups (SIGs) and other networks provide focal points where members with a common OR interest meet together to exchange ideas and experiences. This can lead to genuine technical developments in these specialist areas and helps to promote the particular aspect of OR and its benefits to key stakeholders in SIG members’ networks. Our SIGs host a number of events throughout the year and cover both OR techniques and areas of application.

These events are generally free and open to all, giving members the freedom to invite clients and others outside OR who are interested in the subject. Details of activities can be found here and in The OR Society’s membership magazine, Inside OR.

SIG Representative to General Council

Christina Phillips is the new SIG Representative to The OR Society's general council. Please use the contact form on this page if you have a question for her.

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Analytics Network

Behavioural OR

The main aim of the SIG is to foster interest in behavioural OR among members of The OR Society and to organise events which will be of interest to practitioners and academics alike.

Decision Analysis

The group is committed to the application and better understanding of soundly-based approaches to structuring and analysing decisions under uncertainty and conflicting objectives ('decision analysis').

Defence

The aim of the group is directed towards the practical and theoretical development of defence-related OR. and the promotion of a wider knowledge and appreciation of defence-related OR.

Early Career Researchers (ECR)

Health & Social Services

The group’s main aims are to facilitate the exchange of information about current work, to disseminate information about OR studies to doctors, nurses, administrators and other health service workers and to provide a forum.

Independent Consultants Network

New to OR Network

The Early Careers Network was set up to support operational researchers in the early stages of their careers.

OR, Analytics, and Education

OR and Strategy

The OR and Strategy group discusses the contribution that OR makes to strategic issues in organisations and also to increase awareness of the potential for OR methods to support strategic development and strategic level analysis.

OR in Practice

The OR in Practice SIG aims to create a platform to disseminate knowledge and understanding of OR approaches to structure business problems, develop models and propose solutions for real-life decision-making problems of complex business systems.

OR in the Third Sector

This group aims to help OR analysts working in third sector organisations (charities, social enterprises, voluntary and not for profit groups and NGOs) to do a better job and to encourage OR analysts to practise in a wider arena.

People Analytics

The People Analytics SIG aims to share best practise and knowledge of OR in HR decision-making, explore new thinking and techniques applicable to HR and to explore some of the challenges faced in using data and working in HR.

Problem Structuring Methods

This group's aims include providing a forum to increase understanding and use of PSMs amongst members, and to allow specialist PSM practitioners to explore the connections between PSMs and other MS/OR approaches.

Public Policy Design

The Public Policy Design SIG aims to advance interest in, and the use of, OR in improving public policy design at local, regional, national and international levels.

Simulation OR

The Simulation Special Interest Group aims to provide a forum for the regular exchange of ideas on simulation theory and practice, for academics, practitioners and software suppliers.

Special Interest Groups

& Networks