OA1600 Introduction of Operations Analysis I

(NO CREDIT) A first course in Operations Analysis, covering its origins in World War II to current practice. Introduces concepts, tools and methods of analysis, with tactical examples. Emphasis is on measuring combat effectiveness and developing better tactics. PREREQUISITE: None.

Lecture Hours

2

Lab Hours

2

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Define “Operations Research” and “Operations Analysis”
• Summarize the historical origins and key players in military Operations Research
• Describe the main steps of the Operations Analysis Method
• State the components of problem formulation and reiterate their importance in the OA Method
• List possible Measures of Effectiveness (objectives) for a given problem and discuss the pros/cons of each
• Define planning assumptions and identify constraints for a given problem
• Describe pitfalls of incorrect assumptions on analysis
• Describe the concept of a constraint and be able to give examples using a given problem
• List the conceptual "pillars" of OR/OA:  probability, statistics, stochastics, optimization, simulation, and computation; and recognize the role that uncertainty plays in each
• Explain how the curriculum matrix supports the learning of these pillars and the acquisition of different tools
• Explain the importance of effectively presenting analytic work (written, verbal, or data visualization)
• Recognize common errors in presenting analytic work
• Recognize and discuss the components of an analytical paper and NPS thesis
• Apply fundamental Microsoft Excel skills to organize data, gain insights, and communicate outcomes
• Describe and perform a sensitivity analysis using an existing Excel model
• Explain the dangers of estimating uncertainty with single average numbers
• Describe in broad terms how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools and large language