OA2600 Principles of Operations Analysis

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the concepts and principles of Operations Analysis (OA). Foremost among these, students will learn about the OA Method which involves problem formulation, selection of analytical tools, analysis and interpretation, and presentation of results. The course involves reading and discussion of both historical studies that apply these concepts and processes to warfighting scenarios as well as analyses spanning “classic” problems in operations research. Students will use spreadsheet tools for basic computational analysis. The course emphasizes written and oral communication skills for presenting results.

Cross Listed Courses

none

Prerequisite

none

Corequisite

none

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, the student will be able to:

Describe in outline form the OA Method of analysis and apply it in the context of military decision problems

Recognize and explain basic problems in operations research

Explain past studies in military operations research, specifically:

o State initial assumptions for solving a problem and relate them to the analytical tool eventually selected

o Identify measures of effectiveness used in existing studies and explain their connection to decisions being made

Formulate simple decision problems using analytic tools

Use spreadsheet tools to manage model inputs (data) and perform basic computations to support decisions or recommendations

Create informative charts, graphs, and illustrations to convey technical material and relate it to military applications

Communicate orally and in writing the results of analysis