INFORMS Releases

CATONSVILLE, MD, March 5, 2018 – Companies invest billions each year in expensive customer service programs, sales forces, and sophisticated discounting programs such as Groupon to lure and retain customers only to find that churn remains one of their biggest and most expensive challenges. According to a new study, customers have a tendency to send clear signals before they “break up” with a company, but you have to know what to be monitoring, and the key to any relationship remains effective communication.

CATONSVILLE, MD, February 13, 2018 – Where do great strategies come from? How can opportunities be maximized? How can the most successful strategies be identified? These questions and more are explored in a one of a kind collection of essays by prominent thought leaders in strategy science. This one-of-a-kind collection began with a collaborative workshop hosted by Apple and was ultimately published by INFORMS, the largest international association of operations research (O.R.) and analytics professionals.

CATONSVILLE, MD, January 25, 2018 – In the nearly 60 years between the 1939 release of Hollywood’s first animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and modern hits like Toy Story, Shrek and more, advances in animation technology have revolutionized not only animation techniques, but moviemaking as a whole. However, a new study in the INFORMS journal Organization Science found that employing the latest technology doesn’t always ensure creative success for a film.

INFORMS, the leading international association for professionals in operations research and analytics, has selected two finalists for the 2018 UPS George D. Smith Prize, which recognizes excellence in preparing students to become practitioners of operations research and analytics.

The 2018 finalists are:                                      

• School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, MEng Programs, Cornell University
• Haslam College of Business MSBA, University of Tennessee

CATONSVILLE, MD, January 5, 2018 – The 2018 Super Bowl arrives in a few weeks and over 40 percent of U.S. households will watch the game on TV. With a 30-second TV commercial priced at over $4 million, some advertisers may debate whether these ads are worth the cost. A new study finds that the benefits from the Super Bowl ads actually persist well into the year with increased sales during sporting events like the NCAA’s “March Madness,” NBA playoffs and MLB games. According to this new research a Budweiser ad increased sales during these later sporting events. Further, the research finds that the gains in sales are much more substantial when the advertiser is the sole advertiser from its market category or niche in a particular event.