Design Science, the design of systems and Operational Research: back to the future?

Abstract

The relationship between the science of decision making and the design of systems that support or automate the decision-making process is vital to both academic and practical Operational Research (OR). There is a long-standing need to better understand how OR can be structured so as to contribute to the design of systems, rather than just the science of decisions. This paper articulates the notion of design-oriented OR, particularly within the context of IT-enabled systems, as one approach to addressing this issue. It proposes Design Science (DS) as one way of achieving design-oriented OR, and suggests a reference model for DS as a design-oriented approach to OR. The use and value of DS within the broader remit of management research, and differences with existing systems methodologies, are briefly considered. It concludes by noting that a DS approach would return OR, at least partially, to the values and approach of early OR practitioners, and hence back to the future.

Keywords:

• systems
• information systems
• practice of OR
• methodology

Notes

1 In this paper, the shorthand OR is used to refer to models and tools, based on analytical methods and normally including mathematical and/or statistical components, that automate or support decision making.

2 The term ‘researcher’ is used in the rest of this paper to refer to those who engage in OR, be they academics or practitioners. OR is taken to be a form of ‘research’. Where comments are made that specifically refer to academics or practitioners, this is noted.

3 The word ‘laboratory’ is used in a broad sense and for most OR researchers is actually models running on computers. The term is commonplace in design studies and DS as a name for a setting removed from the natural environment.