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Teaching Intro to management Science

  • 1.  Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 16 days ago

    Dear Colleagues:

    What software do you use in teaching LP/NLP, MILP other than Excel Solver in a course offer to Business students?

    AMPL, Python, or, LINGO?

     

    Thank you,

    Joice Hu

     



  • 2.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 15 days ago

    I primarily use Excel. However, on Canvas, I've uploaded instructions for LINGO as an alternative software for students who are interested in learning it. I'm considering introducing Python as well, but many of my business students are not familiar with the basics of Python.



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    Pubudu Jayasekara
    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    Chattanooga TN
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 15 days ago

    I usually teach Excel and JuMP with Julia. Introduction · JuMP. Students find Julia very easy to understand. JuMP is modern and, in my opinion, easier than other modeling languages to master. I use jupyterlab as the environment. I did this this semester for a grad course with some students who were not comfortable with programming, and they caught up very fast. Julia also allows you to use unicode, so you can write models that look very similar to written equations "by hand". Give it a try I am certain you and your students will enjoy!

    Jump remove preview
    Introduction · JuMP
    Documentation for JuMP.
    View this on Jump >

     



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    Gabriel Nicolosi, Assistant Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
    Missouri University of Science and Technology
    Rolla, MO
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 14 days ago

    In the textbook that I have written called Decision Modeling (which can be downloaded for free from https://linney.mun.ca/pages/view.php?ref=36808) , I use both Excel and LINGO. LINGO has two ways of being used: scalar mode, and sets mode. Scalar mode is much easier to use than sets mode, and in my opinion scalar mode is easier to use than Excel. I use LINGO in scalar mode throughout the book, leaving sets mode to an appendix.



    ------------------------------
    David Tulett
    Associate Professor
    Memorial University of Newfoundland
    St John's
    Canada
    dtulett@mun.ca
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 14 days ago

    Prof. Tulett,

    Thanks for sharing!  Scalar mode is indeed more natural than Excel Solver. I will add the software to class next time.

    Ages ago, a user-friendly software STORM (easier than EXCEL) was widely used in Bschools. LINGO is just as good as STORM in Scaler mode, but offers more advanced set form too.

     

    Thanks agao,

     

    Qiaohai (Joice) Hu

    Associate Professor

    Colorado School of Mines

    Golden, CO 80401

    qhu@mines.edu

     

     

     




    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 14 days ago

    Professor Hu,

    Thanks for your message. An intro survey course in this area in business schools is often done by students (specially majors in Human Resources, Marketing, and so on) who have little interest in programming in a computer language, so that's why I searched for something else. Everyone seems to like LINGO in scalar mode. I hope that you have success with it.

    --
    David M. Tulett, PhD
    Associate Professor
    Faculty of Business Administration
    Memorial University
    St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5
    dtulett@mun.ca
    “... read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest ...”

    We acknowledge that the lands on which Memorial University’s campuses are situated are in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, and we acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit of this province.



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 13 days ago

    Most recently, we have been using the amplpy Python library for accessing AMPL.  We use Google Colab.  



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    Paul Brooks
    Professor and Chair
    Virginia Commonwealth University
    Richmond VA
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 11 days ago

    Hi Joice,

      I echo David's recommendation with LINGO. In my healthcare operations management course, I borrow heavily from LINDO's ABCs of optimization to help students understand how to frame a problem with particular attention to what they have control over (i.e., decision variables), what they have to live with (i.e., constraints), and what they want to achieve (e.g., minimize costs). However, before showing them any software, I give them a basic scheduling problem in Excel where they have to set staffing levels (expressed as full-time employees) such that demand is met at the lowest cost. This exercise does two things: 1) it helps me understand how students solve problems (e.g., anchor-and-adjust) and I have them share with me their thought processes and 2) it provides a friendly competition amongst the students to see who has the best solution. We can then extend the problem to consider employee productivity, part-time employees, and minimum staffing ratios (e.g., nurse-to-patient ratios). With this background, I find that the students have a better appreciation of the software and what it can (and cannot) do for them.

    Best,

    -Murray



    ------------------------------
    Murray Côté
    Associate Professor
    Texas A&M University
    College Station TX
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 11 days ago

    I spend a ton of time in the trenches working with planners and their go to tool is Excel.  When I teach, I do everything in Excel from confidence intervals to linear regression to MILP to simulation.  It takes a bit of learning to squeeze stuff out of Excel that would be easy to do in APL (or Python or or some other tools), the challenge is we don't know which of these are around in which organization.   I do make a point to drive the need to structure a problem well, follow decent coding practices, and drive some advanced "tools" in excel (for example choosing columns and filter (as function in a cell).  For LP and MILP I have them see the formulation in a tableau structure.  I do note I spend time each year getting better at Excel - which is driven by time in the trenches.  Would I use Excel if I was both planner and analysts - NO. Then again I prefer Dyalog APL over Python - back to the future



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    Ken Fordyce
    director analytics without borders
    Arkieva
    Wilmington DE
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 10 days ago
    Edited by Ralph Asher 10 days ago

    In my 9 years in corporate work, I can count on zero hands the number of times I saw a non-OR type using anything other than Excel for analytics beyond BI. Good luck expecting a junior business analyst advocating for the use of AMPL or LINGO in their businesses.

    Businesses run on Excel, no matter how much technical people wish it was otherwise. I teach LP/MILP and Monte Carlo simulation using Excel to business undergrads. It has its drawbacks, which is why I don't do that for my private work. But it's the most accessible and most persistent skillset that the students will retain.

    Best

    Ralph



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    Ralph Asher
    Founder, Data Driven Supply Chain LLC
    Data Driven Supply Chain LLC
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Teaching Intro to management Science

    Posted 9 days ago

    I echo Ralph's comments about teaching intro classes with sophisticated software.   The use of these software's are not in all companies and often limited to specialized small groups in the company.   Learning the concepts using Excel, which is something they understand allows them to focus on the concepts.   

    Understanding cost and schedule control can be a very useful learning.   But this needs to be done with uncertain inputs.   This can be done in Excel using free Excel Addin from Probability Management.   You can learn more about SIPmath and how to use it for all sorts of Management questions on my YouTube Channel.  

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQe6h4QIHvQ1Yje0SolEZCQ

     



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    Brian Putt
    Decision Scientist Consultant
    retired
    Fremont CA
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    Original Message


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