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About the Society
Welcome to the home page of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA). ORSSA is a non-profit, scholarly organisation with the mission of furthering the interests of those engaged in, or interested in, Operations Research (OR) activities.
On this page general descriptions may be found (via the links above) of what OR actually is, what the main areas of study are within the discipline of OR, and where OR-related work typically finds applications. Descriptions of the objectives and activities of ORSSA are also accessible from this page. Information on the various regional chapters of ORSSA, its constitution, the publications sponsored by ORSSA, the annual conferences organised by ORSSA, awards made by the Society on an annual basis, and its liaison with other bodies and professional societies may also be found via the links above.
The purpose of this website is to create a platform for the facilitation and coordination of the activities and management of ORSSA. More specifically, the website serves the following functions:
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To provide information on the nature of OR and the functions of ORSSA to its members and the wider public,
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To serve as a central medium of advertisement for get-together's, conferences and functions organised by ORSSA and related bodies,
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To house a repository of publication outputs of the Society (its biannual journal ORiON and its quarterly newsletter),
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To serve as a forum where members may nominate individuals for the Society's annual awards or submit contributions to the Society's publications,
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To establish a work bench from where the Executive Committee can undertake the day-to-day running of the Society, and
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To maintain an archive which preserves the history of ORSSA and its activities.
What is Operations Research?
Executive Committee
Liaison with other Bodies
Awards and Recognition
What is ORSSA?
ORSSA Constitution
POPI Notice
History of ORSSA
OR in Practice
The name Operations Research (or Operational Research, as it is known in Europe and the United Kingdom) does not really describe the nature of the discipline. Neither do the synonyms Operational Analysis, Quantitative Management, Management Science or Decision Science, which are often used instead of the widely accepted term Operations Research.
1969 The founding meeting of ORSSA takes place.
1950 - 1969 General JC Smuts introduces South Africa to Operations Research during the Second World War
1971 The first Tom Rozwadoski Medal is awarded to Dr. Gerhard Rudolph.
1970 The First Branch of ORSSA are established in Johannesburg and the executive committee elected. During November 1970, the second annual congress was held at Iscor in Pretoria.
2019 The 50th birthday of the Society is celebrated and Operations Research in South Africa – the first 50 years by Hennie A Kruger and Jan H van Vuuren (Editors) is released.
2021 The Executive Committee structure is redesigned and a new logo, branding, and website is introduced.