Get to know the members of ORSSA: Marthi Harmse

In this edition of Get to Know the Members of ORSSA, we are pleased to introduce Marthi Harmse, the current Vice President of ORSSA. As a member of the Executive Committee, Marthi plays an important role in supporting the society's activities, fostering collaboration within the OR community, and helping to shape ORSSA's future direction.

In this short interview, we get to know the person behind the position, exploring Marthi's interests, career journey, and passion for Operations Research. She also shares some reflections on her involvement with ORSSA and what continues to inspire her in the field.

Marthi, what is your academic and professional background?

"When asked the standard introductory question, “So, what is your background?”, I often realise that very few people know what Operations Research (OR) actually is. Many assume it is an isolated, highly specialised mathematics course taught at university. Throughout this interview, I hope to explain my academic and professional journey in a way that demonstrates that OR is far more than that, it is a versatile discipline with broad, practical applications across many fields."

What excites you about the field of OR?

"When I arrived at Stellenbosch University in 1984, Operations Research (OR) was offered as Operational Analysis at postgraduate level. The admission requirement was either Applied Mathematics, Computer Science or Mathematical Statistics on third-year level. What excites me about the field of OR, is its interdisciplinary nature which benefits from diverse graduate courses."

Was there a specific project or moment that made you realise, “This is why I love OR”?

"After completing an Honours Degree in Operational Analysis however, I completed a Master’s Degree in Computer Science in 1990 doing OR. We developed analytic models of direct-access storage devices in IBM System/370-XA mainframes, including developing our own simulator and using fractal geometry. I realised that I love OR because we can apply different theories to make sense of many issues at hand. And if we do not have the right tool for the job, we can create it."

What piece of advice would you give students, or anyone that is new to the field of operations research, or anyone that is interested in the field?

"I got married and relocated to the Vaal Triangle. There I got an opportunity to teach Mathematics from Std.6-10 (Gr.8-12) at a secondary school. I introduced the children to OR through projects to apply what they had learned in class to actual data, exhibiting their results in the school library. My advice to students, anyone new to OR, or anyone interested in the field, is not to wait for someone to offer you the perfect job but to get out there, try things out and make a difference."

How did you first get involved with ORSSA, and have you had any positions on the Exec of ORSSA?

"Next, I started teaching at the School for Computer Technology at the Vaal Triangle Technikon (University of Technology). Early 1992 I heard about the Vaal Triangle Chapter of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) and wrote to Jos van Zadelhoff inquiring about affiliation. However, I left for the United States but on my return I registered for a Master’s Degree in Operations Research at the Vanderbijlpark campus of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE now North West University) and joined ORSSA in 1995, dragging my students along to meetings.

In 2001 I served on the organising committee of the 31^st Annual ORSSA Conference hosted by the Vaal Triangle Chapter at the Vanderbijlpark campus of the PU for CHE. The next year I was privileged to make a presentation at the 16^th International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) Triennial Conference. In 2003 we established a combined Vaal Triangle Chapter of ORSSA and the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE) which I co-chaired. Two years later I was elected as Vice-President of ORSSA and served as President in 2006-2007. I also assisted on the local organising committee for the 18^th IFORS Triennial Conference hosted by ORSSA in Sandton in 2008, which was the first such conference hosted in Africa. From 2009 to 2013 I served as Treasurer."

What OR technique do you find yourself using the most, and what are common misconceptions people have about OR?

"For the Master’s Degree in Operations Research, I investigated hard, soft, critical, liberating and community OR in supporting organisations in the Vaal Triangle to help children on the street. Simultaneously I did Philosophy through UNISA. It was shown that OR uses a systems concept to aid understanding of the world and involves techniques, methodology and philosophy. OR is concerned with the systemic and integrative exploration of issues. We applied this same approach in implementing outcomes-based curricula in higher education.

When I joined Sasol in 2002, we followed the same approach in projects varying from advanced planning and scheduling, business process management, planning and scheduling involving simulation, mathematical programming and meta-heuristics, corporate culture, foundation for education, to corporate social investment. In 2024 I earned my PhD in Engineering at the University of Pretoria with a thesis on a sustainable operations management model in a non-profit organisation. Again, we applied the systemic and integrative approach of OR involving different theories, techniques, methodology and philosophy. We created appropriate tools to make sense of inter alia non-profitability and sustainability. And because no one person has the whole big picture or all perspectives, we worked in a team."

What position do you hold on Exec and for how long have you had this position?

"Currently I serve as Vice-President, again. The Vice-President supports the President to ensure the execution of the goals and strategy of ORSSA, convenes the Tom Rozwadowski Medal nomination committee and selection committee, prepares for the upcoming term as President, and participates in Executive Committee meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Usually, a new Vice-President is elected at alternate AGMs to hold the position during the second year of the President’s tenure, and to succeed the President the following year. However, the Immediate Past President was unable to fulfil the role of Vice- President and therefore I serve a two-year term."

What do you feel is the biggest benefit of being a member of ORSSA?

"In 2006 Michael Trick, Past President and Fellow of INFORMS, made a presentation on The Society of OR at the EURO XXI conference in Reykjavik. In the presentation, Michael mentioned one of the five capitals of sustainability namely social capital. This refers to the quality of relationships in families and among colleagues and partnerships between businesses, government and civil society. Although social capital was decreasing in 2006 and still does, Michael argued that OR professionals are more dependent on social capital than many other professions. By our nature, we often are alone in our organisations or part of small groups. We are dependent on outside interactions for support, potential projects, new approaches and ideas, creative research directions, funding opportunities, job opportunities and professional growth. This is why I still am an ORSSA member after more than 30 years, and why many others still belong to this community."