Management Models and Industrial Applications of Linear Programming

An accelerating increase in linear programming applications to industrial problems has made it virtually impossible to keep abreast of them, not only because of their number (and diversity) but also because of the conditions under which many are carried out. Industrial (and governmental) secrecy is often present. Other conditions also bar access to ascertainment and assessment of the pattern of applications. Lack of a tradition for publication is one. Failure to ascertain the general significance of particular findings is another, as is discouragement arising from the fact that similar applications have previously been published by others. Immediate remedies are not available for these difficulties. Presumably conventions such as this will help, over a period of time, by encouraging informal contacts between interested persons. A talk on "industrial applications of linear programming" must be altered to suit these circumstances. In place of a survey or evaluation of industrial studies, two broad issues which are relevant to all such applications will be discussed. These are, (1) use of linear programming models as guides to data collection and (2) analysis (and prognosis) of fruitful areas of additional research, especially those which appear to have been opened by industrial applications.