International Series in Operations Research & Management Science

Outsourcing has become a crucial tool for industries, societies and governments alike, making it an important area of study within Management Science (MS) and Operations Research (OR). This book focuses on the intersections of outsourcing with MS and OR, beginning each chapter with fundamental concepts and exploring the benefits, advantages, disadvantages, real-world examples, applications, theories, and potential future developments. The content spans a broad range of topics, drawing examples from both the private and public sector. The book also delves into future trends and the evolving role of outsourcing.

Outsourcing is commonly employed to achieve faster results, reduce costs, distribute risk, enhance efficiency, and maintain flexibility. This book connects these aspects with MS and OR models, providing a comprehensive interface between engineering/technology and the organizational, economic, administrative, and planning strategies needed for managing outsourcing effectively.

This book is intended for professionals in the fields of energy, engineering, information science, mathematics, economics, etc., and for researchers who wish to develop new skills in outsourcing, or who employ outsourcing as part of their work. As the second volume in a two-part series, it focuses on real-world cases and studies.

This is an open access book discusses readers to various methods of modeling plans and policies that address public sector issues and problems. Written for public policy and social sciences students at the upper undergraduate and graduate level, as well as public sector decision-makers, it demonstrates and compares the development and use of various deterministic and probabilistic optimization and simulation modeling methods for analyzing planning and management issues. These modeling tools offer a means of identifying and evaluating alternative plans and policies based on their physical, economic, environmental, and social impacts. Learning how to develop and use the mathematical modeling tools introduced in this book will give students useful skills when in positions of having to make informed public policy recommendations or decisions.

This book provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in Operations Research (OR) and Management Science (MS) as applied to sustainability. Its goal is to identify and describe ways in which OR and MS have been applied to and influenced the development of sustainability. Many of the issues we face today stem from the interconnectivity of the economy, society, and the environment, and from how both the economy and society are affecting the environment. In response, there have been a range of local and global efforts to advance society without harming the natural environment. The book showcases how OR/MS can help to address these issues, specifically with regard to renewable energy, smart industry, smart cities, transportation, smart homes and devices, etc.

This book is intended for professionals in the fields of energy, engineering, information science, mathematics and economics, and for researchers who wish to develop new skills in connection with sustainability, or whose work involves sustainability.