In this era of disruption, global society faces increasingly complex challenges in social, economic, health, and environmental fields.
Several major trends are influencing the current and future state of systems, including an interconnected world, sustainability issues, uncertainty, and the management of complexity.
Amid uncertain and limited situations, Operations Research (OR) offers an analytical approach to support strategic and adaptive decision-making.
In the inaugural professorial speech by Professor Nur Aini Masruroh, titled “System Efficiency Strategies Through Operations Research,” she emphasized the importance of the OR approach as a strategic tool.
This tool is crucial in addressing the various complex problems faced by modern society. OR is an area of knowledge focused on developing mathematical models to represent and improve real and theoretical systems.
It also designs solution methods that can deliver results efficiently and in real time.
“For over 75 years, OR has evolved from a military analysis method into a distinct discipline,” she explained.
This discipline utilizes quantitative models to solve real problems efficiently,” she stated at the UGM Senate Hall on Thursday (Apr. 22).
The new professor from the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM), highlighted challenges in logistics and supply chains as primary concerns.
Amid global dynamics, supply disruptions, and changing demand patterns, OR is considered capable of optimizing goods flow and enhancing supply chain resilience.
“The OR approach can improve the reliability of logistics systems and reduce costs while responding to market demands more responsively and adaptively,” Professor Masruroh explained.
Additionally, Professor Masruroh emphasized the importance of multi-sector collaboration in decision-making, which can be facilitated through group decision-making and multiobjective optimization approaches.
She also sees great potential for collaboration between OR and artificial intelligence (AI) to face technological disruption.
According to Professor Masruroh, integrating both not only accelerates the optimization process but also enhances the quality of decision-making across various sectors.
“AI and OR are a powerful combination to create more efficient solutions in supply chain management, portfolio optimization, and even electrical power systems,” she said.
Operations research, she continued, also plays a role in creating sustainable systems, particularly in energy and environmental management.
This approach enables organizations to achieve energy efficiency through effective scheduling, demand management, and the utilization of digital technologies, such as AI, blockchain, and generative models.
“The goal is not only economic efficiency but also reducing environmental burden and accelerating the transition towards a more environmentally friendly energy system,” Professor Masruroh explained.
According to Professor Masruroh, the future of operations research depends on its ability to adapt to new technologies and integrate cross-disciplinary approaches.
“By utilizing AI, big data, and hybrid optimization methods, OR will continue to offer robust solutions for increasingly complex problems across various sectors,” she concluded.
At just 48 years old, Professor Masruroh was inaugurated as one of 526 active professors at UGM.
She also became the 84th active professor at FT UGM out of 104 professors the faculty has ever had.
The inauguration of Professor Masruroh further adds to the ranks of UGM academics who continue to promote the use of science and technology to address challenges and problems in the field of industrial engineering.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographer: Firsto Adi