Introduction to Management Science, 4e, offers a unique model approach and integrates the use of Excel. Through this approach students are better able to grasp the essential concepts covered in the course and see their utility. Each chapter includes a case study that is meant to show the students a real and interesting application of the topics addressed in that chapter.

These cases and related applications cut across all functional areas of business and show how management science techniques apply in the business environment.

New Features:

-Integration of the New Excel 2010. The new Excel 2010 includes a major revision to Excel’s Solver that is used throughout most of the chapters of the book. Since some users will continue to use older versions of Excel, the authors also point out the differences in the versions.

-New Partnership with INFORMS. The book includes 23 application vignettes (including several new ones for this edition) that describe in a few paragraphs how an actual application of management science had a powerful effect on a company or organization by using techniques like those being studied in that portion of the book. New to this edition is a link to the journal articles that fully describe these applications, though a special arrangement with The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). Instructors can now motivate their lectures by having the students delve into real applications that dramatically demonstrate the relevance of the material covered in the lectures. The articles can be access as Premium Content on the Online Learning Center, www.mhhe.com/hillier4e.

-New Problems, Solved Problems, and Cases. A number of new problems, solved problems, and cases have been added throughout the book. Among these additions are problems that involve the 23 application vignettes. In particular, each application vignette now has a problem requiring the student to read the linked article that fully describes this application.

-A New Section on the Impact of Management Science. A new section, Section 1.3, focuses on describing the impressive impact that management science is having on improving the efficiency of numerous organizations around the world. The purposes of the section are to motivate students about the relevance of the material in the book and to provide an overview of what will be covered.

-A New Section on Optimizing with OptQuest. OptQuest is a module of Crystal Ball that automatically searches for an optimal solution for simulation models with decision variables. A new section, Section 13.9, describes OptQuest and illustrates its application.

-Refinements in Each Chapter. Each chapter in the third edition has been carefully examined and revised as needed to update and clarify the material after all taking into account the input provided.