Introduction to Management Science

For undergraduate courses in management science.

A logical, step-by-step approach to complex problem-solving

Introduction to Management Science gives readers a strong foundation in how to make decisions and solve complex problems using both quantitative methods and software tools. In addition to extensive examples, problem sets, and cases, the 13th Edition incorporates Excel 2016 and other software resources, developing readers’ ability to leverage the technology they will use throughout their careers. By practicing these modeling techniques, readers gain a useful framework for problem-solving that they can then apply in the workplace.

Bernard W. Taylor, III received the PhD and MBA from the University of Georgia and a BIE from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has served as President of the Decision Sciences Institute and as a member of its Executive Committee and Board of Directors. He also served as the Program Chair for the 1988 National Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) Meeting in Las Vegas, Associate Program Chairman, Council Member, Vice-President, Treasurer, and as the Editor of Decision Line, the newsletter of DSI. He was named a Fellow of DSI in 1984. He is a past President, Vice-President, and Program Chairman of the Southeast Decision Sciences Institute.

In 1991 he was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from DSI, and in 1984 he received the Distinguished Service Award for Southeast DSI. He is author of the book Introduction to Management Science (Pearson, 12th edition), and co-author of Operations Management (Wiley, 9th edition), and, Management Science (W.C. Brown, 4th edition). Dr. Taylor has published numerous articles in such journals as Operations Research, Management Science, Decision Sciences, IIE Transactions, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Computers and Operations Research, Omega, and the International Journal of Production Research, among others. In 1984 he received the Stanley T. Hardy Award for the greatest contribution to the field of production and operations management for his paper in Decision Sciences (with Huang and Rees) on the Japanese kanban production system. He has also served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Operations Management, Production and Operations Management, Journal of Management, the Review of Business and Economic Research, and Computers and Operations Research.

Taylor's research and teaching interests are in the areas of management science applications and operations management. He has received the University Certificate of Teaching Excellence on four occasions and the College of Business Teaching Excellence Award once. In 1989 he was awarded the College of Business PhD Teaching Excellence Award. He served as Head of the Department of Business Information Technology from 1983 to 2017.

1. Management Science 

2. Linear Programming: Model Formulation and Graphical Solution 

3. Linear Programming: Computer Solution and Sensitivity Analysis 

4. Linear Programming: Modeling Examples 

5. Integer Programming 

6. Transportation, Transshipment, and Assignment Problems 

7. Network Flow Models 

8. Project Management 

9. Multicriteria Decision Making 

10. Nonlinear Programming 

11. Probability and Statistics 

12. Decision Analysis 

13. Queuing Analysis 

14. Simulation 

15. Forecasting 

16. Inventory Management

Appendix A: Normal and Chi-Square Tables 

Appendix B: Setting Up and Editing a Spreadsheet 

Appendix C: The Poisson and Exponential Distributions 

Solutions to Selected Odd-Numbered Problems 

The following items can be found on the companion website that accompanies this text:

Module A: The Simplex Solution Method 

Module B: Transportation and Assignment Solution Methods

Module C: Integer Programming: The Branch and Bound Method 

Module D: Nonlinear Programming Solution Techniques 

Module E: Game Theory 

Module F: Markov Analysis