writing on analytics

INFORMS launched a new digital magazine called Analytics due to the popularity of the book Competing on Analytics. The articles in the inaugural issue address queuing for the Presidential election, patient flow for health care, Renault’s supply chain, new frontiers in simulation software, and aviation security. Check it out! You can sign up for a free subscription.

The official message from INFORMS:

We are happy to introduce the premiere issue of Analytics. This digital magazine provides readers with a comprehensive look at how data and mathematical analysis help drive better business decisions.

Working in concert with Lionheart Publishing, the producers of OR/MS Today, and digital magazine developer Texterity, this digital version of OR/MS Today will be tested initially for acceptance among the practice community who may not be familiar with INFORMS. Of course we hope INFORMS members will also appreciate the convenience of this technology. Analytics does not replace OR/MS Today. OR/MS Today will be delivered to members as it is now. Nothing in that regard will change.
Because this is a digital magazine, Analytics looks very much like an actual magazine online, not just a collection of PDFs or links to HTML articles.This technology is increasingly attractive to readers who can easily page through the magazine, share particular articles with colleagues, electronically search for content, and take advantage of live links to gather additional information.

We are offering two issues of this new digital magazine beginning now with this first issue and about three months later with a second issue. If acceptance among the non-member practice community is high, we will continue with two more issues in 2008. INFORMS members will be provided with links to all digital issues we produce.

Developing this digital magazine allows INFORMS to approach and identify customers and prospects of the software advertisers who appear within the printed and web pages of OR/MS Today. Many OR/MS Today advertisers have agreed to deliver a link to Analytics to their customer and prospect lists via e-mail or by placing it on their web sites.The customers and prospects of our advertisers comprise a potentially lucrative market for INFORMS that is very difficult to find and approach in other ways.These software purchasers and users do not fit the typical profile of an INFORMS practice member but are peripherally associated with our industry and should be very good prospects for some of INFORMS’ products and services such as the 2008 Practice Meeting.

The 2008 INFORMS Practice Meeting is featured in this initial issue of Analytics along with editorial content that should be of interest to this market.Content in this initial issue is based on classic articles from past issues of OR/MS Today including news articles, features, columns, and departments.

Besides the new name, the digital version strips out all INFORMS-specific columns from OR/MS Today such as the Presidents Letter and INFORMS Online Letter so it may better represent the industry as a whole.

If successful, Analytics could eventually feature its own content, not just classic OR/MS Today content, and be tested for acceptance by other market segments such as international members of our community who will appreciate instant and easy-to-read access to industry news or mid-level managers/executives to whom our practice members typically report. Content could be adjusted for each potential user group.

Among the metrics we’ll track to indicate success are requests for additional issues of Analytics, click-through statistics to the Practice Meeting registration page and eventual meeting registrations, requests for more information about INFORMS, and number of articles shared with colleagues. Because all links are live, both INFORMS and advertisers can track customer movement throughout the magazine and gauge interest in certain articles and ads.

Enjoy this initial issue with our compliments and please tell us what you think.

Gary Bennett
Director of Marketing
INFORMS