Outsourcing: Cases and Studies in Using Operations Research and Management Science Methods

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.

Fausto Pedro Garcia Marquez is a Full Professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Spain, Visiting Professor in Shenyang Technology University, China, and a Lecturer at the Postgraduate European Institute. He has been the principal investigator in five European projects, six national projects, and more than 150 university and corporate research projects. He holds six international and national patents, and has authored more than 300 international papers. The author or editor of more than 55 books, his work has been recognized with several international awards.

Benjamin Lev is the past University Trustee Professor at LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, USA. He holds a PhD in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University, USA. Prior to joining Drexel University, he held academic and administrative positions at Temple University, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA. He is the Editor-in-Chief of OMEGA – The International Journal of Management Science, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management. He has published more than fifteen books and over 150 articles in refereed journals, and organized several national and international conferences.

Huchang Liao is a Research Fellow at the Sichuan University, China. He has published 4 monographs, and more than 320 peer-reviewed papers, many in high-quality international journals. His publications have been cited over 16,000 times, and his h-index is 71. He has been a Highly Cited Researcher in Computer Science, and a Highly Cited Chinese Researchers in Management Science. He ranked within the top 2% Ranking of Scientists in the World by Stanford University. He has been elected to be the Fellow of IET, the Fellow of BCS, the Fellow of RSA, and the Fellow of IAAM. He is the Area Editor of International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, Associate Editor, Guest Editor or Editorial Board Member for many top-tier international journals, including IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, Information Fusion, Applied Soft Computing, Omega, etc.