INFORMS

This page is my introduction for various folks in data and analytics to my favorite professional society - INFORMS

The opinions contained are my own.

Sections below:

• Data Scientists and Data Analysts
• Data Engineers
• What you get from a professional society like INFORMS
• What employers get from employees who are in a professional society
• Suggestions if you decide to join INFORMS

INFORMS homepage is https://www.informs.org/

Data Scientists and Data Analysts

If you are a data scientist or a data analyst, I highly recommend joining INFORMS because it will help you learn how to ensure your analytics is more actionable and useful. INFORMS is unique because of the history of the organization which is rooted in a field called "Operations Research" which includes what we now call prescriptive analytics like optimization as well as some related specializations like simulation and queuing theory. While that history has influenced the organization and the membership, it is the way people in INFORMS use data to drive decisions that I think is desperately needed in the field of analytics, and otherwise is rare to find.

Here is a post I wrote that tries to introduce some of these ideas. Here is an article in INFORMS' Analytics Magazine (free to subscribe and you don't have to be a member) where I also cover some of these ideas in more depth. The short version is if you'd like your analysis to be useful, getting good at prescriptive analytics helps you see how to do so. And if you'd like to get good at prescriptive analytics and get exposed to the ways in which it changes your approach, the best way I know how is to join INFORMS and participate.

Data Engineers

If you are a data engineer, I highly recommend joining INFORMS because it will help you learn how to ensure your analytics is more actionable and useful. INFORMS is unique because of the history of the organization which is rooted in a field called "Operations Research" which includes what we now call prescriptive analytics like optimization as well as some related specializations like simulation and queuing theory. While that history has influenced the organization and the membership, it is the way people in INFORMS use data to drive decisions that I think is desperately needed in the field of data, and otherwise is rare to find.

For Data Engineers, most of the people in INFORMS are more focused on "Advanced Analytics," so if you are not experienced with Machine Learning / predictive / prescriptive analytics, a lot more of INFORMS will be greek to you. I found the book "You Look Like a Thing and I Love You" by Janelle Shane really helpful to get a bit more of an intuitive understanding of the predictive side of things. For prescriptive analytics I wrote this article which has a link to an excel spreadsheet and instructions for trying out a prescriptive analytics model. Another really accessible example of prescriptive analytics is navigation tools like Google Maps (which also has some predictions built in to try to figure out how traffic patterns may change).

While data engineers may not be developing predictive or prescriptive models, there are certainly ways in which it is helpful to understand what it means for data to be useful. Some data engineers are more in the role of what I would call "setting up source systems." If that's your domain, an understanding of analytics will not be core to your job. However, if the data will ever be used beyond a very transactional way, there's a benefit from learning more about analytics (e.g., a transactional view is we enter the shipping information for an order so it can be tracked by a customer. A non-transactional way is we then take that data to understand our on-time shipment rate). The short version is if you'd like data you touch to be useful for analysis, getting an understanding of prescriptive analytics helps you see how to do so. And if you'd like to get good at prescriptive analytics and get exposed to the ways in which it changes your approach, the best way I know how is to join INFORMS and participate.

What you get from a professional society like INFORMS

Different people get different things from a professional society. But I would summarize that the key benefits are relationships and opportunities to grow professionally.

• One of the most obvious benefits of a professional society is that through job changes, and even career changes, you can connect with the same folks over years and eventually decades. I joined INFORMS my first year of graduate school, and have remained a member ever since. Meetups can have some of the same opportunities if you happen to stay in the same geographic place over your career, but there is a stickiness to a professional society that is different.
• Because so many people who are in a professional society have been members for a large chunk of their careers, there is an expectation of mentorship that is also different than other environments. In a job you hopefully have some mentors, but they will often be more focused on the right choice within the company rather than your full experience. In a professional society most of the people who have decades of experience remember the guidance they received when they were new to the field and how it helped them. And so they continue to give back to future generations.
• Identifying your unknown unknowns is one of the most practical benefits of connecting with peers. It is so easy to make a mistake just because you never realized you should google the right way to do something. When you talk about the things you are working through with fellow professionals, you can frequently learn which mistakes to avoid without the annoying experience of making them first.
• Building on the previous point, googling is not always the best way to find the right way to do something. Having easy access to vetted recommendations is a benefit of professional societies since they so often invest in certifications and education programs.
• You also get low stakes opportunities to grow your skills. Professional societies run on volunteer effort, and so you often can have a chance to practice leadership, serve on a committee, and generally work with peers towards a shared goal.

What employers get from employees who are in a professional society

Since different people get different things from a professional society, the same is true for their employers. But practically speaking, employees who know how to manage their careers and are growing professionally will be able to do more things well than without the support of their professional society. Some specific benefits my clients have received:

• I practice communication skills (see this post) which is an absolutely crucial skill as a professional.
• I would never have met some of them without the connections I have made in my professional society.
• By making a habit of going to conferences, my knowledge always stays current. But, I also learn the practical side of which innovations are ready for general use and which could use a bit more time for development.
• By attending webinars, virtual meetups, reading publications, and reading the discussion board, my knowledge also always stays current. If there is something specific I want to learn about, I am also always free to start my own discussion and see what people answer. I also get exposed to resources that will be useful any time I need to dive deeper on some topic area.
• By my involvement with the Certified Analytics Professional (getting my certification, and then volunteer activities since), I have learned more about best practices in the field of analytics.
• The connections I have made have helped me see where I had blind spots in my knowledge. And they gave me the tools to fix them.

Suggestions if you decide to join INFORMS

A few suggestions of how to get involved after you join:

• My first suggestion is actually as you are joining, to pick the right communities as you pay your dues. I am a member of The Practice Section which has a monthly networking happy hour, webinars, and several other activities. There are also some local chapters, groups focused on various topic areas, and so on. Read through your options carefully as this is your best on-ramp into the organization.
• Learn how to use INFORMS Connect. The Industry Open Forum has interesting discussions and you are always welcome to start a thread. There are many other communities, and you will automatically be added to some that could be relevant to you. You can also change your email settings (if you, for example, do not want to get an email from the general Open Forum every day).
• Look through the INFORMS youtube channel There are some fantastic webinars, some competition videos, interviews, and many other resources. This is also an option if you are not yet an INFORMS member.
• Consider the Certified Analytics Professional Which includes a study guide, information about the exam, and a rigorous description of the analytics process.
• Consider a conference if at all possible. The Analytics Conference occurs annually and is a great opportunity to meet people and learn.
• Subscribe to Analytics Magazine though you can do this whether or not you are a member.
• If there is any activity that interests you, there is probably a way to volunteer to make that thing better. This includes volunteering as a community officer, an award judge, on a conference organizing committee, anything! This is a lot like joining a community, but you often make even stronger connections and also get to contribute to the development of the field.

INFORMS as it exists today has a focus on people who are in academia which means there are a lot of resources that may not be relevant to you if you are a working professional. However, there is immense value in many things that are available, and so I recommend learning how to navigate those different areas and find the things that help you excel in the field.