Planmatics, Inc Rockville, MD (301) 987-7441 planmatics

1. From a Ph.D. to the Business Worldby Dr. Anura deSilvaCEO, Planmatics, IncCEO, Care Systems, Incadesilva@planmatics.com Planmatics, IncRockville, MD(301) 987-7441www.planmatics.com

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3. Your first industry job out of a Ph.D. • Most likely, nothing will fit your Ph.D. topic • Somewhat likely, if you are an OR Ph.D., nothing will fit your key interests in OR. If you are IE, its more likely you can find a job that is directly related • Learn to be (institutionally) politically correct • Learn to communicate well – its more challenging than you think • Read the strategic plans, departmental mission, etc. • Find what your department or company wants to achieve, and align with it unless you see major flaws –in which case speak up tactfully Planmatics, Inc

4. Misconceptions • I wrote a Ph.D. dissertation so I can write well • I orally defended my Ph.D. so I can present well • Colleagues will respect my Ph.D. and give me the benefit of the doubt, wont challenge me if I “BS” a bit • My innovative ideas will get me a lot of positive visibility • My years working at the Ph.D. will be relevant experience • Colleagues will always be supportive as they were in graduate school Planmatics, Inc

5. Good clues to succeed at work • Take a technical writing course • Join a speaking club • Maintain good work integrity • Learn to work as a team, give constant praise to your teammates • Get your early reports vetted by a colleague for style • Rehearse your early presentations • Write internal technical reports, ask for colleague feedback • Get Project Management certifications • Learn about strategy, vision, mission, tactics, and what you need for day to day control • Do the boring administration work you didn’t have to do in grad school • Support your colleagues even if they don’t support you – be the “bigger” person – win them over • FOCUS ON THE OUTCOMES FROM PROJECTS, NOT JUST THE TASKS AND DELIVERABLES Planmatics, Inc

6. Outcomes vs. Deliverables/Tasks • Who is the customer? (Internal? External?) • How can you make the customer look good • i.e. what does the customer really want? • What is politically acceptable? • Does it meet the customer organization’s vision, strategy? • Be ready to revisit the outcome as customer challenges and environment changes • Stay in touch with your customer • Remember that the customer can change and you have to change with them • Charge reasonably when change orders come Planmatics, Inc

7. Alignment • Keep your project, group, or department aligned with the organization’s strategy • Your project or group outcomes must contribute to the organization’s desired outcomes • Consult with your boss, draw him or her into the discussion of the alignment question (he will draw his boss etc.) • When you assign sub-projects, delegate/ contract” outcomes – alignment passes down the line • You may need to oversee the tasks and demand deliverables that are consistent wit the outcomes` Planmatics, Inc

8. Observations and Lessons • The customer may not be always right, but one has to act most of the time as if they are, while tactfully giving them the best advice • Even a good product will seldom sell itself - it pays to build relationships, talk of benefits to the customer, and have a champion in the customer community • Don’t expect the customer to understand his business from your point of view • Data is always a problem Planmatics, Inc

9. Observations and Lessons (cont.) • Best not try to explain optimization to anyone who does not have an advanced degree • Nobody reads manuals so make sure the screens are simple and clear • However, don’t underestimate the intuition of the customer • Powerful IE/OR techniques can be implemented in the real world and do make a difference Planmatics, Inc