Vice President of General Motors Research & Development and Planning To Address American Statistical Association

'The Essential Role of Statistical Sciences in Business Decision - Making'

Lawrence D. Burns will deliver the President's Invited Speaker Address at the 163rd annual Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) at 4:00pm on Monday, August 4, 2003, in the Continental Ballroom of the Hilton San Francisco. The American Statistical Association (ASA) was founded in 1839, making it one of the oldest professional societies in the United States. This year's Joint Statistical Meetings will include more than 5,000 participants from all over the world, making it the largest statistical meeting in North America. Activities of the JSM include oral presentations, continuing education courses, panel sessions, poster presentations, a placement service, society and section business meetings, committee meetings, social activities, networking opportunities, and exhibits of state-of-the-art statistical products and developments.

  Activity Number:  182

  Type:         Invited
  Date/Time:    Monday, August 4, 2003 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
  Sponsor:      ASA

  Title:        The Essential Role of Statistical Sciences in Business
                Decision-Making
  Author(s):    Larry Burns*+
  Companies:    General Motors R&D Planning
  Address:      30500 Mound Rd., Warren, MI, 48090,

  Abstract:     Successfully developing, making, and selling products like
                automobiles depends heavily on effectively and efficiently
                collecting and using data to guide decisions. Whether it is
                an engineer establishing product specifications, a market
                planner identifying customer preferences, or a financial
                analyst assessing investment options, the proper use of
                statistics is paramount. As a result, statistical sciences
                permeate decision-making in large enterprises like General
                Motors. Drawing on over 30 years of experience in
                operations, R&D, planning, and as a member of GM's senior-
                level decision team, Dr. Burns will reflect on the
                increasingly important role of statistical sciences at
                General Motors. He will do this in the context of several
                key trends impacting the industry, such as math-based design
                and engineering, intense competition, growing customer
                expectations, increasing industry speed, and disruptive
                change. Dr. Burns also will share his observations on some
                simple but powerful tools that have proven useful in
                supporting complex decisions. Finally, he will comment on
                future trends that will further enhance the importance of
                statistical sciences.

For additional information on the Joint Statistical Meetings, ASA President's Invited Address, or Dr. Lawrence D. Burns, contact the American Statistical Association (ASA) at 1429 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3415, or visit the ASA Web site at www.amstat.org.

The American Statistical Association (ASA), a scientific and educational society founded in Boston in 1839, is the second oldest professional society in the United States. For 160 years, ASA has been providing its nearly 17,000 members serving in academia, government, and industry and the public with up- to-date, useful information about statistics. The ASA has a proud tradition of service to statisticians, quantitative scientists, and users of statistics across a wealth of academic areas and applications.

PRNewswire -- July 25