Systems Thinking "an overview"

Systems thinking

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Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plant and animals work together to survive or perish. In organizations, systems consist of people, structures, and processes that work together to make an organization healthy or unhealthy.



Systems thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences. Systems thinking is not one thing but a set of habits or practices [1] within a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking focuses on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect.



In science systems, it is argued that the only way to fully understand why a problem or element occurs and persists is to understand the parts in relation to the whole.[2] Standing in contrast to Descartes's scientific reductionism and philosophical analysis, it proposes to view systems in a holistic manner. Consistent with systems philosophy, systems thinking concerns an understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that compose the entirety of the system.



Science systems thinking attempts to illustrate that events are separated by distance and time and that small catalytic events can cause large changes in complex systems. Acknowledging that an improvement in one area of a system can adversely affect another area of the system, it promotes organizational communication at all levels in order to avoid the silo effect. Systems thinking techniques may be used to study any kind of system — natural, scientific, engineered, human, or conceptual.



Contents

1 The concept of a system

2 The systems approach

3 Applications

4 See also

5 Bibliography

6 References

7 External links

 The concept of a system

Science systems thinkers consider that:

a system is a dynamic and complex whole, interacting as a structured functional unit;

energy, material and information flow among the different elements that compose the system;

a system is a community situated within an environment;

energy, material and information flow from and to the surrounding environment via semi-permeable membranes or boundaries;

systems are often composed of entities seeking equilibrium but can exhibit oscillating, chaotic, or exponential behavior.

A holistic system is any set (group) of interdependent or temporally interacting parts. Parts are generally systems themselves and are composed of other parts, just as systems are generally parts or holons of other systems.

Science systems and the application of science systems thinking has been grouped into three categories based on the techniques used to tackle a system:

Hard systems — involving simulations, often using computers and the techniques of operations research. Useful for problems that can justifiably be quantified. However it cannot easily take into account unquantifiable variables (opinions, culture, politics, etc), and may treat people as being passive, rather than having complex motivations.

Soft systems — For systems that cannot easily be quantified, especially those involving people holding multiple and conflicting frames of reference. Useful for understanding motivations, viewpoints, and interactions and addressing qualitative as well as quantitative dimensions of problem situations. Soft systems are a field that utilizes foundation methodological work developed by Peter Checkland, Brian Wilson and their colleagues at Lancaster University. Morphological analysis is a complementary method for structuring and analysing non-quantifiable problem complexes.

Evolutionary systems — Béla H. Bánáthy developed a methodology that is applicable to the design of complex social systems. This technique integrates critical systems inquiry with soft systems methodologies. Evolutionary systems, similar to dynamic systems are understood as open, complex systems, but with the capacity to evolve over time. Bánáthy uniquely integrated the interdisciplinary perspectives of systems research (including chaos, complexity, cybernetics), cultural anthropology, evolutionary theory, and others.

 The systems approach

The systems thinking approach incorporates several tenets:[3]

Interdependence of objects and their attributes - independent elements can never constitute a system

Holism - emergent properties not possible to detect by analysis should be possible to define by a holistic approach

Goal seeking - systemic interaction must result in some goal or final state

Inputs and Outputs - in a closed system inputs are determined once and constant; in an open system additional inputs are admitted from the environment

Transformation of inputs into outputs - this is the process by which the goals are obtained

Entropy - the amount of disorder or randomness present in any system

Regulation - a method of feedback is necessary for the system to operate predictably

Hierarchy - complex wholes are made up of smaller subsystems

Differentiation - specialized units perform specialized functions

Equifinality - alternative ways of attaining the same objectives (convergence)

Multifinality - attaining alternative objectives from the same inputs (divergence)

Some examples:

Rather than trying to improve the braking system on a car by looking in great detail at the material composition of the brake pads (reductionist), the boundary of the braking system may be extended to include the interactions between the:

brake disks or drums

brake pedal sensors

hydraulics

driver reaction time

tires

road conditions

weather conditions

time of day

Using the tenet of "Multifinality", a supermarket could be considered to be:

a "profit making system" from the perspective of management and owners

a "distribution system" from the perspective of the suppliers

an "employment system" from the perspective of employees

a "materials supply system" from the perspective of customers

an "entertainment system" from the perspective of loiterers

a "social system" from the perspective of local residents

a "dating system" from the perspective of single customers

As a result of such thinking, new insights may be gained into how the supermarket works, why it has problems, how it can be improved or how changes made to one component of the system may impact the other components.

Applications

Science systems thinking is increasingly being used to tackle a wide variety of subjects in fields such as computing, engineering, epidemiology, information science, health, manufacture, management, and the environment.

Some examples:

Organizational architecture

Job design

Team Population and Work Unit Design

Linear and Complex Process Design

Supply Chain Design

Business continuity planning with FMEA protocol

Critical Infrastructure Protection via FBI Infragard

Delphi method — developed by RAND for USAF

Futures studies — Thought leadership mentoring

The public sector including examples at The Systems Thinking Review [1]

Leadership development

Oceanography — forecasting complex systems behavior

Permaculture

Quality function deployment (QFD)

Quality management — Hoshin planning methods

Quality storyboard — StoryTech framework (LeapfrogU-EE)

Software quality

Program management

Project management

MECE - McKinsey Way

[edit] See also

Boundary critique

Crossdisciplinarity

Holistic management

Information Flow Diagram

Interdisciplinary

Multidisciplinary

Negative feedback

Soft systems methodology

Synergetics (Fuller)

System dynamics

Systems science portal

Thinking portal

Systematics - study of multi-term systems

Systemics

Systems engineering

Systems intelligence

Systems philosophy

Systems theory

Systems science

Transdisciplinary

Terms used in systems theory





[edit] Bibliography

Russell L. Ackoff (1999) Ackoff's Best: His Classic Writings on Management. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-31634-2

Russell L. Ackoff (2010) Systems Thinking for Curious Managers. (Triarchy Press). ISBN 978-0-9562631-5-5

Béla H. Bánáthy (1996) Designing Social Systems in a Changing World (Contemporary Systems Thinking). (Springer) ISBN 0-306-45251-0

Béla H. Bánáthy (2000) Guided Evolution of Society: A Systems View (Contemporary Systems Thinking). (Springer) ISBN 0-306-46382-2

Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1976 - revised) General System theory: Foundations, Development, Applications. (George Braziller) ISBN 0-807-60453-4

Fritjof Capra (1997) The Web of Life (HarperCollins) ISBN 0-00-654751-6

Peter Checkland (1981) Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-27911-0

Peter Checkland, Jim Scholes (1990) Soft Systems Methodology in Action. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-92768-6

Peter Checkland, Jim Sue Holwell (1998) Information, Systems and Information Systems. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-95820-4

Peter Checkland, John Poulter (2006) Learning for Action. (Wiley) ISBN 0-470-02554-9

C. West Churchman (1984 - revised) The Systems Approach. (Delacorte Press) ISBN 0-440-38407-9.

John Gall (2003) The Systems Bible: The Beginner's Guide to Systems Large and Small. (General Systemantics Pr/Liberty) ISBN 0-961-82517-0

Jamshid Gharajedaghi (2005) Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity - A Platform for Designing Business Architecture. (Butterworth-Heinemann) ISBN 0-750-67973-5

Charles François (ed) (1997), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, München: K. G. Saur.

Charles L. Hutchins (1996) Systemic Thinking: Solving Complex Problems CO:PDS ISBN 1-888017-51-1

Bradford Keeney (2002 - revised) Aesthetics of Change. (Guilford Press) ISBN 1-572-30830-3

Donella Meadows (2008) Thinking in Systems - A primer (Earthscan) ISBN 978-1-84407-726-7

John Seddon (2008) Systems Thinking in the Public Sector. (Triarchy Press). ISBN 978-0-9550081-8-4

Peter M. Senge (1990) The Fifth Discipline - The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization. (Currency Doubleday) ISBN 0-385-26095-4

Lars Skyttner (2006) General Systems Theory: Problems, Perspective, Practice (World Scientific Publishing Company) ISBN 9-812-56467-5

Frederic Vester (2007) The Art of interconnected Thinking. Ideas and Tools for tackling with Complexity (MCB) ISBN 3-939-31405-6

Gerald M. Weinberg (2001 - revised) An Introduction to General Systems Thinking. (Dorset House) ISBN 0-932-63349-8

Brian Wilson (1990) Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications, 2nd ed. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-92716-3

Brian Wilson (2001) Soft Systems Methodology: Conceptual Model Building and its Contribution. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-89489-3

[edit] References

^ http://www.watersfoundation.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=materials.main

^ Capra, F. (1996) The web of life: a new scientific understanding of living systems (1st Anchor Books ed). New York: Anchor Books. p. 30

^ Skyttner, Lars (2006). General Systems Theory: Problems, Perspective, Practice. World Scientific Publishing Company. ISBN 9-812-56467-5.

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[edit] External links

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International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) on Wikipedia,

International Society for the System Sciences home page

UK Systems Society

The Systems Thinker newsletter glossary

Dancing With Systems from Project Worldview

Systems-thinking.de: systems thinking links displayed as a network

Systems Thinking

[hide]v • d • eSystems and systems science



Systems categories Systems theory · Systems science · Systems scientists (Conceptual · Physical · Social)



Systems Biological · Complex · Complex adaptive · Conceptual · Database management · Dynamical · Economical ·



Ecosystem · Formal · Global Positioning System · Human anatomy · Information systems · Legal systems of the world · Systems of measurement · Metric system · Multi-agent system · Nervous system · Nonlinearity · Operating system · Physical system · Political system · Sensory system · Social structure · Solar System · Systems art



Theoretical fields Chaos theory · Complex systems · Control theory · Cybernetics · Living systems · Sociotechnical systems theory · Systems biology · System dynamics · Systems ecology · Systems engineering · Systems psychology · Systems science · Systems theory



Systems scientists Russell L. Ackoff · William Ross Ashby · Béla H. Bánáthy · Gregory Bateson · Richard E. Bellman · Stafford Beer · Ludwig von Bertalanffy · Murray Bowen · Kenneth E. Boulding · C. West Churchman · George Dantzig · Heinz von Foerster · Jay Wright Forrester · George Klir · Edward Lorenz · Niklas Luhmann · Humberto Maturana · Margaret Mead · Donella Meadows · Mihajlo D. Mesarovic · James Grier Miller · Howard T. Odum · Talcott Parsons · Ilya Prigogine · Anatol Rapoport · Claude Shannon · Francisco Varela · Kevin Warwick · Norbert Wiener
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Categories: Risk
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