M253 Team Work in Distributed Environments Week (3) By Dr. Dina Tbaishat

Resource sheet (7) The systems approach The purpose of this resource sheet is to introduce you to systems ideas as a useful way of looking at problem situation It also aims to give you an idea about the sort of questions you will need to ask and answer as you go through your case study

Systems (1) What is a system? A system is a bounded entity which, in its environment, achieves a definite objective through the interaction of its components’ parts. A system has a boundary; a conceptual line drawn a round the system to clarify what is inside it and outside it. The functional boundary divide between what the system can and cannot do.

Example of a system map

Systems (2) A system has an environment. The something which is outside the boundary is the environment. A system and its environment interact but a system may be affected by events occurring in its environment, the environment is not affected by events occurring in the system. A system has components (subsystems). To handle the situation, we can group elements that appear related together physically or logically to deal with it as a subsystem

Example of a system

Systems (3) A system has interface. The existence of a boundary and a surrounding environment imply that there must be a set of rules for how a system interacts (communicates) with the environment in which it operates. A system has structure. There is a whole hierarchical structure of subsystems within a given system. The characteristic of a system that can be divided into subsystems. It functions as a whole in order to achieve its objectives.

Systems (4) A system has synergy, holistic behavior: the way in which the combined subsystems behave as a whole. A system has a purpose (objective), the system has a purpose, a reason for its existence, a set of defined objectives. An example of a system: human body!

Soft systems Checkland's defined soft systems in contrast to ‘hard’ systems. Soft systems are traditionally handled by industrial design engineers as those in which ‘objectives are hard to define, decision taking is uncertain, measures of performance are at best qualitative and human behavior is ‘irrational’ Checkland’s view: problem solving is dependent on problem structuring

Principles of SSM Real world situation of concern yields choices of relevant systems of purposeful activity which may be compared to the perceived real situation resulting in action to improve the situation requiring thinking and debate about the social, political, cultural issues.

Seven stages of SSM 1. problem situation 2. expression of the problem situation 3. formulation of the root definitions of the purposeful activity systems 4. conceptual models 5. comparison of models with the real world 6. consideration of desired changes 7. action taken

Checkland's Soft Systems approach : The initial phases of Checkland's methodology investigate the problem situation by using rich pictures, they are employed in order to capture important aspects of the structure, processes and concerns that have been identified in these initial investigations

CATWOE Following the initial phases of investigation, we enter the system world and construct a root definition of the System. Mnemonic CATWOE is used where the letters represent important aspects of the systems that has to be considered: C Client A Actors T Transformation W World view O Owner E Environment

Questions to ask Who is your system for? Who are the actors? What are their roles? How do they perceive the system? What does your system have to do? You need to clarify the purposes, goals and functionalities of the systems. Also, what is the problem that the system is required to solve? Always remember the KISS principle: ‘keep it simple, sunshine’ What is the context of the system? In which environment the system will operate? What are the systems’ boundaries? What other systems needed to interact with?