In systemic thinking, we often debate whether to start with the “big picture” and then decompose the problem situation into sub-problems (the traditional, decompositional approach to requirements analysis), or whether to start with the detailed problems that stakeholders articulate and
Appreciative Design & Soft Systems
Appreciating The Context of Organizational Activity Human-centered design requires that we understand – or rather, appreciate – the need for changes to a “real-world” situation that is viewed as a governed by business logic and goals – rather than the
Soft Systems Analysis – Insights and Supplementary Tools
Insights on Soft Systems Analysis SOFT SYSTEMS are purposeful systems of human activity, that represent how various business processes, groups, or functions work, are organized,and interact. The key idea, as presented by the originator of the approach, Peter Checkland, is
Step 5: Implementing Change
Comparing Conceptual Models To The Real World The last stage of SSM is implementing changes to the current ways of working. Although this overview of SSM covers this fairly superficially, this is probably the most complex and political stage of
Step 2: Structure The Situation Around Relevant Purposeful Systems
Step 2: Structure The Situation Around Relevant Purposeful Systems Clarify multiple perspectives on what the system is to achieve or change, using input-output transformation diagrams To separate out the various subsystems of activity required, we need to define relevant systems,
Step 1: Understand the Problem Situation
Step 1: Understand the Problem Situation Soft systems analysis focuses on how the current system of purposeful human-activity needs to change and why, then breaks this complex analysis down into subsets of change that can be supported by IT systems
Step 3: Define Root Definitions of Relevant Systems
Step 3: Define Root Definitions of Relevant Systems This stage of the analysis clarifies what the system of human-activity exists to achieve by defining Root Definitions. These definitions separate and clarify different purposes of the system (or mess) of human-activity,
Analyzing Problems Systemically
Analyzing Problems Systemically Problem Cause & Effect Analysis Problem diagrams work from cause → effect (i.e. problem 1 causes problem 2).• Effect-problems may be causes of other problems.• By linking problems together, you see which problems are related and where
The Problem of The Problem
The co-design of business & IT systems is like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture. Most people fudge this by kludging viewpoints together under a single goal, with multiple objectives that reflect the main things that stakeholders seem to value. Objectives move in and out of the picture, as the focus shifts. A better approach is to use systemic analysis, which uses a divide-and-conquer strategy. The parts of the jigsaw puzzle are assembled separately, then the analyst can piece together the whole.
Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) – A Summary
SSM As an Iterative Inquiring/Learning Cycle of Change SSM is based upon a simple concept: that we separate and analyze systems of purposeful human activity (what people do), rather than data-processing or IT systems (how IT components should function to