Soft Systems Methodology 2

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Soft Systems Methodology (2)

• Course Organisers
• Bruce Scharlau (CS3514)
• Judith Masthoff (CS5540)
• Based on slides from Liz Guy

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Reminder of last weekSystems concepts

• Holistic thinking
• Systems are organised hierarchically
• Sub-systems interact to achieve the purpose and
  goals of the system as a whole
• Systems have boundaries exchange information and
  resources with their environment (inputs /
  outputs)
• Systems use information and feedback to monitor
  and control performance

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Reminder of last week Systems thinking in SSM

• Systems should be evaluated by the 3 Es-
• Efficacy - do the activities which transform
  inputs produce the required outputs?
• Efficiency - does the transformation take place
  as economically as possible - i.e. with the
  minimum of resources?
• Effectiveness - is this done in such a way that
  the long-term survival of the system is secured?

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Patchings rich picture of a PUB as a problem
situation
Reminder of last week
Patching, D. (1990). Practical Soft Systems
Analysis
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Reminder of last weekCustomer root definition

• A system owned by the publican, and operated by
  the employees, visiting entertainers and
  customers of the public house, that identifies
  and satisfies the needs of customers for
  affordable drinks and entertainment, in an
  environment that influences customers socialising
  and drinking preferences, constrained by legal
  requirements and local opinion effecting the
  provision of pub facilities.

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Employee root definition

• C - The employees
• A - The customers and employees
• T - Employee needs for income and flexible
  working hours identified and satisfied
• W -The Pub is a source of income and the work
  fits in with my other commitments (family,
  college)
• O - The Brewery
• E - Local competition for staff, employment
  legislation etc.

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Employee root definition

• A system owned by the brewery, and operated by
  the customers and employees of the public house,
  that identifies and satisfies the needs of
  employees for income and flexible hours of work,
  in an environment of competition for staff
  resources, constrained by employment and tax
  legislation

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Stages of SSM
The Problem Situation Unstructured
Action
1
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The Real World
Debate about change
6
The Problem Situation Expressed
2
5
Comparisons
Relevant Systems Root Definitions
Conceptual Models
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3
Systems World ("Below the line")
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4. Conceptual models

• The next step is to model the relevant systems
  described in the root definitions
• Conceptual models show the activities that the
  system in the root definition must perform
• Activities are shown as bubbles with inputs and
  outputs.
• The formal system model is the checklist of
  everything that should be taken into account in
  the conceptual model
• The 3 Es are the benchmark against which the
  model is evaluated

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Conceptual Model template
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Customer root definition

• A system owned by the publican, and operated by
  the employees, visiting entertainers and
  customers of the public house, that identifies
  and satisfies the needs of customers for
  affordable drinks and entertainment, in an
  environment that influences customers socialising
  and drinking preferences, constrained by legal
  requirements and local opinion effecting the
  provision of pub facilities.

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Conceptual Model of the pub from the customers
viewpoint
Patching, D. (1990). Practical Soft Systems
Analysis
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Employee root definition

• A system owned by the brewery, and operated by
  the customers and employees of the public house,
  that identifies and satisfies the needs of
  employees for income and flexible hours of work,
  in an environment of competition for staff
  resources, constrained by employment and tax
  legislation

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Conceptual Model of the pub from the employees
viewpoint
Patching, D. (1990). Practical Soft Systems
Analysis
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Using CMs in the real world

• Stage 5. Compare models and the real world
• Stage 6. Identify feasible and desirable changes
• Stage 7. Take action to improve the problem
  situation
• These stages move from the world of systems
  thinking (stages 3 and 4) into the real world
  problem situation
• Objectives
• define the problem
• discuss and identify possible changes
• decide on a program of action

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5. Comparison of models and the real world

• The CM is a model of a notional system that does
  not exist in the real world WHAT OUGHT TO BE
  in an ideal world rather than HOW THINGS ARE
  ACTUALLY DONE.
• Comparison of the CM and the real world problem
  situation will reveal mismatches or absence of
  activities these are the areas which need to
  be addressed.
• Comparison can be done in several ways ....

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A. General discussion and observation

• The CM is used as the basis for discussions
  between the analyst, the client and the other
  stakeholders.
• Objective is to identify desirable features shown
  in the CM that are not present in the real
  world.
• Issue-based systems might reveal fundamental
  problems that have not been brought into the
  open before and which must be addressed.
• Activities shown on the CM may not take place
  or may take place, but not in a structured way.

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B. Question generation

• The models are used to identify questions about
  the real world activities that need an answer.
  For each activity in the CM questions are asked
  to elicit -
• Does a corresponding activity exist in the real
  world?
• If so, how is the effectiveness of that activity
  monitored?
• How is the activity carried out and by whom?
• How well does the process work at present?
• Any other thoughts or comments?

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Patching suggests a checklist to focus thinking
on each component ..
System/ Exists Measure How Assessment
Comment activity or not of performance done Iden
tify Yes Level of Survey Poor Too
casual customer awareness needs Provide
Yes Customer Darts Poor
Low-level amenities satisfaction matches of
amenities Etc.
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C. Historical reconstruction

• Compare what actually happened in a past
  situation - with a CM of an ideal system designed
  to achieve the same purpose (i.e. with the same
  root definition).
• In order to learn from this experience and to
  do better next time a model would be developed
  to show how the system would perform if it was
  designed as a well-formulated system. This could
  yield insights into what went wrong in order to
  do better in the future.

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D. Model overlay

• A formalised way of comparing the real world
  situation with the CM
• A second model is drawn using the same form as
  the CM, but based on the activities and
  sub-systems that exist in the real situation
• The two models are compared in order to
  identify the mismatches and missing elements
  in the real-world situation

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Extended analysis

• Further breakdown (decomposition) of the CM may
  be required before it can be compared with the
  real world.
• Root definitions are formulated for each
  activity (or sub-system) shown on the top
  level CM and second level CMs are made.
• Each activity is treated as a system in its own
  right, that must be checked against the formal
  systems model
• This is a lengthy process requiring a great
  deal of time and effort ...

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6. Identify feasible and desirable changes

• In stage 5 the analyst identifies problem areas
  that need to be addressed.
• In stage 6 the client and stakeholders seek to
  identify, from this range of options, changes
  that are both desirable and feasible.
• Desirable activities that are modelled in the
  CM but do not occur in the real world.
• Feasible acceptable within the constraints of
  organisational culture and individual attitudes.

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Checkland suggests three orders of change

• Changes to structure. Factors that are not
  dynamic such as organisational structures,
  roles.
• Changes to processes. The activities through
  which the organisation carries out its
  transformations and realises its goals.
• Changes in attitudes and the expectations of
  individuals - Weltanschauung
• SSM has little to say about how Stage 6 can be
  managed ...

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Conceptual Model of an implementation system
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Critiques of SSM

• SSM does not actually tell you HOW to build a
  system
• No guidelines about HOW to do stages 6 and 7
• Open-ended and therefore impossible to manage
  when is an SSM study finished?
• How to judge if it has been successful or not?
• Potentially very time-consuming

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Critiques of SSM

• Assumes that all actors in a problem situation
  are equal and that consensus is possible
• Implies that managers and employees can discuss
  problems and agree on solutions - all
  differences capable of being resolved
• Manipulates actors in changing their
  viewpoints
• Rationalistic and idealistic