Half Day Tutorial - May 14th



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09 - A Structured Soft System Approach To Enterprise Development

Presenter

John Boarder, Cartref Consulting Systems

Introduction

The Symposium’s subtitle is:

“Systems Engineering for the Third Millennium - Developing the Art and Science to face new challenges”

Accordingly, it would seem Systems Engineering should be dualistic rather than holistic in its approach. Our tutorial Soft Systems Structures presents such an approach to enterprise development and systems engineering. The approach begins with the interests or concerns of stakeholders for their common enterprise, translates the stakeholders views into an expression of the state of the enterprise, facilitates stakeholder requirements for change and its support and culminates in a semiformal, management oriented, change programme. The affects of the change lead to new interests or concerns among stakeholders so that the approach is one of continuous improvement in the change management cycle.

The tutorial develops the approach using examples and a brief discussion of its formality. A context is set using General Systems Theory [Skyttner, 1996], Soft Systems Methodology [Checkland, 1981], Hierarchical Issue Method [Hitchins, 1992] and System Archetypes [Senge, 1995].  From this soft system context, the tutorial addresses Soft System Structures by answering and illustrating the following questions:

Aims and Objectives

Aims

The tutorial has two overriding aims for enterprise development and systems engineering:

  1. To describe Soft System Structures

  2. To describe our approach to the use of Soft Systems Structures

Objectives

At the end of the tutorial, with respect to our Soft System Structured approach to enterprise development and systems engineering, the participants will be able to provide first answers to the questions:

They will also have applied these questions to a small project of their own choosing.

Target Audience

The tutorial is of interest to engineers and managers looking for common, integrated, soft, approaches to stakeholder involvement in developing enterprise / system state, requirements capture and definition, resource organisation and planning, and change management. Participants should prepare for the tutorial by identifying a small enterprise or project with which they are currently familiar. This project should be of a non-personal nature and amenable to open discussion. Preparation should be attempt to answer the above questions in their project context.

What will be learnt

At an introductory level, with respect to our Soft Systems Structured approach, participants will be able to:

Duration

The tutorial will take 3 hours, including a break for refreshments. It will be structured in 6, half hour sessions, but, by the nature of the subject, the exact duration of each session will be handled flexibly, softly even!

Schedule

  1. Introduction to Soft Structures and Approaches

  2. The Model Enterprise

  3. The Language of Structured Influences

  4. Enterprise State, Requirements and Support

  5. The Model Method Statement

  6. Wash Up

Biographies

John Boarder is an independent consultant for enterprise development and systems engineering. A Chartered Engineer of the BCS and member of the IEE, John is the sole owner of Cartref Consulting Systems and has contributed, under that affiliation to many systems engineering events. The prime function of Cartref Consulting Systems is a research based consultancy which means that we are concerned with exposing and resolving the underlying interests or concerns in enterprise development both practical and theoretical, but essentially practical. Outputs of the consultancy have been applied across a broad spectrum of applications. In this context, John has lectured and supervised research in Computer Science, Systems Engineering and Operations Management and lectured to certificate, diploma, degree and post graduate management students on Soft System Structures. A co-author to the IEE Draft Guide to the Practice of Systems Engineering, John is a past chairman of IEE Professional Group M5 (Systems Engineering) and a past member of the IEE Management Divisional Board.

References

The following references and bibliography provide specific and general background reading to the tutorial. More essential reading is shown in Bold

       Ackoff, R.L., “Practising a Profession”; Systemist, Vol. 22, No.1, June 2000

      Boarder, J.C., “System Engineering and the Environment”; in Proceedings of First International Conference on Environmental Engineering Education and Training; EEET’96; p131,140. Computational Mechanics Publications, Southampton April. 1996

      Boarder, J.C., “System(s) Engineering: Organisation versus Practice”; in F.A.Stowell, D.W.Lot and J.Howell (eds) "Systems Science: Addressing Global Issues"; Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of UK Systems Society; July 1995; Plenum, New York

      Boarder, J.C., “The System Engineering Process”; IEEE Annual International Engineering Management Conference; “Global Engineering Management: Emerging Trends in the Asia Pacific”; IEEE Catalog No.95CH35737; pp293-298; Singapore, June 1995

      Boardman, J.T., “Systems Engineering: An Introduction”; Prentice-Hall; 1990

      Buckminster-Fuller, R., “Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking: Synergetics”, Macmillan, New York 1975

      Checkland, P., “Systems Thinking, Systems Practice”;  John Wiley, 1981

      Dealtry, T.R., “Dynamic SWOT Analysis: Developers Guide”; ISBN 0 9523007 0 2; Dynamic SWOT Associates; 1992

      Deitel, H.M., “Operating Systems”; 2nd Ed. Addison Wesley; 1990

      Deming, W.Edwards,“ Out of the Crisis”, MIT CAES, 1982

      Hill, T., Westbrook, R.; “SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall”; Long Range Planning, Vol.30, No. 1, pp 46-52; 1997

      Hitchins, D.K., Boarder, J.C.,  P.D.R.Moore, P.D.R., “IEE Draft Guide to the Practice of System Engineering”: IEE Consultative Document; Aug.1992; Ref: SP024

      Hitchins, D.K., “Putting Systems to Work”, John Wiley & Sons Chichester, 1992

      Jenkins, G.M., “The Systems Approach”; Journal of Systems Engineering, 1, (1), pp 1-21 1969

      Johnston, M. “Enterprising Processes - The Future Strategy of Engineering Departments across Scottish Airports”; MBA Thesis, University of Surrey; June 2000

      Michellone,G., Zollo, G.; “Competencies Management in Knowledge-Based Firms”; Int. J. Manufacturing Technology and Management, Vol. 1, No.1, 2000; pp20-41

      Peynaud, E., “The Taste of Wine: the art and science of wine appreciation”, John Wiley

      Senge, P., Ross, R., Smith, B., Roberts, C., Kleiner, A.,“The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook”; Nicholas Brearley Publishing Limited; 1995

      Senge, P., “The Fifth Discipline”, Century Business, 1990

      Skyttner, L., “General Systems Theory: An Introduction”; Macmillan Press; 1996

      Slack, N., Chambers, S., Harland, C., Harrison, A., Johnston, R.; “Operations Management”, ISBN 0 273 62688 4; 2nd Ed. Pitman Publishing; 1998

      Woodcock, J., Loomes, M., “Software Engineering Mathematics”; Pitman, 1988

Previous Experience

The tutorial, in its current form, developed from a Work Based Learning Programme to Certificate, Diploma and Masters level Business Studies students for the University of Surrey. The principles were successfully applied by students to work based projects in Airport Engineering and Property Business Development. Earlier forms of the material have been used in developing strategies for a wide range of subject areas including Professional Groups, Consultancy Practice, Child Care Services, Business Continuity Planning, Y2K Issues, Power Station Training.

Materials to be Provided

                The presenter will provide copies of slides, a list of definitions and short form notes in support of the presentation and discussion

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Last Updated: 31 March, 2001