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system concept
IND309 - PEMODELAN SISTEM
JURUSAN TEKNIK INDUSTRI
UNIVERSITAS KATOLIK PARAHYANGAN
SEMESTER GANJIL 2013/2014

catharina badra nawangpalupi

References:
Daellenbach, H.G. and McNickle, D.C.,
2005 Management science: Decision making
2005,Management
through systems thinking, Palgrave McMillan,
New York, chapter 3
Flood, R.L. And Jackson, 1991, M.C., Creative
Problem Solving: Total System Intervention,
Intervention John
Wiley & Son, Chichester, chapter 1 & 2
(unless otherwise stated)

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out-there and inside-us view of systems

different people may define the same system
in different ways, deliberately choosing what to
include and what to exclude.
one of the prime sources of confusion to define
a system
t
is
i is
i what
h t could
ld b
be termed
t
d the
th outt
there view of systems in contrast to the insideus view of systems.

out-there and inside-us view of systems

The out-there view of systems is seen as the
physical and abstract things that make up the
whole assembly,
assembly their relationships,
relationships and what
the system does. It is seen as absolute; it
exists or will exist sometimes out there; it is
viewed as independent of the observer.
When a system includes a mental construct
personal to observer it is called the inside
us view of system.

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system boundary and

relevant environment
boundary selection is the most critical aspect
of systems thinking.
thinking
It determines :
the nature of the system transformation process
the form of the outputs
who will benefit from the desirable outputs and
who will suffer undesirable consequences.

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system boundary and

relevant environment
For example: the productivity of a system operation
may be enhanced to the detriment of another
operation viewed as outside the system.
Is this good and intended, or on the contrary bad
and unintended, and why?
Hence, we must question, in a critical sense, our
boundary judgements:
justify the boundary choices in terms of their
consequences

an example of a system
imagine a

sawmill

A sawmill cuts up logs into a variety of products planks,

beams framing materials,
beams,
materials posts
posts, and trim
trim.
An industrial engineer may see a sawmill as a system for
converting raw materials in the form of various types of logs
into a wide range of different finished products, including byproducts, such as off-cuts and sawdust. The aim is to
determine a facility and equipment layout and processing
rules that provide an efficient and safe operating
environment.
The
Th owners off th
the sawmill
ill may see it as a system
t
for
f
producing a financial return on their investment.
A management scientist (MS) may see parts of it as a system
for cutting logs into end products intended to satisfy a given
composition of customer demands at the lowest possible cost.

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industrial engineer
The industrial engineer takes a highly detailed view of:
physical
y
characteristics of each p
piece of
the p
equipment, such as its dimensions, its maintenance
and safety requirements, its potential location, its
processing rates, and
the various ways in which different pieces of
equipment may interact with each other.

industrial engineer
The inputs and outputs of the system are both
physical (logs, products) and abstract (operating
rules, operating statistics, such as output
capacities, bottleneck locations, etc.).

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owner
The owners perspective:
a profit-generating system (more aggregate view).
several interdependent subsystems
subsystems, each with its own
mission.
the outputs of one become the inputs into others.
Their prime concern is the effective coordination of
subsystems interactions and profit and cash flows for the
firm.

owner
Profit & cash flows (abstract) : the firms major
outputs and performance measures, not the
prod cts it produces.
products
prod ces
Inputs are: financial (funds) and abstract (policies
on pricing).

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management scientist
An MS perspective:
the details on the physical product flow but at a lower
level of resolution
best operating rules and processing capacities derived
in the engineering study become abstract inputs into its
system definition.
the financial implications for all activities which are
associated with the multi-stage process of converting
l
logs
i
into
fi
finished
i h d products.
d

management scientist
The input : best operating rules & processing
capacities
The output of the system: the overall cost
implications

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systems as black boxes

nooronlyincompleteknowledgeoftheinner
workingsofasystem,because:
thesystembehaviourisaffectedbyrandom
aspect
therelationshipsbetweencomponentsare
onlypartiallyunderstood.
Systemasablackbox onlyknowingthe
inputsandoutputs

functional relationship
to show a transformation process
If the aim is to predict the output of such a system
in response
p
to various inputs,
p , we mayy not have to
know the details of its inner workings.
All we need to discover is the form of the functional
relationship between inputs and outputs.
a black box and a single functional relationship
INPUT

OUTPUT

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hierarchy of systems

system behaviour (1)

system state
prime interest to the person studying it

The behaviour of a system is completely known if

we know how the state of the system changes over
time.
state variables
state of the system

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system behaviour (2)

variety of system behaviour
The huge variety of system behaviour is another dimension
that adds complexity to decision making.

emergent properties
the joint interaction or behaviour of the components that
form the system

the system exhibits behaviours or properties that

none of its components individually may exhibit

different kinds of system (1)

discrete systems
the state of the system
y
jjumps
p through
g a
sequence of discrete states (not fading)
continuous systems
the system changes continuously
deterministic and stochastic systems
deterministic: the behaviour of a system is predictable
in every detail
stochastic: some behaviour may be affected by
random or stochastic inputs

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different kinds of system (2)

closed and open systems
A closed
l
d system
t
has
h no interactions
i t
ti
with
ith any
environment ( a theoretical concept)

.:: Systems defined for decision-making

purposes are always open systems, because
the decisions or the decision making rules are
inputs into the system ::.

the steady state of a probabilistic system

: a long run behaviour
stochastic systems in the long run tend to
approach a state of equilibrium which is also
called a steady state.
the state of equilibrium is independent of the
state the system starts out from.

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feedback loops
based on casuality as a systems behaviour

A water cistern system

(Images of toilet courtesy of:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior:How_
Things_Work/Flush_Toilet)

(A: cistern level, B: inflow valve, C: inflow control,

D: flushing lever, E: outflow level, F: outflow control)

Negative and positive feedback loops

positive feedback increases the discrepancy
p
p
y between
the future state of the system and some reference
state
while negative feedback decreases it.
e.g.: the feedback loop for cistern A is negative
feedback the desired target level is maximum.
Feedback loops play a central role in the control of
most systems.

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control of systems
Control is achieved by imposing something on
the system in the form of inputs that will affect
some activities in the system and therefore
the behaviour of the system in desired ways.
Control inputs:
a set of decisions, or decision rules, or simply
an initial state for the system.

conditions for control of systems

1. A target, objective, or goal for the system to reach.
For a deterministic system:
y
be a p
particular state of the
system.
For stochastic systems it may be a desirable steady
state.
2. A system capable of reaching the target or goal.
3. Some means of influencing system behaviour.
These are the control inputs: decisions, decision rules,
or initial states.

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three types of control (1)

open loop controls
i
inputs
iimposed
d on the
h system b
based
d only
l on
the prediction of how the system behaviour
responds to them.
- a recipe or a set of rules

three types of control (2)

closed loop or feedback controls
a feedback control mechanism reacts to changes in some
critical
i i l state variables
i bl or outputs.

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three types of control (3)

feed-forward control:
predicts how changes in inputs (uncontrollable or
controllable) are likely to affect system behaviour.
It sends control signals that will maintain system
behaviour as closely as possible on the desired course,
counteracting the effects of input disturbances.
Naturally, feed-forward and feedback controls are often
combined into a single control strategy

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Systemic Metaphors
Systemic metaphors employed as filters for looking
at problem situation.
There are five metaphors to consider, i.e:

Machine metaphor
Organic metaphor
Neurocybernetic metaphor
Cultural metaphor

Political metaphor
These metaphors capture the insight of almost all
management and organisation theory.

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Machine Metaphor
(closed system view)
Typified by theories of bureaucracy (Weber) and
scientific management (Taylor).
A machine is recognized as a technical apparatus
that has several (often standardizes each with a
definite function.
Much emphasis is placed on the efficiency of the
parts.

The machine operates in a routine and repetitive

fashion and performs predetermined sets of
acti ities seeking the rational and efficient means
activities,
of reaching preset goals and objectives.

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recall the delivery firms

pick-up and delivery firms, like courier services,

pick up and drop off goods at a number of places.

places
The locations of these pick-ups and drop-offs may
differ daily or even hourly, with new locations
added to the list of locations to visit. The vehicle
used may have a limited carrying capacity. The
length of time drivers can be on the road in one
shift may be subject to legal restrictions.

When and Why Using Machine View

When the task to be performed is straightforward.
product
For repetitive production of a single product.
When the human parts fit into the design and are
prepared to follow machine-like commands.
In a stable environment.
Examples: the armed forces and large franchises
such as fast food chains.

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Machine view breaks down in practice

It reduces the adaptability of the organization (i.e
machine-like organization in vulnerable in a volatile
en ironment)
environment).
It requires mindless contribution that is difficult to
maintain with mindful parts (i.e it will either
dehumanize or will lead to conflicting aims
between machine and minds).

Organic Metaphor or
(open system view)
Came from human relations theory.
y
Issues of motivation (Maslow), leadership style
(McGregor), participation, democracy, and various
job enrichment strategies emerged out of this view.
The organic metaphor incorporates ideas drawn
from studying phenomena from several level of
resolution from the cell,
resolution,
cell to the single organism,
organism to
ecology, and thoughts about evolution.

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The idea: the organism or organization as an open

system, i.e a system as a complex network of
elements and relationships that interact forming,
elements,
forming
highly organized feedback loops, existing in an
environment from which it draws input and to
which it dispenses output.

again.. the delivery firms

The pick up and delivery firms add some factors
to consider:
Certain of the customers may specify a given time
period or time window during which the visit must
occur.
Traffic density on various city arterial roads may vary.
The consequent change in travel times between
locations during the day.
Different modes of transportation for delivering
different size and shapes of goods.

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When or why using organic view

When there is an open relationship with a changing
environment
When there are needs to be satisfied in order to
promote survival
To promote responsiveness and change
When the environment itself is complex, containing
a variety of competitors and so on.
Examples: most industrial firms in todays turbulent
environment.

Organic view breaks down in practice

It neglects to recognize that the organizations are
socially constructed phenomena which must be
understood from the point of view of the people
within them
It emphasizes harmonious relations between the
parts, when in organizations they are often
conflictual and/or coercive.
It sees change as being generated externally, as
the system adapts to its environment, and does
not provide for proactive development.

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Neurocybernetic Metaphor
(viable system view)
The metaphor emphasizes active learning and
control
t l rather
th than
th th
the passive
i adaptability
d t bilit that
th t
characterizes the open system view.
The view looks to the brain as well tried and tested
control system that depends upon an ability to
communicate and learn.
Standard cybernetic
y
model has a transformation
process, an information system, a control unit and
an activating unit (that brings about changes).

example
intelligent transport system (logistics)
SmartTrans e-solution technology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkejk71wjCM&feature=related

www.smarttrans.com.au

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When or why using neurocybernetic

view
It promotes self-enquiry and self-criticism and
therefore the possibility of dynamic goal seeking
based on learning
When there is a high degree of uncertainty
It encourages creativity
Examples: autonomous work groups, innovative
industrial firms,
firms consultancy firms and R&D work.
work

Neurocybernetic view breaks down in

practice
It tends to forget that the purposes of the parts
may not always be the same as the purposes of
the whole
Adopting recommendations based on this
metaphor would require most organizations to
undergo significant changes that would threaten
those that are favoured by the status quo; so they
will
ill be
b resisted.
i t d
It neglects to recognize that organizations are
socially constructed phenomena.

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Culture Metaphor
A culture refers to various shared
characteristics at all levels of
organizations: societal, corporate, group, etc.
national : language, religion, history, and a
mutual sense of belonging.
firm: reality, a socially constructed reality (of
),
values and beliefs),

recall the mission statement construction

It seems that in todays world no organization is viewed as responsible and
success-oriented without having a formal mission statement. Now most
organizations
g
p
prominentlyy exhibit a mission statement of what theyy are all
about. It is proudly shown as a framed document in the CEOs office & on
the organizations website.
Producing a meaningful mission statement is a rather difficult project. It
has to be relevant for the purpose of the organization, set achievable goals
that can be measured and, most importantly, get the active cooperation of
its members.
The trouble is that even in an a priori like-minded g
group of people there will
be conflicts and differences in preference about the aims they would like
the organization to pursue and their vision for its future, as well as how
they see their own role in that scheme.

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Unless the CEO can simply impose her or his will in a dictatorial
manner, coming to a meeting of minds that satisfies the three
properties of relevant, achievable, and measurable, and secures the
active
ti cooperation
ti off everybody,
b d a mission
i i statement
t t
th
has to
t be
b a
compromise.
It is usually obtained by a lengthy process, starting out with canvassing
the views of some or all members, combining similar ones, eliminating
those that are subordinate to others, restating them such that their
achievement level can be measured in a meaningful way, and finally
reducing the number to an essential few
few. This process will involve many
meetings and negotiation.

When and why using cultural

view
When it shows that rational aspects of
organizational life are only rational in terms of the
installed culture and that there are other values
with which any official culture can be contrasted.
It highlights the fact that the cohesion generated
by shared social and organizational practices can
both inhibit and encourage organizational
development and this has to be recognized and
managed

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It offers a new perspective on organizational

change (i.e instead of focusing exclusively on
technolog and structure,
technology
str ct re a ccultural
lt ral perspective
perspecti e
would also emphasize changing the perceptions
and values of employees).
Examples: high technology Japanese firm,
competitive individualism in American companies.

Cultural view breaks down in practice

It may lead to explicit ideological control that will
generate feelings of manipulation, resentment, and
mistrust.
mistrust
Culture is something that takes time to evolve and
cannot be swept into established groups overnight.
When political in-fighting characterizes
organizational life.
It does not tell managers
g
how to structure complex
organization.

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Political Metaphor
The metaphor applied to problem situations looks
at relationships between individuals and groups as
competiti e and in
competitive
involving
ol ing the pursuit
p rs it of power
po er
There are three contrasting view on the character
of any political situation, i.e: unitary, pluralist, and
coercive.
The metaphor focuses on issues of interests,
conflict
fli t and
d power.

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When or why using political view

It highlights all organizational activity as interest
based and emphasizes the key role of power in
determining political outcomes,
o tcomes thus
th s it places
power at the centre of all organizational analysis.
It encourages recognition of the organizational
actor as political for both motivational and
structural reasons.

Political view breaks down in practice

When explicit recognition of the politics of the
situation leads to further politicization and
generates mistrust.
mistr st
It may over-emphasize the need to handle political
issues at the expense of other factors which are
essential to organizational health.

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in a group of 3
Consider the operation of a copy center (document center) around the
university. The center rents the kiosk/stall from the owner.
So, the copy center has customers, owner, staff and the owner of the
building.
g

Identify a possible:
relevant world view of the observer
the system transformation process
its mission or objectives
its measures of performance
its inputs,
inputs including control inputs,
inputs its outputs
outputs, and its major components,
components
and the explicit and implicit boundary judgements made,
from the point of view of the above stakeholders

WHAT METAPHOR DO YOU USE IN OBSERVING THIS SYSTEM?

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