See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology SSM 139

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (1/39) – ‘Hard’ Systems Methodology Initial State, S 0 3/6/2021 Systems Engineering Systems Analysis Desired State, S 1 1

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (2/39) – Comparison of ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’ Systems Methodologies* ‘Hard’ Systems Methodology ‘Soft’ Systems Methodology Agree to solve given, well-defined problem, Recognize need for system improvement with some system, for a client in ill-defined situation Analyze decision-makers’ objectives, Express problem examining mutual system location (in system hierarchy), relationships among elements of requirements (cost/schedule/performance) structure and process Identify candidate systems for meeting defined needs Tentatively define systems relevant to improving the situation Design desired system quantitatively Formulate relevant ‘root definitions’ Compare candidate systems by modeling and simulation Build conceptual models of systems having above root definitions Optimize favored design trading-off cost, schedule, and performance Use formal concepts and systems thinking to enhance above models No equivalent stage (know requirements from start, and what changes are needed) Compare results of above models with real situation Same as above Define desirable, feasible changes Implement designed system Implements agreed changes 3/6/2021 After (Checkland 1999, Table 5, p. 190) 2

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (3/39) – Summary of ‘Soft’ Systems Methodology 3/6/2021 3

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (4/39) – Expression Phase • During these stages an attempt is made to build up the richest possible picture – Not of ‘the problem’ – But of the situation in which there is perceived to be a problem. • In initial analysis within the situation – Record elements of § Slow-to-change structure § Continuously-changing process. – Form a view of how the structure and process relate to each other. • People • Studies have shown what’s good is a 3/6/2021 – Are reluctant to pause and reflect over the initial problem expression. – Find it difficult to interpret the ‘problem’ in the loose way described above. – Often show an over-urgent desire for action. – Readiness to collect many perceptions from a wide range of people with roles in the situation. – Determination not to press analysis in systems terms. 4

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (5/39) – Root Definition Phase • • • In this stage relevant systems are named and defined in terms of what they are – not what they do. These ‘root definitions’ encapsulate the systems’ fundamental natures. The object is to get carefully-phrased, explicit statements. This formulation can be modified in later iterations as understanding deepens. Answer the question: What are the names of notional systems which seem relevant (but not necessarily desirable)? – – • The best systems thinkers will be testing possibilities by looking ahead and seeing what Kind of – – 3/6/2021 Be careful and explicit, writing out and discussing openly a precise account of the nature of the system(s). Choices will represent a particular situation outlook. Model will follow from the root definitions. Changes will be likely to emerge. 5

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (6/39) – • Model Building Phase In this stage, conceptual models of the human activity systems named and rootdefined are created. • The model-building language is simply all verbs in the English language! • A structured set of verbs is assembled which describes the minimum necessary activities required in each human activity. • ‘System Concepts’ uses a general human activity model to check that the models built are not deficient. • ‘Creative Thoughts’ consists of modifying or transforming the model, into any other suitable form. • Any root definition is a description of a set of purposeful human activities conceived as a transformation process. • The definition is an account of what the system is. • The conceptual model is an account of the activities which the system must do in order to be the system named in the 3/6/2021 root definition. 6

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (7/39) – Model Building Phase: ‘formal system’ model (1/3) • A ‘formal system’ model is involved in the Systems Concept stage of the previous chart. • This model is a – Formal construct to help build formal conceptual models: they are not accounts of what ought to exist but are related to experience. – Compilation of ‘management’ components which must be present if a set of activities is to comprise a system capable of purposeful activity. • The components of the model are as follows. S is a ‘formal system’ if, and only if, S: (i) Has an ongoing purpose or mission. (ii) Has a measure of performance. (iii) Contains the decision-taking process. (continued on next chart) 3/6/2021 7

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (8/39) – Model Building Phase: ‘formal system’ model (2/3) (iv) Has components which are themselves systems having all the properties of S. (v) Has components which interact and show some connectivity. (vi) Exists in wider systems and/or environments with which it interacts. (vii) Has a boundary, separating it from wider systems/ environments, which is defined by the area within which the decision-taking process cause actions. (viii) Resources which are at the disposal of the decision-taking process. (ix) Guarantee some continuity. • Below sub-systems and sub-systems, etc. , will eventually be found system components. • Similarly, analysis in the other direction will eventually reach environments or wider systems 3/6/2021 – An environment may be influenced but not ‘engineered, ’ whereas – A wider system can be ‘engineered. ’ 8

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (9/39) – Model Building Phase: ‘formal system’ model (3/3) 3/6/2021 9

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (10/39) – Comparison of Models and Problem and Desired/Feasible Changes Agreed Phases • The temptation is always to indulge in prolonged and elaborate model building but it is better to move fairly quickly to the ‘comparison’ stage, even if models subsequently have to be refined. • In the Comparison of Models and Problem stage, models are compared with the problem situation. • This generates debate among those concerned. • Then, in the Desirable/Feasible Changes Agreed stage, possible changes are defined which meet two criteria, they are – Desirable – Feasible given prevailing attitudes and power structures. 3/6/2021 10

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (11/39) – Actions Phase • Initial work on the comparison stage frequently draws attention to inadequacies in the initial analysis or in root definitions. • This leads to discussion of possible changes, e. g. , – Structural changes to organization, reporting, or responsibility. – Procedural changes to reporting and informing. – Attitude changes to influence, expectations, and behavior. • In the Actions stage, changes are implemented. • This defines a new problem. – It too may now be tackled with this methodology. 3/6/2021 11

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (12/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (1/7) • This 20 -week case study is one which illustrates how all the SSM stages helped bring about structural change in a publishing company, a profitable publisher of an interesting magazine enterprise with people. It can be viewed as an So. S. • The effort focused on the corporate planning group, formerly supervisors of a much larger management science team. They reported to the secretary, the managing director, and the heads of the operating divisions of the company. • The planners were engaged in introducing corporate planning into the company, and they concentrated on producing a company plan for the next period, which would eventually lead to corporate planning as a normal activity. • The purpose was to examine some of the ill-defined but nonetheless persistent problems which were felt to “dog” the company. Rather than problem definition, the only input consisted of statements of the kind – ‘We find it very difficult to define, for example, what our mix of printing facilities should consist of over the next five years. – We are not asking you to answer that question, we are asking you if you can do anything to improve a situation in which such questions cannot be readily answered. ’ • We were asked to confine our attention to the publishing and printing of consumer magazines, this being an area of the company's activities which was felt to 3/6/2021 exemplify the problems of this situation. 12

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (13/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (2/7) • A previous management-consultant study had led to a structure of operating divisions as profit centers. – The consultants had said of the division chief executives ‘Thus, they can be held truly accountable for their own profit contribution or cost’, but then said § ‘However, they cannot be entirely free to take action in isolation from the needs of the company or in competition with each other. Before setting out on a major course of action, directors must seek approval and coordination from higher management. – No definitions of ‘major’ or ‘coordination’ was suggested, and a committee to define internal prices among divisions had made little progress in more than a year. • The magazine publishing market was experiencing considerable difficulties. – The industry had equipped itself with expensive but inflexible printing machines, ideal for printing 3 million identical copies of a woman's magazine but not very suitable for coping with the fragmentation of the market. – Women's weekly magazines, in particular, illustrated the difficulties. 3/6/2021 13

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (14/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (3/7) • Publishers and printers lived in very different worlds, though both were involved in the same business operation. – Magazine editors § § Seemed to be ‘media people’, almost ‘showbiz’-like. Clearly felt creative, with an almost mystical rapport with a particular audience, with whose hopes and dreams they could identify. – Printers § § Behaved as guardians of a craft skill. Did not have any particular allegiance to an individual magazine title, but organized their activity as in a job shop. • We decided that a ‘relevant system’ would be a notional unified system which edits, prints, and publishes a single consumer magazine. – This was very different from the present organization. – A root definition of such a system could illuminate company problems. § Editorial and printing sides are necessarily involved together. – The crux of the operation is the § § identification of an audience need in the ‘information, entertainment, and education’ area. Provision of a succession of images relevant to that need. [continued on next chart’s Notes Page] 3/6/2021 14

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (15/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (4/7) 3/6/2021 15

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (16/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (5/7) 3/6/2021 16

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (17/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (6/7) • Modes of operation in the models were compared with actual happenings in the company. – There were half a dozen areas where differences were debated. – The printer’s activity was linked to publishing business. § Printers regarded themselves as technology-based jobbing printers. o They sometimes made across-the-board price changes not necessarily in the corporate interest, even if they were in the interest of the Division as an autonomous profit centre. – R&D activity in the models was linked to the business activity, whereas the company’s research was mainly confined to technological changes within the printing division. • A proposal was put to the managing director and the division chief executives entitled ‘Corporate Influences on the Publisher-Printer Problem – A Proposal’. – This proposal was accepted, and a new unit within the company was formed, headed by one of the directors. – The managing director wrote § 3/6/2021 Primarily the unit is concerned with trying to develop a more effective relationship between our publishers and printers. Systems will be developed so that decisions relating to pricing, placing and scheduling of work, and to the investment, can be taken more effectively by the divisions to the benefit of [the company] than they are now. 17

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (18/39) – Example: Structural Change in Publishing Company (7/7) • • Any account of the SSM usually does not do justice to the rich, floundering confusion which actually characterizes all system studies, even methodologically straightforward ones like this company study. – As the picture of the problem situation is built up, and impressions and judgments change, the direction of what will only later be recognized as progress is difficult to see. – With hindsight, some of the confusions of human activity systems melt away, and no doubt to the observer the course of the thinking, and the final outcome seem ‘obvious’, where it was not, to the participants at the time. If coherent corporate action is to be taken in a human activity system, then that action must seem to be ‘obvious’ to the people in the system, it must fit in with the state of their perceptions of their situation and their valuations of what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘bad’ activity relative to on-going purposes. In this company the idea of the new unit was not a startling new notion. Systems thinking provided an argument for change which, because it was convincingly ‘obvious’, actually helped significant change take place. Break 3: Next we’ll explore another more compelling (? ) SSM example. 3/6/2021 18

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (19/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (1/20) 3/6/2021 19

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (20/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (2/20) Discussion Board 6 - Problem 2: Devise a legal sequence of traffic light settings resulting in the shortest possible cycle time. 3/6/2021 20

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (21/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (3/20) • Optimizing traffic flow in that intersection is quite intriguing, but it is a relatively straightforward system design problem. • Suppose a group is trying to follow SSM. Envision gathering to discuss the problem. – There will be questions to § Clarify the problem statement. § Ensure all necessary data, assumptions, and what-ifs are expressed. – Suppose these concerns have been resolved. Then what? 3/6/2021 21

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (22/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (4/20) • Someone may expand the situation by – Asking how the vehicle traffic loads were determined. – Observing that constant loads § May not be worst-case. § Are so extreme that during light traffic periods red lights last too long. – Thinking additional data should be collected. • Others may not want to even solve this problem but achieve an adaptive solution. This raises the questions of – How frequently traffic light adjustments should be made. – What fractions of total cycle time match “real-time” traffic loads. • What about the complication of accounting for the likes of, e. g. , – Safe left-turns while yielding to oncoming traffic? – Pedestrian crossings controlled by halt and walk lights? 3/6/2021 22

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (23/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (5/20) • What about modernizing the intersection? – Could reconstruction improve the situation? – Is a different configuration of traffic lights needed? • When there are power outages, or if traffic lights need fixing/ replacing, would traffic cops be available to keep traffic moving? • What if there is a need for road repairs/maintenance? – There seem to be no breakdown lanes or sufficient road “shoulders” to accommodate emergency stops/vehicle accidents or repairs, e. g. , collisions or flat tires. • There will be people that violate the “rules of the road. ” – Should speed limits and/or road signs be modified? 3/6/2021 23

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (24/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (6/20) • Are traffic loads at this intersection expected to remain relatively stable, or will they increase over time, or decrease? And over how much time? – Is a traffic study needed? • If traffic loads are expected to increase significantly, what – Can be done about encouraging people to take public transportation instead of their vehicle? – Are the various public transportation modes available and what are their capacities? – Kind of loads can they handle, and at what times of day or night? • What about other intersections in the area? Is the synchronization of traffic lights with other intersections in the proximity satisfactory? 3/6/2021 24

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (25/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (7/20) • Who might pay for all this potential improvement? • Would the revenues come from – Taxes – Tolls – Donations – Contributions § From private enterprises? § Because of foreseen opportunities? § Etc. ? • 3/6/2021 Who are the relevant authorities with possible responsibilities and/or concerns, e. g. , – Police and fire departments – Local hospitals – Garages for motor vehicle maintenance and repair – Federal, state, or local governments? – State highway commission? – City transportation office? – Public or private organizations with possible concerns? 25

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (26/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (8/20) • Would life becomes simpler and of higher quality if we had fewer people? – Maybe there is no overpopulation problem in this area. – But if there is, what might we do to motivate people in the region to have fewer babies? ! • As one observes, this problem situation can become pretty confusing, unwieldy, and maybe “politically incorrect. ” – One of the biggest challenges is to exchange individual perceptions of reality so that the group becomes smarter collectively in dealing with possible improvements. – A critical thought is to try to define the boundary of the situation beyond which the group does not try to influence. 3/6/2021 26

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (27/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (9/20) • An Unstructured Problem and ill-defined situation has been presented which may need to be improved – or not! – The group may decide to do nothing. – But suppose the group decides to move forward. • They then create the Problem Expressed, by examining the – Innate slow-to-change structure of the situation. – Associated continuously-changing processes and their relationship(s). • First the scope of the situation was limited by creating a nominal boundary for the problem/situation. – Intersection modernization, public transportation, and overpopulation were deemed out of scope, as being increasingly difficult. – However, a comprehensive traffic study that would help in improving traffic flow was judged to be worthwhile. • 3/6/2021 This is an enterprise – With the homeostasis goal of traffic safety and flow efficiency. – Many stakeholders are included intentionally. – Whether this can be considered an So. S will be addressed. 27

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (28/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (10/20) • Relevant authorities and organizations constitute principal structural components. • Understanding of the extent to which the intersection – Can handle repairs of stopped vehicles – Support road signage is within purview of structure. • Processes include • The principal process is adaptive regulation of traffic flow, and this would require a system of – Responding to power law outages. – Maintaining the traffic lights. – Supplying traffic cops when needed. – Automatic, real-time vehicle-load data collection. – At the intersection and perhaps beyond. 3/6/2021 28

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (29/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (11/20) • Before proceeding to system definitions six considerations brought to mind by CATWOE* are explained. 1) Root definitions should include (or consciously exclude) the above CATWOE elements. 2) Root definitions may express tasks of organizational entities or current issues. 3) Systems thinking must distinguish between the ‘whats’ and ‘hows. ’ 4) Examination of ‘structure’ and ‘process’ may be enriched by roles, behaviors, and norms. 5) SSM laws a) Any system which serves another cannot be modeled until a definition and model of the system served is available. b) Models of human activity systems should consist of structured sets of verbs. 6) Any SSM example may be modeled as a system containing a) Problem-solving with a would-be problem solver. ________ b) Problem-contents with a problem owner. * CATWOE, Customers, Actors, Transformation, 3/6/2021 Weltanschauung (worldview), Owners, and Environmental constraints 29

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (30/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (12/20) • Understand root definitions used in Systems Definitions. • Root Definition – A concise, tightly constructed description of a human activity system which states what the system is; what it does is then elaborated in a conceptual model which is built on the basis of the definition. Every element in the definition must be reflected in the model derived from it. A well-formulated root definition will make explicit [use of] each of the CATWOE elements. A completely general root definition embodying CATWOE might take the following form: § A (…O…) – owned system which, under the following environmental constraints which it takes as given: (…E…), transforms this input (…) into this output (…) by means of the following major activities among others: (… … …), the transformation being carried out by these actors: (…A…) and directly affecting the following beneficiaries and/or victims (…C…). The world-image which makes this transformation meaningful contains at least the following elements among others: (…W…). (Checkland 1999, p. 317) 3/6/2021 30

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (31/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (13/20) • Issue-Based Root Definition – A root definition that describes a notional system chosen for its relevance to what the investigator and/or people in the Problem Situation perceive as matters of contention. • Primary Task Root Definition – A root definition of a system which carries out some major task manifest in the real world. – Such root definitions give would-be neutral accounts of public or ‘official’ explicit tasks, often ones embodied in an organization or section or department. – For example, as a primary-task root definition and conceptual model, consider a school examination system that would entail such activities as § Providing examination papers § Conducting the examination § Marking the resulting scripts. (Checkland 1999, p. 317) 3/6/2021 31

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (32/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (14/20) • Root definitions of relevant systems (1/2) – Traffic-Study-Based System Control of Intersection Traffic Lights § A city transportation office owned data collection system which takes timedependent vehicle traffic loading at the subject intersection as input to be transformed into improved traffic flow by transportation office staff adjusting the control of the intersection’s traffic lights. This will directly and significantly improve the experience of vehicle drivers using this intersection. – Timing-Study-Based System Measurement at Adjacent Intersections § A city transportation office owned data collection system which measures the arrival time distribution of vehicles leaving the subject (main) intersection and arriving at the two main-road adjacent intersections as input to be transformed into improved traffic flow at those locations by transportation office staff adjusting the controls of those intersections’ traffic lights. This will directly and significantly improve the experience of vehicle drivers departing the main intersection. – Traffic Light Backup System § A city transportation office and police department owned alert system which indicates faulty operation of the traffic lights at the subject intersection, and triggers the provision of traffic cops to maintain a reduced traffic flow at the intersection, and traffic light repair personnel to restore the intersection to normal functioning. This will mitigate the subsequent delays experienced by vehicle drivers using the main intersection. 3/6/2021 32

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (33/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (15/20) • Root definitions of relevant systems (2/2) – Emergency Response System § A police and fire department and hospital owned alert system which provides notification of vehicle collisions at the subject intersection to trigger launching of emergency response vehicles (police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances) to the scene in a timely manner. This will directly and significantly improve the safety of vehicle drivers (and pedestrians) using this intersection. – Rules-of-Road Violations Detection System § A police department owned detection system which records vehicle traffic violations at the subject intersection as input to be transformed into potentially improved road signage, and possible posting of live police officers in coordination with transportation office staff. This will directly and significantly improve the safety of vehicle drivers (and pedestrians) using this intersection. – Vehicle Driver Assistance System § A motor vehicle garage owned alert system which provides notification of vehicle breakdowns at the subject intersection to trigger the dispatch of a repair vehicle to the scene in a routine fashion. This will assist vehicle drivers using this intersection in recovering from their vehicle breaking down. 3/6/2021 33

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (34/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (16/20) • Use lots of verbs when modeling purposeful activity systems (Checkland 1999, p. A 26) 3/6/2021 34

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (35/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (17/20) • Install automatic license-reading vehicle sensors at designated intersections. Design and implement wireless channels within these sensors capable of receiving traffic-light failure signals from the lights at a given intersection. Connect these sensors with two-way wireless communications system, including an intersection identification code, to a data collection facility. Interconnect data collection facility(ies) to a data processing center over two-way communication landlines. Within this center: 1) develop high-capacity data storage and retrieval memory and near-real-time adaptive data processing software; 2) create and/or procure equipment for a supervisory monitoring and management station; 3) integrate this station with the data memory and processing capability; and 4) establish protocols to facilitate: a) control of traffic lights for managing traffic flow at the designated intersections; b) dispatch of traffic cops and traffic-light repair personnel to intersections experiencing traffic light failures; c) dispatch of emergency response vehicles to intersections experiencing vehicular collisions; d) recording traffic violations at designated intersections; and e) dispatch of repair vehicles to designated intersections experiencing vehicular breakdowns. 3/6/2021 Note: The blue above highlights the many verbs or roots of verbs. 35

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (36/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (18/20) • Devise and install traffic-light-failure detection capability within the designated intersections’ traffic lights. Wirelessly send signals representing instances of these fault-detections within each intersection to the vehicle sensors at that intersection. • Design, procure, and install television (TV) cameras capable of viewing the entire intersection of the designated intersections. Design, procure, and install wide-band broadcast communications of the TV signals from each intersection (along with the intersection’s identification code) of the designated intersections to the supervisory station of the data center. 3/6/2021 36

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (37/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (19/20) • Design, procure, and install TV receivers within the supervisory station at the data center that include reception of TV signals from all the TV transmitters at the designated intersections. • Create data base containing traffic violation information, including license plate data, for possible use by the police department in assisting in the prosecution of traffic regulation violators at designated intersections. 3/6/2021 37

See Notes Page Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (38/39) – Example: Vehicle Traffic Flow Efficiency (20/20) • The models proposed seem consistent with improving the problem situation. – A TV camera system is more practical than posting police officers and transportation staff. – Interestingly, this option was not part of the System Definitions stage. • Systems cost is still an issue, and questions to be discussed would include what – Systems and sub-systems would cost – Potential revenues sources might be tapped – Authority(ies) would be responsible for generating funds. • Only then might there be consensus on what changes to approve. • Next the agreed-to changes would be implemented. • If the problem situation was not resolved one might decide to repeat the cycle. 3/6/2021 38

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) (39/39) – Summary • Hard and Soft Systems Methodologies have been compared. • Two examples of SSM were provided. – Publishing enterprise, a So. S – Traffic efficiency enterprise, not a So. S but an enterprise – (See Chart 5). • SSM is arguably more conducive to performing effective So. SE – Especially when people are considered part of the So. S. Break 4: There are still a few more topics left in Session 6. We’ll be restarting with some thoughts about “Agile” Systems Engineering. 3/6/2021 39

Comments on “ 50 Shades of Agile” Presentation (1/3)* • • • Topic: Applying “Agile” from the software engineering field to systems engineering, while showing the many nuances of Agile. Impressions: Good talk filled with informality and some humor; questions and discussion were encouraged. The speaker was quite correct in mentioning Checkland the Soft System Methodology (SSM). But I was disappointed in that the participants did not seem to “get complexity!” Style: Rather than define Agile up front, as asked for, by presumably an MIT Systems Design and Management (SDM) professor, the speaker just covered the paper reporting that the impressions of Agile were researched and sorted according to, essentially, intent, approach, and practice, although he used another chart to explain with different words. Essence of Agile: Frequent (in the order of every couple of weeks) and repeated changes to improve system operation that are often effective if/when the user/customer is closely connected and truly involved in the process. Humorous Note: The Agile review work led to the concept of “Agile in handcuffs. ” And that led someone on the team to propose the paper’s title (after 50 Shades of Grey)! _______ * Talk by Duncan Kemp, Chief Systems Engineer and specialist fellow for Systems Engineering in Defence Equipment and Support in the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), at MIT on 25 January 2017, sponsored by the New England Chapter of INCOSE, based on this “ 50 Shades of Agile" paper presented at the INCOSE Symposium in Edinburgh, Scotland, 18 -21 July 2016. 3/6/2021 40

Comments on “ 50 Shades of Agile” Presentation (2/3) • My Critique: The speaker said – Software (S/W) engineering is much different and easier than hardware (H/W) engineering because H/W engineering (in particular, the implementation or manufacturing process) takes longer. • Au contraire! Good S/W and H/W (and for that matter what used to be called firmware) engineering processes are nearly identical. • It’s just that the focus of the class of entities (S/W code vs. H/W material) involved is somewhat different. – Change in requirements is good because that means one is engaged with the user. • I think it’s better if engagements with the user are focused more on what capabilities they are looking for, not detailed requirements which they generally have no clue about. • My Conclusion: Agile can only work well if the system is relatively simple in the sense that one can determine quickly whether the changes actually improve operation. – But in most complex systems there are inherent time delays that prevent one from determining whether the “interventions” are influencing the system to go in the right direction. – This problem was completely ignored, and neither the speaker nor anyone in the audience pointed this out, i. e. , • It violated Jay Forrester’s System Dynamics model (Forrester circa 1958), for example, and they need to include intersystem delays in the mix. • John Boardman and Brian Sauser (Boardman and Sauser 2008) also point this out in connection with their “Systemigrams. ” 1/27/17 93

Comments on “ 50 Shades of Agile” Presentation (3/3) • Also, I noted – There was no questioning of the speaker as to why he used (as Agile examples) advanced fighter jets and nuclear submarines that need development or upgrading. • Which was mystifying in itself because such systems (being highly complex) are not amenable to quick fixes. – Are we afraid of having to fight conventional wars with other nation states like • Russia and/or China and/or perhaps rogue states like • North Korea in the near future? ! – The speaker mentioned mountain climbing as a metaphor. • In my opinion because one may want to achieve exhilaration through pursuing an opportunity with bravery despite grave risks. But no one asked why anyone would want to climb a mountain in the first place! • Moral: One typically needs to expand the boundary of the situation to ensure that many in not most of the important questions are being considered. – This is a exemplar principle of systems thinking. • My Conclusion: Agile, if it can be applied usefully at all can only work well in rather simple engineering problems utilizing only classical, conventional, or traditional systems engineering techniques. – It will not help much, if at all, in most important real problems. 1/27/17 94

Takeaways • Much of ESE should be included in So. SE, and applied to So. Ss, because people, – Being included in enterprises, – Should also be included in So. Ss. • There is much, considered, and worthwhile ESE [or So. SE] guidance developed over the past decade or so. – Some of this is rather obvious and common sense. – However, reminders are good especially in review when confronting problems and trying to make improvements. • The Soft System Methodology is something to be learned, explored, and improved upon for accelerating progress in ESE and So. SE. Again, let’s now hear some of your comments on this course to date. 3/6/2021 43

Appendix – Strategic Architecture Frameworks • WPI Course SYS 510 may still contain material worthy of review, e. g. , see the following charts. • Some of this SYS 510 material would be useful in establishing actual enterprise and So. S architectures alluded to in this session. 3/6/2021 44

From SYS 510 TOGAF Version 9 – Enterprise Edition 3/6/2021 45

From SYS 510 For More Information. . . • Architecture Portal: – http: //www. opengroup. org/architecture/index. htm • TOGAF Documentation: – http: //www. opengroup. org/public/arch • TOGAF Information: – http: //www. opengroup. org/public/togaf • Standards Information Base (SIB): – http: //www. db. opengroup. org/sib. htm 3/6/2021 46

From SYS 510 3/6/2021 47

From SYS 510 Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Framework (1/2) • Established 1999 by CIO in response to Clinger-Cohen Act to facilitate shared development of common processes and information among Federal Agencies and other government agencies 3/6/2021 48

From SYS 510 Reference Models 3/6/2021 49

From SYS 510 Some Enterprise Architecture Resources • Global Enterprise Architecture Organization – http: //www. geao. org// • Enterprise Architecture Community – http: //www. eacommunity. com// • Institute for Enterprise Architecture Developments – http: //www. enterprise-architecture. info// • Federal Enterprise Architecture Certification Institute – http: //www. feacinstitute. org// • International Enterprise Architecture Center – http: //www. ieac. org • Object Management Group (MDA, CORBA, UML, CWM (Common Warehouse Metamodel) – http: //www. omg. org// • The Open Group Architecture Framework, Version 8 – http: //www. opengroup. org/architecture// • Zachman Institute for Framework Advancement – http: //www. zifa. com// • The Enterprise Architecture Toolbox – http: //www. ovitztaylorgates. com/The. Enterprise. Architecture. Tool. Box. html 3/6/2021 50

From SYS 510 Example: Enterprise Architecture (EA) Repository EA Repository Business Architecture Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Manuals Systems Architecture Business Process Data Base (DB) Technical Standards Profile Program /Earned Value Management (EVM) Tracking Policies Systems Inventories Network Mgmt System Organization/ Staff Module Resource Request Matrix (RRM) DB Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Reporting Others? 3/6/2021 Other EA Repositories Performance Contract Mgmt DB Technical Standards Profile 51

Syllabus (tentative) 3/6/2021 52

Reminders • Case Study Track • Weekly Homework Track – Discussion Board 5 (one post and one response): Choose just one of the following three challenges: – Select, Analyze, and Document Your Enterprise Case Study 1. How might the diagram on Chart 7 (where the Enterprise is shown as just one box) be improved? Revise the diagram and explain your reasoning. 2. Provide missing classification rationale and complete your elucidation for one of the entities not elucidated upon, as in Charts 26 -66, i. e. , one of those marked with a ** on Charts 16 -23 (also see Chart 67). 3. Rework one of those entities elucidated upon, i. e. , those marked with a * on Charts 16 -23, if you disagree with the classification listed and modify the elucidation accordingly (also see Charts 16, 26, and 68). • 3/6/2021 Quiz 5 To what extent does it matter whether one “properly” characterizes an entity to be a system, a(n) (Directed, Acknowledged, Collaborative, or Virtual) So. S, an enterprise, or a complex system? 53

Assignments for Session 7 • Case Study Track – (Re)engineer and Document Your Enterprise Case Study • Discussion Board 6 (one post and one response) – Problem 1 (see Chart 7) – Choose a or b: a. Give example of an So. S that usually is not considered an enterprise because people are not included in that So. S b. Suggest three metrics for measuring progress in an So. S or enterprise. – Problem 2 (see Chart 72) Devise a legal sequence of traffic light settings resulting in the shortest possible cycle time. • Quiz 6 1. What should architectural frameworks represent? 2. What is their fundamental purpose and value? 3/6/2021 54