Fellow SD enthusiasts
My personal interest is in the use of SD by Information Systems practitioners
in IS. I am aware of the classic applications of SD in IS (e.g. Wolstenholme,
Abdel-Hamid) but would be very interested to learn of personal experiences of
anyone who has found SD to be a valuable part of the IS toolkit.
I am interested in any use, wherever in the IS development lifecycle,
from soft to hard.
You can contact me on m.g.edwards@ rmcs.cranfield.ac.uk.
Looking froward to hearing from you.
Morfydd Edwards
From: "Edwards, Morfydd" <m.g.edwards@rmcs.cranfield.ac.uk>
Cranfield University
UK
System Dynamics in IS
-
Bruce Campbell
- Junior Member
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 3:39 am
System Dynamics in IS
Morfydd,
I have been using SD in IS. In fact, my MSc(Hons) thesis was on this
topic - the use of SD as business process modelling method but with an
IS viewpoint.
Generally, very few people use SD during IS development. What I have
found is that SD modelling allows stakeholders (including the IS
developers) to understand the interaction between the computer system
being designed and the wider organisation. This is particularly
important when considering the performance of the system. IS developers
spend enormous effort optimising a computer system but with little or
no regard to how organisational factors (eg existing policies and work
practices) limit its performance. In my opinion, much more performance
can be gained by looking at the end-to-end process, not just the
computer system.
I also noticed during my studies that a Level 1 Data Flow Diagram can
easily be transformed into an SD model using the same object names.
This, then, partly overcomes the limitations of both methods. You start
off with two models with the same objects. The DFD can then be
decomposed in its normal fashion to provide the detailed informational
view that is not normally possible within an SD model. Likewise, the SD
model can be expanded to include the organisational factors affecting
the system being designed - something DFDs (and most other IS modelling
methods) totally ignore. This may also provide a link between any
business models, IS design models, and informational models - an area
that is sadly lacking in current business development. Currently,
everything is considered in isolation. Definitely not a systemic view!
However, as I discovered, getting developers and business to adopt SD
and an integrated approach to both business and system development is
not easy. Both politics and the counter-intuitive behaviour of systems
rear their ugly heads!
If you want to further this discussion, or would like references to
relevant publications, please contact me.
Regards,
Bruce Campbell
--
Bruce Campbell
Joint Research Centre for Advanced Systems Engineering
Division of Information and Communication Sciences
Macquarie University 2109
Australia
E-mail: Bruce.Campbell@mq.edu.au
Ph: +61 2 9850 9107
Fax: +61 2 9850 9102
I have been using SD in IS. In fact, my MSc(Hons) thesis was on this
topic - the use of SD as business process modelling method but with an
IS viewpoint.
Generally, very few people use SD during IS development. What I have
found is that SD modelling allows stakeholders (including the IS
developers) to understand the interaction between the computer system
being designed and the wider organisation. This is particularly
important when considering the performance of the system. IS developers
spend enormous effort optimising a computer system but with little or
no regard to how organisational factors (eg existing policies and work
practices) limit its performance. In my opinion, much more performance
can be gained by looking at the end-to-end process, not just the
computer system.
I also noticed during my studies that a Level 1 Data Flow Diagram can
easily be transformed into an SD model using the same object names.
This, then, partly overcomes the limitations of both methods. You start
off with two models with the same objects. The DFD can then be
decomposed in its normal fashion to provide the detailed informational
view that is not normally possible within an SD model. Likewise, the SD
model can be expanded to include the organisational factors affecting
the system being designed - something DFDs (and most other IS modelling
methods) totally ignore. This may also provide a link between any
business models, IS design models, and informational models - an area
that is sadly lacking in current business development. Currently,
everything is considered in isolation. Definitely not a systemic view!
However, as I discovered, getting developers and business to adopt SD
and an integrated approach to both business and system development is
not easy. Both politics and the counter-intuitive behaviour of systems
rear their ugly heads!
If you want to further this discussion, or would like references to
relevant publications, please contact me.
Regards,
Bruce Campbell
--
Bruce Campbell
Joint Research Centre for Advanced Systems Engineering
Division of Information and Communication Sciences
Macquarie University 2109
Australia
E-mail: Bruce.Campbell@mq.edu.au
Ph: +61 2 9850 9107
Fax: +61 2 9850 9102