Ventana software support forum

One can certainly model, simulate and discern the system stability limits as a function of a) buffer size (push systems which operate in a "just in case" mode) and b) latency (time delays in either a push or pull mode of prompting system activity). Perhaps this should be seen as suppressio...

Good point.
And even if some of the soft variables cannot be calibrated to "actuals"
the variables can still be quite educational as "what if" levers.

From: "Jack Ring" <jring@amug.org>

I suggest asking one of the founders of the Venture Capital "industry" such as John Doerr. In my experience, having deflected several startups from becoming hubs and brokers, the issue is not spreadsheets vs. SD but is vision vs. hallucination. That is, most all had spreadsheets but the sp...

Good review, Kim. A major part of the dot bomb was a simple fact that not everything that can be programmed needs to be. Many companies were started without a Customer-Value Proposition, only an Investor-Value Proposition. Sure, both entrepreneurs and investors had visions. It is just that they coul...

Thanks, George, summarizing the SD view of modeling human behavior. I do not question any of it. It is an excellent comparison point against which hopefully I can be more clear about my point. Perhaps you could tell me how SD could be used to examine and refine the policies surrounding the well know...

I am not aware of any (but that is a <1% coverage likelihood).
The "implicit" part is the problem because the causal factors at the
people relationship level are not subject to validation nor calibration.

Jack Ring
From: "Jack Ring" <jring@amug.org>

Andy, I think your view of human behavior models differs greatly.from mine Although the Sterman model to which you refer is quite interesting it is largely an economics model and includes no obvious variables for human behavior. In fact, starting on page 702 he clearly indicates that the humans invo...

This may sound too simplistic but I think the solution to the "paradigm problem" is to do what Jay Forrestor often admonishes us. That is, use SD to demonstrate the inevitable outcome of continuing a behavior and then use it to discover better policies that have a chance of being implement...

Hi all, This response is a little late because I have been otherwise occupied and it presents a somewhat broader view than Daniel may have intended but the question is so important that I feel compelled to bother you even though the thread may be dead. The following views are based on a rather uniqu...

One thing a practitioner might get from "IT" is the great importance of Goal setting for humans involved in networks (and arent we all). I think this applies directly to the Tragedy of the Commons which is best resolved by "installing" a cascade from (common) Purpose to (applicab...

Ivan, It is my opinion that if your purposes include discovering, describing or prescribing systems that do, or must, adapt in behavior and/or structure and/or content then System Dynamics, the practice, and perhaps some of the SD-oriented tools even, is complementary to CAS tools such as Swarm . An...

Assuming the objective is to help the people become better farmers (perhaps only incidentally SD users) then I suggest that the following have to be made to come true: Farmers get clear on their purpose in farming and on the concepts pertinent to farming. Farmers get information on the degree to whi...