System Thinking

I have learned projects don’t survive in segregation, neither do the problems or issues of project. Crafting successful solutions and outcomes requires wider framework rather than delivering results or solving current issues. Discussing this in class one way to overcome small short-term focus for a better overall solution is system thinking. It is disciple to see interrelationships instead of things. I have understood that system engineering is discipline to apply system thinking. Almost nothing is there which could be done in system engineering. System engineers look for a few things such as choosing what to do and what not to do, to achieve the best output in those circumstances, depending on the probabilities balancing (Morandi et. al. 2014). From class I learned that behaviour of a system within system thinking emerges from the feedback loops’ structure.

I learnt system thinking is seen as parts’ organised collection which are highly unified for accomplishing the overall objective. There are several inputs in the system that go through specific processes for producing specific results, which together, achieve overall system’s desired goal. Class discussions showed systems have ranges between simple or complex. 

System thinking could be thought as solution or technology for meeting requirements of the stakeholders and for maximising value which would be delivered to the stakeholders. A way of defining system thinking is to integrate performance, process, people and purpose (Iqbal et. al. 2015). Going back to lecture I know system thinking is abot producing and adapting the systems for delivering values, through turning ideas in actionable results by coordinated schedule and plan for work between different areas of the business. 

Complex systems are open systems and interact usually with their own environments. A reasonable categorised project is complex, open and social system which is composed of several subsystems which include management and administrative functions, individuals and sub-groups and operates in larger system which comprises performing organisation (Urze and Abreu 2014).  

My understanding is formed on belief that system’s component parts could be understood better when there are relationships among themselves and with the other systems. It focuses on cyclical interactions instead of linear effects and causes. 

Upon reflection system thinking for problem solving sees every problem as overall system’s part recognising if one part of a system is changed for solving the problem, overall system’s nature would likely be changed. For changing the outcome, the system could be redesigned for desired purpose. System thinking’s usage helps to perceive that what might be isolated issue is actually a part of interconnected network. It helps in identifying negative and positive feedback cycles which might affect the issue.

Studying system thinking I believe it offers magnificent set of techniques and tools of problem solving and optimizing the areas of business which are suffering from complex problems. This has shown me that understanding the cause of issues and mapping consequences of solutions in other parts of the system which might be affected, time is needed (Tani, Papaluca and Sasso 2018). System Thinking provides high performance exchanges feedback continuously between its several parts, ensuring that they are aligned closely and focused to achieve the system’s goal. I have found that if any activities or parts in a system looks to be misaligned or weakened, system thinking would make the required adjustments for achieving its goals. 

References

Iqbal, A.M., Khan, A.S., Bashir, F. and Senin, A.A., 2015. Evaluating national innovation system of malaysia based on university-industry research collaboration: A system thinking approach. Asian Social Science, 11(13), p.45.

Morandi, M.I.W.M., Rodrigues, L.H., Lacerda, D.P. and Pergher, I., 2014. Foreseeing iron ore prices using system thinking and scenario planning. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 27(3), pp.287-306.

Tani, M., Papaluca, O. and Sasso, P., 2018. The system thinking perspective in the open-innovation research: A systematic review. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 4(3), p.38.Urze, P. and Abreu, A., 2014, October. System thinking to understand networked innovation. In Working Conference on Virtual Enterprises(pp. 327-335). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.