Soft System Methodology (SSM) was developed as methodology by Peter Checkland and his colleagues working at Lancaster University and Open University in the 1970s. The idea of the SSM is to understand, identify and solve the real world problems.
This paper will start with the history of SSM and its definition. Then it describes the SSM methodology with a practical case study from the real world. The author will look into the main features and benefits SSM. Afterwards the author will present the relationship between the soft systems thinking, knowledge management, intellectual capital and social capital.
Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is now taught and used around the world. "SSM as an approach to tackling the multi-faceted problems which
…show more content…
to specify goals, operators and evaluation functions etc. The methods which have come, collectively, to be known as PSMs were developed independently from the mid 1960s onwards. What each PSM offers is a way of representing the situation (that is, a model or models) that will enable participants to clarify their dilemma, converge on a potentially actionable mutual problem or issue within it, and agree commitments that will at least partially resolve it. There are many types of PSMs and the more standard forms of the principal methods may be briefly summarized as follows:
-Strategic options development and analysis (SODA): This is a general problem identification method that uses cognitive mapping as a modelling device for eliciting and recording individuals' views of a problem situation.
-Soft systems methodology (SSM): This is a general method fro system redesign. Participants build ideal-type conceptual models (CMs), one for each relevant world view.
-Strategic choice approach (SCA): This is a planning approach centred on managing uncertainty in strategic situations.
-Robustness analysis: This is an approach that focuses on maintaining useful flexibility under uncertainty.
-Drama theory: This draws on the two approaches, metagames and hypergames. It is an interactive method of analysing co-operation and conflict among multiple actors.
Sometimes not just one approach is used but several. When developing an IT strategy for a
SIS was developed by Mayon-White in the 1980s. Its purpose is to provide a cyclic structure for analysing business systems, but, unlike soft systems methodology, it is relatively quantitative (rather than qualitative).
Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
An approach is an announcement of purpose, and is executed as a procedure or convention. Arrangements are by and large embraced by the Board of or senior legislation body inside an association while systems or conventions would be created and received by senior official officers. Strategies can support in both subjective and destination choice making. Strategies to support in subjective choice making would generally aid senior administration with choices that must consider the relative benefits of various components before settling on choices and accordingly are regularly tricky to dispassionately test e.g. work-life offset arrangement. Interestingly approaches to aid in destination choice making are normally operational in nature and can be equitably tried e.g. secret key
Discuss the system development methodology used? If information systems are acquired from off-the-shelf products, what is the process of procurement that is used in the organisation?
Peter Checkland and Brian Wilson are both systems thinkers who contributed to the development of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Although both systems thinkers began developing concepts of SSM around the same time, Checkland is considered the pioneer of SSM. Checkland’s SSM was designed for solving general social problems, while Wilson adopted the methodology for business management by developing enterprise model building. The underlying principle for Checkland’s SSM and Wilson’s SSM is that it allows users to structure their thoughts and align them to the real world and thus, help in situations where there are different assumptions, multiple stakeholder, and multiple goals (Ragsdell, West & Wilby 2012). A comparative analysis of Checkland’s SSM and Wilson’s SSM divulges emphasis of specific modeling devices for instance Checkland focuses on three concepts namely rich pictures, root definitions and conceptual model, while Wilson focuses consensus primary task model (CPTM) and maltrese cross analysis, which are suitable for information systems required in new enterprises. Still, Wilson’s SSM borrows heavily from Checkland’s SSM especially on ideas of conceptual model and root definitions. Since, Wilson’s SSM was developed much later after apparent problem with Checkland’s SSM, it is considered the most pertinent in today’s systems applications. The objective of this paper is to compare and contrast both Checkland an Wilson’s models of SSM.
Strategic planning involves a variety of considerations and possible solutions, which need to be examined. Making strategic decisions becomes easier if the alternatives are classified into various categories. In the paper written by Nataraajan, Boulton and Balakrishnan (2000), they develop and provide a systematic approach for strategic decision makers in an organization, which they call the Alternative Classification Scheme. The process includes grouping alternatives into a spectrum of completely constrained alternatives to completely unconstrained alternatives, which are ranked. Step 1 is to specify the issue(s) of interest. Step 2 is to identify salient constraints (a maximum of 7). Increasing the number of constraints reduces the number of alternatives. Step 3 is to prioritize constraints. Finally, Step 4 is to classify alternatives by constraints. When these alternatives are laid out next to each other, it is to see the
System analysis is a problem solving approach that decomposes a system into its component pieces for the purpose of studying how well those component pieces function to accomplish their purpose. System analysis can be broken down to five approaches which include Model-Driven Analysis, Accelerated System Analysis Approach, Requirement Discovery Approach Methods, Business Process Redesign and Fast System Analysis. In this report, approaches and techniques that are used to make System Analysis possible are discussed.
In order to have the best solutions to implement the changes, Soft System Methodology (SSM) and ‘System Thinking’ can propose ways to resolve the problem in the best manner.
To evaluate the benefits of Soft Systems Thinking (SST) in promoting an organisational intellectual capital it is necessary to understand the concept of Soft Systems Methodology and how this methodology can be used to foster teamwork, communities of
This is my reflective consolidation paper which is an end of course assignment and writing this essay about the experience I had while studying the course System analysis and design. When I went to my advisor for advising courses then she told me about System analysis and design and explained me clearly about this course then this course made me realise that I have a lot to learn and found it as very interesting and challenging.
System development can generally be thought of having two major components: systems analysis and systems design. In System Analysis more emphasis is given to understanding the details of an existing system or a proposed one and then deciding whether the proposed system is desirable or not and whether the existing system needs improvements. Thus, system analysis is the process of investigating a system, identifying problems, and using the information to recommend improvements to the system. System design is the process of planning a new business system or one to replace or complement an existing system.
Systems are created to solve problems. One can think of the systems approach as an organized way of dealing with a problem. In this dynamic world, the subject System Analysis and Design, mainly deals with the software development activities.
Strategic decision-making determines the objectives, resources and policies of the organisation. A major problem at this level of decision making is predicting the future of the organisation and its environment and matching the characteristics of the organisation to the environment. This process generally involves a small group of high level managers who deal with complex, non-routine problems. It addresses structural decision making. It involves defining the organization's mission and the decision making to translate this mission into the design, dimensioning and development of the health care delivery process. Inherently, strategic planning has a long planning horizon and is based on highly aggregated information and forecasts. Examples of strategic planning are determining the facility's location, dimensioning resource capacities such as an acquisition of an MRI scanner or staffing and deciding on the service and case
The system development life cycle is a well balanced, synchronized, and systematic approach in developing a research study. The researcher used the following phase namely: ________, ________, ________, _________,