This document introduces some key concepts of systems thinking, including that a system is more than the sum of its parts, consisting of elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose. It provides examples of systems and describes stocks and flows, feedback loops, delays, and how to analyze a system. Interventions should focus more on changing interconnections, information flows, and incongruent purposes rather than just elements. The purpose is to help the reader apply a systems thinking perspective to analyze and improve their situation.
Introduction to Systems Thinking: System Structures and Behaviour
1. Introduction to Systems Thinking:
System Structures and Behaviour
Sydney Limited WIP Society
Jason Yip
j.c.yip@computer.org
http://jchyip.blogspot.com
@jchyip
2. Select a problem as a working
example. It should be somewhat
complicated, and not too simple.
8. Systems consists of three things
1. Elements
2. Interconnections
3. Function (non-human system) or Purpose
(human system)
9. Examples of systems
● Digestive system
● Sports team
● School
● City
● Factory
● Corporation
● National Economy
● Animal
● Tree
● Forest
● Earth
● Solar system
● Galaxy
● IT system
13. Do politicians cause recessions and
booms? Or is it inherent to market
economies?
14.
15. Do competitors cause companies to
lose market share? Or do their own
policies create losses that
competitors exploit?
16. “Every system is perfectly designed
to achieve the results it gets.”
Dr. Don Berwick
17. Describe your situation as a system
● What are the elements?
● What are the interconnections between the
elements?
● What is the purpose of the system?
Intended vs actual based on behaviour?
41. Reinforcing feedback loops
● Market collapse: uncertainty -> remove
money -> more uncertainty
● Compound interest
● Death march: Too much to do -> work
harder -> more bugs -> work even harder
42. A stock with one reinforcing loop
and one balancing loop
43. If A causes B, is it possible that B
also causes A?
46. Systems consists of three things
1. Elements
2. Interconnections
3. Function (non-human system) or Purpose
(human system)
47. Changing elements usually has the
least effect; changing
interconnections or purpose is
usually more dramatic
48. Examples
● Change all members of a sports team vs
change rules of the game or the definition of
winning
● Change people in the organisation vs
change the way of working or the definition
of organisational success
49. Focus more on interconnections and
interactions than elements
● Interaction flow / sequence over class
structure
● Work flow / value stream over org structure