Applied Systems Analysis

Science and Art of Solving Real-Life Problems

F. P. Tarasenko

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000088977
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Project Management
• Index: Business

Applied Systems Analysis: Science and Art of Solving Real-Life Problems

Subject Guide: Engineering – Industrial and Manufacturing

Any activity is aimed at solving certain problems, which means transferring a system from an existing unsatisfactory problematic state to a desired state. The success or failure of the system depends on how its natural properties were implemented during the planning of improvement and intervention state. This book covers the theory and experience of successfully solving problems in a practical and general way.

This book includes a general survey of modern systems analysis; offers several original results; presents the latest methodological and technological results of the theory of systems; introduces achievements; and discusses the transition from the ideology of the machine age to the ideology of the systems age.

This book will be of interest to both professionals and academicians.

Part I

Systems Thinking: Four Basic Concepts of Applied Systems Analysis

1 The Problem and Methods of Its Solution

Before discussing ways to solve problems, it is necessary to define the very concept of a problem. It is based on the original concept of a problem situation.

A problem situation is a real set of circumstances, a state of things, that someone is unhappy with, dissatisfied with, and would like to change.

This definition is illustrated in Figure 1.1. Now we concretize the concept of the problem.

FIGURE 1.1 Work on performance review — need to add acknowledgments, do global role profiles.

The problem is the subjective negative attitude of the person to reality.

Let us pay attention to three points.

First, our definition fits any problem, regardless of its origin. Thus, we began to fulfill the promise to build a universal method of dealing with problems.

Second, in terms of the problem and the problem situation, two aspects are inextricably linked: objective (the presence of a real situation) and subjective (a negative assessment of reality by the subject). The difference between these concepts lies in what the emphasis is on: the “problem situation” highlights the objective component (reality), and the “problem” highlights the subjective one (dissatisfaction).

Third, there are no problems around us: the problem is a special state of the subject’s psyche.

What does “solve the problem” mean? According to the definition, it is clear that anything should be done for this if only to reduce or completely remove the discontent of the subject. In the future, such a subject will be called a “client”, and the person helping in solving the subject’s problem will be called “systems analyst” or “facilitator”.

1.1 Problem-Solving Options

There are a number of ways to solve problems. Which one or what of them to apply in a particular case is decided by those who are engaged in solving the problem. But now let us discuss the possible options.

They are naturally divided into three groups: (1) to influence the subject to reduce his/her dissatisfaction, without changing the reality; (2) to change the reality so that the dissatisfaction of the subject is weakened; and (3) to arrange a proper combination of both possibilities (see Figure 1.2). Let us consider each of the groups.

FIGURE 1.2 Reason of a problem may lie either in the subject, object, or both.

1.2 Ways to Influence the Subject

There are three possibilities to change the attitude of the subject with respect to reality for the better, without changing the reality itself.

First, what is the subject dissatisfied with? This is it with what he knows about the situation. But he does not know everything! Among the things that he does not know, information of a positive nature could be one. If you inform the subject about this, his dissatisfaction will decrease.

While there are many examples of this, the one case that deserves special attention is when this is carried out in the form of education and training of the subject. In this case, the cause of dissatisfaction is precisely the lack of information, and getting the required information during training leads to a solution to the problem. Interestingly, when familiarizing with several American firms practicing systems analysis, it was found that about 80% of the problems of their clients were solved through training, retraining, and advanced training of the client’s company personnel. This illustrates the fact that if you want to change reality, change yourself first.

It is worth noting another peculiarity of this problem-solving method. Additional information provided to the client must necessarily be positive, but not obligatorily true. There are cases when the problem is resolved with the help of false information. Everyone can remember an episode from his/her life when they were telling a lie. If you admit to yourself why the deception was preferred to truth, it turns out that with the help of lies in those conditions, it was possible to reach the goal much faster and easier than with the help of truth. This is not an excuse, and certainly not propaganda of a lie, but only a statement of the fact that there would be no lie if it were not useful. In all languages, there are concepts analogous to the Russian “lie for salvation”: “white lie” or “holy lie” in social life; disinformation of an enemy in war; fake news in politics; mimicry among animals, insects, and even plants; and so on.

Another option for manipulating information is sorting out the useful truth from the harmful one, or preparing filtered half-truths. For example, one Dutch poultry farm managed to significantly increase the productivity of meat production by setting chickens’ eye lenses with a darkened top. Among chickens there is a hierarchy: the larger the bird’s crest, the higher it is in the hierarchy. During feeding, “seniors” drive away “juniors” from the trough. As lenses do not allow a bird to see who has what crest, disputes ceased, the food being stopped “dosed”, and the growth of all birds increased dramatically (by about 20%) (See Figure 1.3).

FIGURE 1.3 Some problems stem from shortage of information about the situation.

The next possibility to solve the problem without changing the reality is to change the subject’s perception of the reality. Since the evaluation of the relationship of a subject with the environment is a mental phenomenon, there is the possibility of influencing the psyche of the subject in the right direction. Forms of influence can be different: mental (hypnosis, suggestion, propaganda, advertising, etc.), physical (effects of various fields, such as acoustic, electric, or magnetic), and chemical (psychotropic drugs, narcotics, alcohol) (see Figure 1.4).

FIGURE 1.4 Some problems stem from an incorrect estimation of the situation.

Let us emphasize that we do not evaluate what is good and what is bad; we merely state that there are actual opportunities (which must be used cautiously).

The third possibility to solve the problem without changing the problem situation itself is based on the fact that the problem arose as a result of the interaction of the subject with the situation. Therefore, sometimes the problem can be solved by interrupting this interaction (see Figure 1.5).

FIGURE 1.5 Some problems are inherent to the interaction between the subject and the situation.

Here, too, there is a whole range of options: from pleasant ones to the problem carrier (promotion, assignment to study, or vacation), using more or less neutral (transfer to another department, rotation), to painful ones (dismissal, etc.), and even to the extremely cruel, condemned, but, unfortunately, still existing (“There is a person — there is a problem, there is no person — there is no problem”).

1.3 Intervention in Reality

Let us now turn to the second group of possibilities for solving the problem — by intervening in the problem situation itself. Naturally, the intervention should change the situation in such a way that the client’s discontent decreases or disappears altogether. However, at the same time, we have to face a very significant circumstance, which, in fact, gave impetus to the detailed development of the technology of applied systems analysis. The fact is that in a real (problematic for our client) situation, not only our problem-holder is involved but also many other actors who assess this situation from their own positions. For them, it may not be a problem, or their problems may differ from the client’s problem (see Figure 1.6).

FIGURE 1.6 Three options of treating problem according to different ideologies.

Any change in the situation as a result of any intervention will be noticed and evaluated by all its participants, and may not be necessarily approved by all. Those displeased with the intervention will apply their resources to resist it.

A fundamentally important question arises: how should one proceed in connection with this circumstance?

To answer this question, let us turn to the fundamental, cardinal difference between the object and the subject. The subject, being simultaneously a physical object, exists in a real physical environment and, like any other object, is subject to the effects of this environment. Unlike the object, the subject is not only subordinate to natural laws but also endowed with the ability to evaluate its interactions with the environment: he may or may not like something. This is where the individuality of the subject is laid. Subsequently (in the chapter on models), we will discuss the reasons for this, but for now, we emphasize that the assessments are purely individual and subjective and that there can be no objective assessments. As a result, the same reality is evaluated by different subjects differently.

The following advice may be useful in this regard:

Whenever any evaluative word is heard in your presence (good–bad, useful–harmful, right–wrong, etc.), be alert, and ask the question:

“In what sense?”

The essence of the advice is that no evaluations are objective. Evaluations are always subjective, and if you want to understand the true meaning of what has been said, you need to find out what criteria the evaluator applies as different subjects may evaluate the same thing differently.

Let us now return to our question of how to act, solving the client’s problem if there are other participants in the situation with inevitably different interests. Answer: we must act correctly. The word “correct” is an evaluative one; hence, the question arises of what is meant by this.

1.4 Three Types of Ideologies

The correct behavior is considered to be the one that is most consistent with the ideology adopted by the subject. It is the ideology that determines what is bad and what is good, what is right and what is wrong.

It turns out that ideologies may be different. The adherence to one’s “own” ideology is a complex result of personal choice based on the impact of education, culture, and circumstances. Ideologists cite a large number of arguments in favor of their own ideology, discussing its many differences from other teachings. However, you can point out one feature that helps to distinguish between ideologies in our case. This is the definition of what attitude to other subjects is correct.

Although many various gradations between ideologies can be introduced (like between numerous political parties in some countries), the essential differences in attitude to others can be made between the three types of ideologies. Each of these ideologies leads to different approaches to solving the real-life problem.

The first type of ideology is called conditionally “the principle of the priority of the major person”. In our case (Figure 1.6, field 1), this principle leads to an intervention that is pleasing to the client, irrespective of the opinions of other participants. Some of them may like it, and some may not, but it must be implemented by all means. There are real-life examples of implement...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• Introduction: How Appeared the Systems Analysis
• Part I Systems Thinking: Four Basic Concepts of Applied Systems Analysis
• Part II Systems Practice: Technology of Applied Systems Analysis
• Part III Brief Review of Results of Systemology in the 20th Century
• Index