presentation from may 9, 2008 dinner meeting

8/9/2019 Presentation from May 9, 2008 Dinner Meeting

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On the Various

Conceptualizations of Systems

and Their Impact on the Practice of

Systems Engineering

2008 INCOSE Symposium

James N MartinTimothy L J Ferris

2008 The Aerospace Corporation & Timothy L J Ferris


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Systems Thinking

A system is a way of looking at the world.

a system, any system, is the point of

view of one or several observers.

Gerald M. Weinberg (1975),

An Introduction to General Systems Thinking


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Thing

System as a Point of View

Point of View

Image

Observer


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Two Observers Two Systems

Thing

Observers

Point of View

Image


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Some Recent History

The Solar System (2005)

The Sun plus 9 Planets

The Solar System (2006) The Sun plus 8 Planets


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Our Choice

The things we put into our System Are things of our own Choosing

Are there for the purpose of Understanding

Are not pre-determined by some magical

Rules of Inclusion

We must choose Carefully

A wrong choice could lead to incorrect

Understanding We often dont know a prioriwhat is the best

Rule of Inclusion to use

May need to experiment with different possible

System boundaries & configurations


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A Common (Mis)Perception

System = Sum of Parts

That We Design & Build


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System Parts


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Parts Also Known As

Subsystems

Elements

Products

Devices

Subassemblies

Components

Items

Units


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What are the Parts of this System ?

Camera Lens Assembly

Flash Device

Electronic Circuit

User Interface Unit

Carrying Case

Shipping Container

Instructions

Technique for Holding

Extra batteries

Photo Printer

Patents


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We need to Imagine more than just

the things we build


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What Types of Parts Constitute a

System?

Hardware and Software ??

Hardware and Software and People ??


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Types of System Parts

PATENT

BASIC

PART TYPES

HARDWARE SOFTWARE PERSONNEL FACILITIES

DATA MATERIALS SERVICES TECHNIQUES


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More Than Just Parts


+ Interactions


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How many ways to Interact ?


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Which is the best way to Interact ?

??


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Beyond Interactions


+ Interactions

+ Context


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Context 1

PART

PARTPART

PART

Context 2

PART

PARTPART

PART


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Beyond Context


+ Interactions + Context

+ Actions


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Camera Actions


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Action Diagrams


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Context A

Action in Different Contexts

Action

1

Action

2

Context B

Action

1

Action

3


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Beyond Actions



+ Actions + Relationships


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Relationship Types

Interpersonal

Family, Friends, Social, Organizational,

Mathematical Equality, Order, Topological, Functionality,

Cause-Effect

Event-Driven, Probabilistic,

Physical Properties

Forces, Fields, Chemical effects,


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Entity-Relationship Pairs

Entity A

Entity B

Related to

Rain

WetGround

Causes


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Relationship Examples

Balls

Box

Inside

Road

Building

Brings traffic to

and from


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Observing System Relationships

Observing

System

Data Handling

Systemprovidesdata to

Userprovidesinfo to


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Observing

System

Data Handling

Systemprovidesdata to

Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Stakeholder

Requirement


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Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Environmental

Phenomenon

providesdata to

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives

Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives

Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Location

located

at

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives

provides data directly to

Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

situated on

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

located

at

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

Support

supportedby

Owner

ownedby

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

located

at

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

Support

supportedby

Owner

ownedby

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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+ Actions + Relationships

+ Destiny

And Finally


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DestinyImpact

Purpose


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PICARD Theory of Systems

Parts

Interactions

ContextActions

Relationships

Destiny

HolisticImage of

System =

From the Point of View of an ObserverFrom the Point of View of an Observer


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Thing

Systems are Imaginary

Point of View

Observer

Image


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System Seen by Operator

LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

Support

supportedby

Owner

ownedby

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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System Seen by User

LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

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supportedby

Owner

ownedby

Stakeholder

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< drives< drives


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System Seen by Developer

LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

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supportedby

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ownedby

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< drives< drives

IF

IF IFIF

IF

IF

IF

IF


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System Seen by GEOSS

LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

Support

supportedby

Owner

ownedby

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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System Seen by NOAA Director

LargerSystem

Observing

System

Data Handling

System

Human

Environmental

Phenomenon

Environmental

Parameter

Sensing

Element

Sensor

Platform /

Station

part of

measures

is a

contains

characterizes

providesdata to

Observation

Control System

is controlled by

Location

MobileFixed

is

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Space

Air

Ground

Ocean

Basic Service

Requirement

< drives


Userprovidesinfo to

is typeof

Stake-

holder

has

Operatoroperated by

situated on

Support

supportedby

Owner

ownedby

Stakeholder

Requirement

< drives< drives


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Systems Thinking

A system is a way of looking at the world.

a system, any system, is the point of

view of one or several observers.

Gerald M. Weinberg (1975),

An Introduction to General Systems Thinking


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Postscript

All models are wrong, some are useful

George Box

All systems are imaginary, some are useful

James Martin

Models can be used to

facilitate the imagination

presentation from may 9, 2008 dinner meeting

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