Systems Concept

What is a system?
A system is a collection of entities (Elements or Components) which are organized in such a way that they interact with each other to achieve a common objective or objectives

What is a system?
Environment
Interface Output 1

Interface Input 2 Component 1 Component 2

Input 1 Interface

Component 3

Storage 1

System

Boundary

Features of a System
Three important features of a system are

Transformation process Boundaries and Environment

The Transformation Process

All systems are made up of three basic elements Inputs Process Outputs

System Boundaries

The extent of a system is defined by its boundaries In mechanical, physical and biological systems the boundaries are readily identifiable. In social organization, the boundaries are not very clear and often change to meet different demands.

System Boundaries

Within an organization, boundaries are determined by management It varies from organization to organization Boundary alterations are an inevitable consequence of organizations adapting to change which is essential for survival

System Environment

All those elements that are not part of the system Defined as those elements whose changes affect the state of the system and those external elements which are changed by the systems behavior That is, the relevant environment of any system comprises of those elements with which system has some relationship The environment is diverse and rarely static

System Interface

For elements to interact to accomplish some of the objectives, they need to interact Interactions happens through interfaces. If the output of one sub system is not compatible to be fed as the input of the next sub system, the interface does the function of translation. For example, Modem

Closed Vs Open Systems

The ideas of boundaries and environments lead to the distinction between closed and open systems A closed system is the one that is isolated from its environment. They are self contained so that the environment does not influence the behavior of the system. Need not have to interact with environment for its survival

Closed Vs Open Systems

No known system is completely a closed system All known systems have to interact with its environment for inputs survival An open system interacts with its environment frequently for its survival. It receives inputs and influence from the environment.

Closed Vs Open Systems

In turn, open systems pass back outputs and influence to the environment All social organizations are open systems The way organizations adapt to changes in the environment is the key element in an organizations success and for its very survival In summary, closed systems are designed for efficiency and open systems are for survival

Systems and Adaptability

To be successful and to remain in existence, organizations must be flexible and adapt to change. Change in its relationship with environment as well as change in their internal methods and structure Systems theory recognizes that open systems can achieve their objectives in variety of ways by using varying inputs, processes and methods This is known as equifinality

Sub systems and Supra system

Any system can be divided into sub systems A sub system can be further divided into sub-sub systems The system itself is part of a higher system The highest system is known as supra system.

Shared/Overlapping Sub systems

Sub-systems that can belong to more than one system The overlap is often an efficient and economical arrangement. However, such overlaps are likely to increase communication difficulties Suffer from longer response time.

Handling System Complexity Decomposition

Large systems are quite complex They can be viewed as an assembly of sub systems Dividing large system into smaller subsystem of manageable size is called as Decomposition. Number of interconnections increases with the increase in the sub systems The process of simplification provides a way to handle these interconnections

Interconnections

The number of interconnections rises rapidly as the number of sub-systems rise. In general, the number of interconnections is given by the following formula N = n * (n-1) / 2 Were n = number of sub systems

Simplification

The method of simplification is as follows Identify the subsystems which have to be together for functional cohesion Form a cluster of these sub systems and identify interconnections in this cluster Form clusters of the remaining sub systems Connect the clusters with an interface.

Materials Management System

The above system can be sub divided into the following subsystems for the purpose of handling complexity
a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

Procurement System Purchase order follow up system Receipts accounting system Material requirement planning system Material issue requisition system Bill passing system Inventory control system

Decoupling

Is an activity to loosen the connections between two subsystems It allows sub-systems more independence in planning and control Stocks of goods decouple from one stage of production from the next Slack capacity in a dept. enables it to respond to an urgent request SOPs allows departments to function independently without over dependence

System Control

Control is an activity which measures deviations from planned performance Provides information on corrective actions to be taken if required No system can continue to perform without proper control Basic elements of system control are a Standard, a Sensor, a Comparator and an Actuator.

Elements of System Control

A standard specifying the expected performance A sensor that measures actual performance. A comparator compares actual performance with the expected standard. Feedback of deviations given to a control unit. An actuator triggers necessary actions to alter performance in accordance with the plan

Type of control systems

Two types Closed loop control systems Open loop control systems

System Stress and Change

A stress is a force transmitted by a systems supra system that causes a system to change. When a supra system exert stress on a system, the system will change to accommodate the stress or it will become pathological it will decay and die. Two basic forms of stress

A change in the goal set of the system A change in the achievement levels desired for the existing goals

Summary

All systems contain the essential elements of entities, relationships and objectives Basic elements of a system are inputs, processes and outputs System is separated from its environment through defining the boundaries. The environment of a system includes those elements with which it has some connection or relationship Closed systems have rigid boundaries and do not have any interactions with their environment

Summary

Open systems have a dynamic relationship with their environment which is vital for its survival Systems are made up of sub systems and belong to higher order systems The number of interconnections between sub systems increases rapidly as the number of sub system increase Decoupling allows more flexibility and independence but incurs more cost

Summary

Control is a monitoring process undertaken to ensure that operations proceed according to plan and that the plans are accomplished In organizations control is carried out using information Basic elements of control are a standard, measurement, comparison, feedback and actions if necessary Two types of control systems; open loop and closed loop