Systems Thinking for agile service design Johanna Kollmann | @johannakoll | Agile Cambridge 2016
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Systems Thinking for agile service design
Johanna Kollmann | @johannakoll | Agile Cambridge 2016
“A system is
a set of elements or parts
often classified as its function or purpose.”
that is coherently organized and inter-connected in a pattern or structure
that produces a characteristic set of behaviors,
Donella Meadows
“Systems-based thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another. !
Then drawing on that knowledge to create efficiencies of process, infrastructure and communication.”
Abby Covert
HARD systems
SOFT systems
!
You can’t “fix” problems with systems thinking, instead there are “situations you could improve”.
Peter Checkland
Systems exhibit purposeful behaviour over time.
Systems get ‘soft’, unpredictable once humans are involved.
Agile SERVICE DESIGN 😮
UNDERSTANDING
CHANGING
UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM
MODELING systems
MEASURING systems
MODELING systems
Models are the starting point to look at
the situation, and see what change should
be introduced, and how.
Checkland’s ‘Rich Picture’
1. Construction of the Humber Bridge (adapted from Stewart and Fortune, 1994) © The Open University
2. Distance Learning Situation © Wood-Harper et al, Information Systems Definition: The Multiview Approach, Blackwell Scientific Publications 1985
Checkland’s ‘Rich Picture’
Stakeholders
Worldview
Connections
Conflicts
Journey maps
MEASURING systems
Measuring tools
(combined with qualitative research!)
Service design challenges:
😮 Human actors who are employees?
😮 How do you measure “soft value”?
3 things to pay attention to in a system:
1) Stocks & Flows
2) Feedback loops
3) Delays
1) Stocks & Flows
inflow outflow
information feedback, control
stock
Conversion, churn rates
2) Feedback loops
A feedback loop occurs when a change in something ultimately comes back to cause a further change in the same thing.
Reinforcing Loop (positive loop)
births/year populationPopulation
Growth
Balancing Loop (negative or goal-seeking loop)
heat
Thermostattemperature
target temperature
temperature gap
Viral engines of growth
3) Delays
inventory
days
3) Delays
inventory
days
Reacting faster
3) Delays
inventory
days
Reacting slower
Data informs iterations
Service design challenges:
😮 Getting data can take a long time
Look at systems behaviour over time, rather than
focusing on single events.
!
Spot trends, and ask:
‣What came before?
‣What might happen next?
By the time you see what is going on in a
system, it has already happened - and you
are already a step behind.
CHANGING THE SYSTEM
Use this tool to help you think
more systemically!
THE ICEBERG MODEL
EVENTS
What is happening?
PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR
What trends are there over time?
SYSTEMS STRUCTURE
How are the parts related?
What influences the patterns?
MENTAL MODELS
What values, assumptions, +
beliefs shape the system?
Increasing LeverageDownload at: http://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/
Donella Meadows’ leverage points
10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows.
Donella Meadows’ leverage points
10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows.
For reference: Donella Meadows, http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/
Structure of information flows
‣How does information flow through the system?
‣What information is shown, how, and to whom?
‣Who can manipulate and control information?
Service design challenges:
😮 Enabling timely information flow can be tricky
Donella Meadows’ leverage points
10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows. 4. The rules of the system (incentives, punishment, constraints).
For reference: Donella Meadows, http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/
Rules of the system
‣Constraints, social rules, rules about roles of actors in the system
‣Who can take which actions?
‣How can actors in the system engage?
Donella Meadows’ leverage points
10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows. 4. The rules of the system (incentives, punishment, constraints). 3. The power of self-organization. 2. The goals of the system. 1. The mindset or paradigm out of which the goals, rules, feedback structure arise.
Use this tool to help you think
more systemically!
THE ICEBERG MODEL
EVENTS
What is happening?
PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR
What trends are there over time?
SYSTEMS STRUCTURE
How are the parts related?
What influences the patterns?
MENTAL MODELS
What values, assumptions, +
beliefs shape the system?
Increasing LeverageDownload at: http://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/
UNDERSTANDING
CHANGING
Matthew Milan
“The fundamental shift design will need to navigate over the next decade: Going from designing for people to designing with people at scale.”
Design as Participation |Kevin Slavinhttp://jods.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/design-as-participation
Cynefin Framework|Dave Snowdenhttp://cognitive-edge.com/
Donella Meadows Institutehttp://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/
Ask me anything: @johannakoll
Related Documents
