How Systems Thinking This leaflet is intended to provide an introduction to Systems

Z7
Thinking and how it relates to Systems Engineering. It is

contributes to Systems grounded in a review of definitions from divers sources and

related to engineering through the strong systems heritage INCOSEUK
Engineering. at the University of Bristol and recently validated at
Issue 1.0
INCOSE AA 09
March 2010
Systems Thinking is an essential skill for Systems Engineers
which is shared with many disciplines and provides a key Further information about Systems Thinking can be
intellectual underpinning for Systems Engineering. obtained from the following:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/systemscentre
What is Systems Thinking?
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=
Systems Thinking 183660
How does it relate to Systems
Disciplines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Discipline
eg Engineering Engineering?
http://www.incoseonline.org.uk/Program_Files/Publications/
Publication_Search.aspx?CatID=Publications Systems Thinking is a way of thinking used to address
Specialists complex and uncertain real world problems. It
eg Materials / Testing
Acknowledgements recognises that the world is a set of highly
interconnected technical and social entities which are
This Z guide originated from the Systems 2030 Seminar
hierarchically organised producing emergent
held in Bristol in April 2008. It has been prepared by
behaviour.
Benefits of Systems Thinking Members of the Systems Centre at University of Bristol
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/systemscentre
Systems thinking provides a rigorous way of integrating: and drafted by Patrick Godfrey It is founded on three key ideas:
people, purpose, process and performance and
■ relating systems to their environment. The content of this Z Guide was tested at the 2009 Autumn Layers
■ understanding complex problem situations Assembly of the UK Chapter of INCOSE in an interactive Loops
■ maximising the outcomes achieved. session led by John Davis and Theo Tryfonas. It has been
■ avoiding or minimising the impact of unintended peer reviewed by INCOSE UK. ‘New process*’
consequences. In addition invaluable input has been provided by David *See panel 4
■ aligning teams, disciplines, specialisms and interest Blockley, John Davis, Theo Tryfonas, Mike Yearworth,
groups. Hillary Sillitto, and Dave Hawken. Open University Definition
■ managing uncertainty, risk and opportunity.
Systems thinking enables you to grasp and manage
For further information, advice and links to helpful websites situations of complexity and uncertainty in which
Background – Systems thinking: go to: www.incoseonline.org.uk there are no simple answers. It’s a way of learning
Download copies of this leaflet and other Systems your way to effective action by looking at connected
■ is complementary to other ways of thinking e.g.
Engineering resources online at : www.incoseonline.org.uk wholes rather than separate parts. It is sometimes
scientific reductionism which focuses on a component
For more information about the worldwide Systems called practical holism.
itself rather than its relationship with others.
Engineering professional community, go to Open University
■ applies to any discipline or practice e.g.
www.incose.org
> Social Science, Management, Engineering, Biology Business Management Definition
and Pure Science. Series editor: hazel.woodcock@uk.ibm.com
Systems thinking is a framework for seeing

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■ origins are distant > 2500yrs. Lead author: Patrick Godfrey
interrelationships rather than things, for seeing
■ recent cross disciplinary groupings include:
patterns rather then static snapshots. It is a set of
> Learning Systems, General Systems Theory, INCOSEUK @incoseuk
Cybernetics, System Dynamics, Soft Systems general principles spanning fields as diverse as
Methodology, Critical Systems Thinking, Complexity Z7 Issue 1.0 March 2010 physical and social sciences, engineering and
Theory and Systems Engineering. INCOSEUK management.
© 2015 INCOSE UK ltd. Peter Senge , The Fifth Discipline

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A Framework for ‘New process’ Systems Thinkers
Systems Thinking recognise that -
The phrase ‘new process’ is used to identify a holistic
Context
view of process, which describes natural, people and People:
Belief systems physical processes in a consistent way. This helps to
Integrating models ■ through their perceptions, determine purpose, use
Perceptions integrate all types of system. It also helps to align
Viewpoints
stakeholders to purpose and reduce a substantial process to deliver performance and use change in
Boundary (open or closed) source of complexity. patterns to measure progress;
Holon / Hierarchy ■ understand the need to be good team players;
Emergence
Synergy Processes define ‘How change happens’. ■ are our customers, stakeholders, designers,
Parts, wholes and layers
Relationships This definition includes naturally occurring change as developers and users;
Connections and loops Communications ■ have varying levels of rationality, intentionality
Feedback / Foresight well as man made.
Learning loops / Life cycles and even perversity;
Processes
Purpose Answers to the questions ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘why’, ■ have belief systems, perceptions and
How change happens Requirements
‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ enable us to describe a viewpoints developed through culture, training
Progress / Evidence
Opportunity and risk process in terms that are applicable to both people and views of best practice within disciplines;
and physical processes. ‘Why’ identifies the purpose ■ are not separate from the problem, project or
and hence drives the change in ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’ programme with which they are engaged. They
Parts and Wholes in Layers are an integral part of System Thinking models.
and ‘when’ through the transformations identified by
■ A holon, is anything considered, at the same time to be ‘how’.
both a part and a whole. Performance measurement:
■ Components are seen as being organised in hierarchies
The output of a process may be a product but that in ■ evidence should be used and suitably monitored
of Holons, which have emergent properties that derive
itself has a life cycle and is also a process. to ensure that the purpose of the system is
from the co-operation of the parts. An example of a soft
system is you. You are a part of: your family, your being fulfilled;
neighbourhood, your country etc and yet you are also Integrating models ■ will need to be a combination of quantitative and
a whole made up of parts or sub-systems i.e. skeleton,
Systems thinkers use models to make sense of qualitative measures that communicate a
nervous system etc..
complex problems. historical and forward view of performance
■ Inside and outside are defined by boundaries. ■ is often done inappropriately because people
choose to measure what is easy to measure,
Connections and loops
A Systems Thinker’s Goal is rather than what needs to be measured to ensure
■ The behaviour of a system cannot be determined by to fulfil Purpose that purpose is delivered.
consideration of the parts in isolation
■ The relationships between the holons and their ability ■ Purpose is the result, outcome or effect that is
intended from the system. Purpose is the answer to Uncertainty:
to communicate determines the emergent behaviours
and the possibility of unintended consequences. the question: Why are we doing this process? It is the ■ is an inevitable attribute of a complex system.
■ It is generally useful to think in terms of feedback and driver of intended change and defines unintended
■ is managed by first recognising what we do not
feed-forward loops to create learning and foresight and consequences.
know and expecting unintended consequences
so to manage the processes involved. ■ A requirement is an unambiguous statement of the
particularly when new systems are being
■ Systems Dynamics is one way of simulating processes. capability that the system must deliver. A requirement

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is expressed in operational terms (what the system introduced or systems are used in a different
Context will do) rather than solutions (how the system will do context.
it). ■ requires the inclusion of feedback and
■ The context for a system is its environment sometimes
■ Effective requirements can only be produced feed-forward learning loops in the process to
referred to as its meta-system or meta-holon.
once purpose is clear. minimise its impact.
■ An open system is one which continually interacts with
its environment, where as a closed systems is assumed
to be self contained.
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