This is an adjunct to the current wave of interest in using systems thinking as a means to address sustainability issues.

1. A Model-Based Systems Approach To Global Issues
Rob Wagner
KP Services Unlimited
August 1, 2011
Abstract
The world is facing many issues these days. These issues range from climate change to energy
availability to economic sustainability and the global financial crisis. A deep understanding of
the issues is important because it helps us to begin to contemplate and effectively plan the
paths needed and the effects they will have for societies of today and beyond. However, in
most cases, this understanding is limited because the methodologies involved concentrate on
the “parts” rather than on the “whole”, taking a systems approach to the problems. This
systems approach includes identifying the views of interdependencies, learning how to view the
larger system(s) and their interfaces and create futures that are desired, i.e., develop the
requirements set to drive the system. This paper recognizes that challenges exist and
introduces proven methodologies and tools that can provide the ability to objectively view the
system as it is and prompt strategies that will effectively address those issues.
Introduction
There is a growing movement of applying systems thinking to problems. Systems thinking is the
process of encouraging one to see how things influence one another within a whole and the
interaction between parts rather than isolated parts. These interactions can result with positive
and negative ripple effects that can move through the entire system. Many authors and
organizations are promoting the use of systems thinking as a paradigm to identifying and
solving the world’s problems. And participants are becoming enthusiasts of systems thinking
because the old way “ain’t” working. Many sectors present difficult challenges for change, the
participants are fragmented, and the competitiveness –even suspicion- amongst them, is just
part of the way business is typically done.
The concepts that are espoused by systems thinking can be found in tried and true processes
that systems engineers have utilized successfully for many years in the Defense, aerospace and
high technology industries. The concept of a system, be it a Space Station Power System or a
School district are the same: they address higher order needs, they are driven by ever refined
requirements and objectives, they interface with the outside environment, they have certain
functions that implement those requirements, and architecture to implement the functions, an
evaluation of risk and verification and validation that indeed the requirements will be met
satisfactory. In recent years, the use of models for defining these systems is increasing, because
the advantages of such methodologies over conventional means.
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2. Use of Models in Systems Thinking
A Model-based paradigm is an ideal way to represent systems thinking. This methodology can
be characterized as the collection of related processes, methods, and tools used to support the
definition of a system in a “model-based” or “model-driven” context. Model-based processes
have a long history in the software industry with very short release cycles and have been
evolved into a method that can be used for all kinds of technical developments and problem
solving scenarios. There is the recognition that interdependencies are rapidly increasing
systems and are becoming extremely complex. To be able to handle these challenging
situations, the approach of Model-Based processes is utilized. Starting with the problem
definition, the requirements can be traced throughout the whole development process with
the assistance of Systems Engineering tools, making the necessary steps much easier.
Model Process
The following figure is a representation of the methodology that would be used in modeling a
system. The terminology may change slightly depending on the problem being analyzed, but
the basic concept remains the same.
1. Customer and Needs- Who is the Customer and What are Their Needs?
Customer- refers to a current or potential buyer or user of the products or services of an
individual or organization, consumes the product and determines its values.
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3. 2. Vision Statement- outlines what the organization wants to be, or how it wants the
world in which it operates to be. It concentrates on the future. It is a source of
inspiration. It provides clear decision-making criteria.
3. Mission Statement- describes the fundamental purpose of the organization. It defines
the customer and the critical processes. It informs of the desired level of performance.
4. Requirements/Objectives-statements that identify a necessary attribute, capability,
characteristic, or quality of a system in order for it to have value and utility to a user.
Must be able to be measurable and verifiable
5. Environment- Represents the stakeholders (entities with a vested interest in the
system) and customers and their interrelationships with the system. These
interrelationships help define the context of the system.
6. Functional Model- also called an activity model or process model, is a graphical
representation of the functions within a defined scope. The purposes of the functional
model are to describe the functions and processes, assist with discovery of information
needs, help identify opportunities, and establish a basis for determining product and
service costs.
7. Architecture Model- the means of depicting the implementation of the processes and
functions that are provided in the functional model. Usually it represents the hardware,
software and “peopleware” of the System.
8. Risk Management- identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by
coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor and control
the probability and/or impacts of resulting events.
9. Verification- reviewing, inspecting or testing, in order to establish and document that
the system meets all of the driving requirements or top level need.
System Definition and Implementation Definition
Models can be applied to describe the system itself as well as the implementation of the system
development. In Senge’s book, The Necessary Revolution, he describes the collaboration
between Coca Cola and the World Wildlife Fund to examine water management issues
surrounding the production of the Coke product. The process was to identify the Coke “water
footprint”, amount of water necessary to produce a given amount of product and then identify
ways to reduce that footprint. The modeling effort could be used to define the individual
plants, group of plants or even regional areas and how these plants behave as systems
themselves. The modeling effort could have been also used to define the collaborative
processes necessary to understand the problem and implement the program. Each model being
a separate entity in and of itself could be integrated into one database, and how the effects of
the brick and mortar system definition and behavior would affect the water management
program and vice versa. Programmatics as well as systemic behavior can be captured by the
model paradigm.
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4. Modeling Tools
As a result of the proliferation of systems modeling, many tools exist on the market, with a
wide range of capabilities. These tools can use a variety of views to define the system, and
show all the linkages among the elements. Team members can easily determine the status of
the analysis as well as the consistency and completeness of the system definition through
integrated interactive views. These tools provide the project team a clearly defined system
definition language to capture and communicate all aspects of the system definition. Changes
that occur can be analyzed in real time, with “what if” scenarios can be executed to determine
possible outcomes. Inconsistencies among elements can be readily identified. Automatic report
generators produce consistent, up-to-the-minute documents, views, and other work products.
Additionally, simulations can be run from the functional models to examine consistency and
system behavior.
Summary
The implementation of systems thinking to complex problems is rewarding but daunting. The
benefits of using systems thinking are immense. The methodologies and tools as well as
experience base for applying systems thinking to problem solving exist as a result of a rich
history of systems engineering methodology, tools and experience. Utilization of such resources
would immensely help in creating the systems thinking environment. Savings in time, money
and the benefits of detailed, consistent and unified system definitions would accrue by using
Model-Based Systems Thinking.
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