Previous posts have outlined the view that, when formally modeling organisational systems,the choice of modelling method or methodology brings important benefits, but each also brings its own constraints and limitations.
The JISC Smudie project has been exploring the use of Enterprise Architecture as a modelling tool and has shown that it is excellent as a way of visually representing the management systems and processes in an institution. The representations produced in the evaluation phase of the project showed how it readily identified anomalies and inadequacies in management structures and facilitated conversations about potential improvements.
This was followed by an examination of the affordances of Viable Systems Modelling which showed how it contributed the added dimension of management communications and control capacity as well as emphasising the recursive nature of management systems and sub-systems.
In the third analysis, outlined below, the principles and practices of Soft Systems Modelling were explored as a means of ensuing that the particular characteristics of human activity systems were taken into account when discussing systems improvements.
