What is a System?
There are many definitions for the word ‘system’. When people make references to systems, they are often describing how many parts interact in a certain way, it leads to a certain outcome. We can define a system to be a collection of components, with varying degrees of interaction, that when brought together behave with some regularity.
System Boundaries
When focussing on a specific system, it is important firstly to distinguish its boundaries. For example, a pushbike is a system - it has a set of components which interact. Thinking about only the bike might enable us to think about some design decisions to improve the way certain parts of a bike function. For example, changing gear ratios, the number of gears, the size of the wheels but to name a few. However, when adding the rider into the mix this changes what we might consider. Where will the cyclist be riding, in the city or off road? Are they young or old? This would change the discussion of how we might change some of the components on the bike itself, maybe the frame should be lighter for performance, or more robust to shocks. We could go one step further, and think about how groups of cyclists behave, and again consider some design decisions. Is the group racing or commuting? Are they in a bike-friendly environment or not? Do they have to interact with other transport vehicles, and how do they do so? In this case, we might consider to put indicators and mirrors on the bike, or make it more aerodynamic.
Therefore, when considering any system and thinking about making things better, it is important to ensure that you capture the most reasonable level of complexity - and this is where thinking in systems becomes more of an art than a science. It is a “Goldilocks zone” that is different for almost every system you will consider. Many assume that one should consider the widest possible situation, but in most cases you arrive at a solution that most are unhappy with. Similarly, placing your boundaries too ‘tight’ can lead to a solution where one person is ecstatic, and everyone else is very upset, or that you focus too much on the wrong things, and then nobody is happy.
Emergence
When you have a complex adaptive system, its emergent properties are patterns or behaviours that arise as a result of small interactions between its subcomponents that cannot be captured by any individual component of the system.
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