Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)
Discuss about the Business information systems analysis Clinical Healthcare Inc.
SSM endeavors to foster on the learning and the appreciation to the problem situation between a group of the stakeholders instead of the set out in dealing with a pre-defined problem (Cassidy, 2016). The intricacy too many business or social issue circumstances defeats attempts to define an issue. This methodology offers a framework to tackle such situations (Cassidy, 2016). This methodology is concerned with developing an understanding to the issue and how to address the identified needs and how to express that particular solution to the domain specialist that could be reasoned about (Dennis,Wixom and Tegarden, 2015).
There are two modes to the SSM modes which are the real world activities as well as system thinking in regards to the real world (Eason, 2014). Most of the work usually entails interviews and the meetings aimed to gain the insight to the issue situation, and this is usually represented in the rich pictures (Eason, 2014). On the other hand system thinking would utilize the concepts such as the emergent properties, communication, and hierarchy along with the control in order to identify on the relevant systems that could offer useful information (Eason, 2014). SSM is the systematic methodology which focuses on the whole rather than the parts (Laudon, 2016).
It was based on the Mumford’s Socio-Technical experiences which she designed thought to be the ETHICS- Useful Specialized and Human Implementation of Computer dependent system) (Ghobakhloo, Tang, Sabouri and Zulkifli, 2014). ETHICS it will be a participational also regard as the socio-Technical method which focused on the individuals and the procedures. It was described by Mumford as being one approach which recognizes the encounter of the technological know-how and individual and generates work systems which are both technically efficient and they posses’ social characteristics that may result in an excellent job satisfaction (Greenes, 2014). This method was depending on the observation of the malfunction to numerous elements which implemented more traditional routes to think about technical and economic component (Grigsby, 2016). Based on the Mumford summary is the fact that the progression of the data systems is not purely a technical issue, but instead organizational problems which is essentially related to the process change (Grigsby, 2016). The use of the participation allows the users to have some degree of the contribution to the system development on the existence cycle and participation take the method of the single representatives (Grigsby, 2016). The customers are called upon the major decisions which they have got taken, this limits on the users involvement of the participation within the system development.
ETHICS-Mumford Sociotechnical Systems Theory
Agile system development methodology is the regular method that is accompanied by a company to be able to carry out all the steps that are important to analyze, design, implement and sustain data systems (Laudon, 2016). The thought behind the agile system development methodology is centered on self organization and the cross functional development teams in order to have a close collaboration with clients (Laudon, 2016). It is therefore, crucial to have a close and a continuous communication between the client and the developers. This kind of the communication is important to ensure that the developers are able to meet on the requirements of the clients and their satisfaction of the products that is being developed (Grigsby, 2016). Additionally, it is important to realize that the agile methodology emphasizes on having adjustment to planning, incremental development as well as delivery, which is a time boxed and interactive technique which is promoted by the rapid and flexible response to the changes to the development environment (Van Der Aalst, La Rosa and Santoro, 2016).
Brief summary of hard and soft system thinking
Hard system thinking
Hard system thinking allows people to check out the elements of the system in significantly larger depth. This is meticulously link to the organizational objectives and goals (Dwivedi et .al 2015). It generally assumes that each system might be disaggregated into various subsystems. They considers on the systems which have clear purpose as well as well defined goals and usefulness to designing the solutions which could attain those goals (Galliers and Leidner, 2014). This represent on the model to that has an accurate objective that may be expressed in the quantitative terms hence allowing the progression of the mathematical model (Grigsby, 2016). This method thinking methodology generally assumes numerous stages and these types of stages could possibly include awareness and commitment, constraints, evaluation, objectives, goals evaluating alternatives, and implementation.
This is a strategy to analyse complicated problem situations and recognize on the acceptable improvements that can be made to those kinds of problems (Isard et .al 2017). The purpose of this system thinking would be to achieve improvement to the system, which is achieved through the multistage process of the information gathering, description, analysis together with debate (Laudon, 2016). On the preliminary stage to SSM involve mindful observation to the issue situation with the elaborate information, and recording all that has been perceived (Laudon, 2016). This involves gathering of the qualitative data for example behaviour and opinions in relation to the problems, including reactions to the disturbance in matters and quantitative data (Luftman, Lyytinen and ben Zvi , 2017 ) . There are then comparisons that are made from the models with the observation to the real-world scenario just like the case of the Clinic Healthcare Inc.
Agile systems development
When it comes to the hard system view a problem is doubtful or a difficult matter which entails a solution, and sometimes it may be hard to accomplish or deal with data (Luftman, Lyytinen and ben Zvi, 2017). There are rigid techniques and procedures which offer an unambiguous solution to the well defined data and processing problems that are focused on the implementations of computer data (Luftman, Lyytinen and ben Zvi, 2017). Hard system accepts on the idea of the problem as if they are there, and individuals know what the issue is data (Luftman, Lyytinen and ben Zvi, 2017).
When it comes to the soft systems views on the problem they defined a real world issue as the one which could arise in everyday world of the events and ideas, and it could be perceived differently by different individuals’ data (Luftman, Lyytinen and ben Zvi, 2017). This approach advocate for the human understanding and interests. There is use of the idea of system in order to organize our thoughts in regards to the problematic situations (Yeoh and Popovi?, 2016).
How each methodology relates to hard and soft system problems/issues
SSM methodology strengths and weakness
- It assists in the producing solution which defines problem which enables other techniques to take place
- Could be used to increase an analyst understanding issues during investigation as well as later stages
- Te method could be time consuming and it requires a lot of money and experts
- It relies only on people for SSM to work
The SSM is the systems approach which are used to analyse and problem solving in complex and messy situations just like the hard systems (Orlikowski, Walsham, Jones and DeGross, 2016). SSM utilizes system thinking in the cycle of the action research, learning along with reflection in order to understand the numerous perceptions which exist to the minds of numerous individuals who are involved in the situation (Orlikowski et.al 2016). The application of this approach helps solves the soft system where there are numerous problems which need to be solved along with the goals which could not be measured (Orlikowski et.al 2016).
Strength
- Work is based on the collaboration of the workers, and rather than fulfilling on the segmented assignments
- The workers could find themselves doing work that is meaningful in an interaction with the colleagues (Orlikowski et.al 2016).
- Workers show greater knowledge and deeper understanding to what they are doing
- Productivity and workers satisfaction is enhanced (Ruiz et.al 2014).
- The system might not be good in implementation to organizations whose area of the work is technology
- It is easy to create autonomous group but hard to accomplish.
- On the task differentiation it is hard to balance between too much and too little freedom.
- There is lack of individuality.
ETHICS has been designed to consider the human, social as well as organizational aspect along with the technical elements in the design to the organizational systems (Ruiz et.al 2014). This approach has been able to address the hard and soft system issues in the sense that there is a better understanding of precisely how the human, social and organizational aspects could impacts on the ways which work has been done and the technical systems which are utilized (Ruiz et.al 2014). This design could contribute to the design of the organizational structures, business processes along with the technical systems (Ruiz et.al 2014). The approach is adopted to prepare the implementation of the design system within an organization just as Clinical healthcare Inc. which has been encountering numerous challenges (Ruiz et.al 2014).
- High flexibility to the project
- High client satisfaction over the process of development
- Constant interaction amongst the stakeholders
- There is continuous assurance of the quality and attention to the details
- There are issues with the workflow coordination
- There is difficulty in the planning at the early stages
- There is lack of the long term planning
Critique of business system analysis and design methodologies
On using this approach it helps to explore on the best new ground and to empower on the teams which innovations as well as creativity are paramount (Orlikowski et.al 2016). In this approach it ensures that the organizational issues which are messy are addressed since these are the soft system issues. On the hard system issues it would help in finding an ideal solution to different issues. The hard system issues are learned with different engineering techniques and the soft system through learning to make improvement and this approach has incorporated these in solving different issues.
In the case of the Clinical Healthcare Inc. the methodology which could be used to address on their numerous challenges they have encountered is the SSM. This was concerned with the development and understanding to the issue and how to address the needs that are identified along with expressing solution to those issues. In the case study on Clinical Healthcare Inc. the issues affecting them was on the aged infrastructure, they had outdated management that results to delay in administering in treatment to patients. To handle on this problem they would entail usage of the wholesale legacy replacement system replacement where they would adopt a pharmacy management system. This approach usually develops an understanding to the issues and then it expresses on the solutions. This observation came from the observation from the new CIO who discovered on the issues which were affecting them and an appropriate approach has been adopted as highlighted.
In the paper above it has drawn numerous methods and techniques from collection to numerous contemporary ST methodologies such as the SSM, and ETHICS (Stair and Reynolds, 2017). There are lessons which have been learnt from the SSM which has been incorporated in this paper. The SST has been used to support analysis redesign to many of the work practices as well as the business process. In this paper it has incorporated on other methodologies and at the same time enhanced others which were developed due to the past failures. On my thoughts the different methodologies were pragmatically applied with the major focus on the organizational efficiency.
References
Bednar, P.M. and Sadok, M., 2015, June. Socio-Technical Toolbox for Business Systems Analysis and Design. In [email protected] CAiSE (pp. 20-31).
Cassidy, A., 2016. A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. CRC press.
Dennis, A., Wixom, B.H. and Tegarden, D., 2015. Systems analysis and design: An object-oriented approach with UML. John wiley & sons.
Dwivedi, Y.K., Wastell, D., Laumer, S., Henriksen, H.Z., Myers, M.D., Bunker, D., Elbanna, A., Ravishankar, M.N. and Srivastava, S.C., 2015. Research on information systems failures and successes: Status update and future directions. Information Systems Frontiers, 17(1), pp.143-157.
Eason, K.D., 2014. Information technology and organisational change. CRC Press.
Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E. eds., 2014. Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge.
Ghobakhloo, M., Tang, S.H., Sabouri, M.S. and Zulkifli, N., 2014. The impact of information system-enabled supply chain process integration on business performance: a resource-based analysis. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 13(05), pp.1075-1113.
Greenes, R.A. ed., 2014. Clinical decision support: the road to broad adoption. Academic Press.
Grigsby, L.L., 2016. Power system stability and control. CRC press.
Isard, W., Azis, I.J., Drennan, M.P., Miller, R.E., Saltzman, S. and Thorbecke, E., 2017. Methods of interregional and regional analysis. Taylor & Francis.
Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2016. Management information system. Pearson Education India.
Luftman, J., Lyytinen, K. and ben Zvi, T., 2017. Enhancing the measurement of information technology (IT) business alignment and its influence on company performance. Journal of Information Technology, 32(1), pp.26-46.
Orlikowski, W.J., Walsham, G., Jones, M.R. and DeGross, J.I. eds., 2016. Information technology and changes in organizational work. Springer.
Ruiz, M., Costal, D., España, S., Franch, X. and Pastor, Ó., 2014, June. Integrating the goal and business process perspectives in information system analysis. In International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (pp. 332-346). Springer, Cham.
Stair, R. and Reynolds, G., 2017. Fundamentals of information systems. Cengage Learning.
Yeoh, W. and Popovi?, A., 2016. Extending the understanding of critical success factors for implementing business intelligence systems. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 67(1), pp.134-147.
Van Der Aalst, W.M., La Rosa, M. and Santoro, F.M., 2016. Business process management.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
