REPLY Models, Problems and Systems (SD7044)

[SDMAIL Ralf Lippold]

Posted by  Ralf Lippold <ralf_lippold at web.de>

Kim,

you have made an interesting point that struck my thinking.
> Posted by  "Kim Warren" <Kim at strategydynamics.com>
>
> Thanks Jack - I guess I'm questioning the assumption that we always build models
> *because* there is 'a problem' - surely people commonly want models [of whatever
> kind] to help understand and better-manage something,

The very nature of thinking about "why things are like they are" is 
already a modelling process (first in our heads, John Sterman would call 
that "the mental model"). The next step -trying to get this into formal 
modelling and simulation.

Perhaps we all should rethink what makes a problem a problem?

Shigeo Shingo's new book "Kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking" gives 
interesting answers on that. Even though not directly connected with 
system dynamics it gives similar thoughts as Jay has given in the 
initial system dynamics work.

Following the most interesting discussion I would like to add a few 
thoughts that go through my mind while reading the posts for the last 
days/ weeks:

1. As a systemdynamicist drawn to the field by observing complex 
problems in an auto company that was facing problems coming back 
persistantly over time I wondered what are the hidden root causes of 
that specific system behavior. This is -on the other hand- strongly 
connected to lean thinking, one of the pillars of Toyota's success over 
the last decades (especially recently to be observed).  Perhaps Toyota 
is one of "the SD companies" in the world - who knows?

The stating what a problem really is, attracts engineers much more than 
other people as they think very analytical and data driven. Clearly if 
there is a stopping or slowness in the supply chain, the reason must be 
that the throughput time is not fast enough. Easy to see, or?

Improving the throughput time makes to first problem go away BUT 
strangely there occurs a new one -outside the engineers' vision- in the 
outbound logistics point where way too many products come in now (as 
everything is going very smoothly upstream). Problem No. 2! So these 
guys are trying to handle their problem and manage -in the end- to 
deliver the products faster to the customer (if there is still exceeding 
demand on the product). And -as you might suspect- there will occur 
problem No. 3 as the service department will get lots of requests as 
there are much more products out in the market now and the chance that 
customer come back with certain questions, request will have increased.

What do I want to make clear? There are still other underlying drivers 
that lead to the effect that the people hit by the three different 
problems will almost never talk together as they all perceive different 
parts of the problem through there specific "process glasses" -shaped by 
their "departmental culture". The question is, "Can't they change the 
glasses, so they could see a broader view of the problem case and solve 
the problem in a sustainable way?".

Doing a survey/ practitioners discussion myself on that kind of question 
in the lean thinking area 
(https://www.xing.com/app/forum?op=showarticles;id=9074565;offset=40) I 
have learned that people often don't challenge their own assumptions on 
what the problem is. So there must be another problem behind that 
thinking -and that is ever so difficult to break open!

2. As we all here in the SD mailinglist are either very experienced 
systemdynamicists (as we all have noticed also the "big shots" are 
taking place in the discussion - thanks a lot for all your 
committment:-)) or practioners coming from company background there 
tends to be a focus on "our" problem which we perceive as that.

Shouldn't we rather challenge the assumption and ask what the connection 
to the experience of non-systemdynamicists is? For them our discussion 
often sounds superficial and so they draw themselves back into what they 
are familiar with (even though this won't lead them to any sustainable 
change in their behavior, processes or policies:-().

So what could be done?

My proposal would be to spread the "word of mouth" into other virtual 
"societies" in order to grasp real life experience beside the academic 
and consultant point of view (which of course is necessary and helpful 
to bring the field forward).

One way of initiating discussion in such a way is implying topics from a 
system dynamics /systems thinking point of view in networks (such as the 
mentioned above) to attract people from diverse academic and working 
background and I am more than sure there will be "new" questions and 
approaches on how to connect system dynamics to daily work around the 
globe -not necessarily simulation and perfect modelling but to get a 
sound understanding what the system dynamics "stuff" is really about.

That is just my five bucks (two cents wouldn't do it this time;-)) on 
the topic.

Cheers

Ralf

PS.: Still on the learning journey -always will be:-))

PPS.: As John Morecroft has pointed out in his comment dated (At 6:41 
Uhr -0400 13.05.2008): creativity and time are essential to good 
modelling -it depends additionally on the background:-). - Thanks a lot 
John for your excellent post and the story around Jay's lecture which 
definitely makes a great point!

Best regards

Ralf
Posted by  Ralf Lippold <ralf_lippold at web.de>
posting date  Wed, 14 May 2008 18:44:39 +0200