Every system open, closed....has 3 parts
You can't really do much with an input other than understand it.
+ Character- What is the behavior of the input? Composition, history etc
+ Attributes- How will you quickly identify this behavior?
The operand/operation is where the magic happens. This is change work. This is the value add step. In a manufacturing plant this is where raw materials are transformed. This is also where the emphasis of the system lies. Here are some factors to consider:-
+ Who is responsible?
+ What is the operation being done?
+ What is the time frame?
+ What are the indicators to know the process is complete?
The final part of the system is the output.
The purpose of the output is to give you feedback on the operation and the input. Here we're mostly analyzing the response, the quality, the fruits of step 2. In a plant this would be the quality assurance step. In business processes this is where we analyze sales. This is where the feedback loop starts not ends.
Why do we need systems?
It's really simple. Consistency. When operations are done on an ad hoc basis it becomes reactionary. Meaning the event has control more than the operator. The event dictates how you will react. Now if there is a system in place, independent of the signal or event the system normalizes the inputs and produces an expected predictable outcome.
Of course with systems you're also hedging against surprises, you get to learn more about the signal (inputs) and depending on the purpose of the system, you learn mostly about yourself. Behavior, reactance, tolerance, resilience etc.
The 3 Step System for systems design
Planning and Design: This involves understanding the requirements of the system, identifying the constraints and limitations, and designing a system architecture that is scalable, efficient, and reliable. During this stage, the system's goals and objectives should be defined, and a detailed plan should be created to guide the development process.
Implementation and Testing: This involves translating the system design into a functional software application, integrating various components, and testing the system thoroughly to ensure it meets the requirements and specifications. During this stage, developers should follow best practices for coding, such as modular programming, code reuse, and error handling, to ensure the system is maintainable and efficient.
Deployment and Maintenance: This involves deploying the system to the production environment and maintaining it over time. This includes monitoring the system's performance, identifying and resolving issues, and updating the system as needed to adapt to changing requirements. Developers should also prioritize security, scalability, and efficiency when deploying and maintaining the system to ensure optimal performance and user satisfaction.
Behind every successful consistent result there is a system. Now sometimes the result may come first and trigger a system to be built around this occurrence. Quite frankly it's much easier to reverse engineer from the result than from the inputs.
Nevertheless, I'll be diving deeper on systems design, robustness testing and anti fragility and how you can build systems for almost everything in life. if this is something that you're interested in, share your name and email below and I'll send you info on time and date of the roundtable workshop.