Soft Systems Methodology in Technology Management Practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-149
Keyword(s):  
Technology Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Soft Systems Methodology ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Soft Systems

Technology management (TM) is a series of management disciplines designed to manage the technological fundamentals of the organizations for creation of competitive benefits. A successful technological development and commercialization can be rarely accomplished through diffused and undirected efforts. In such a complex situation, modeling can play a decisive role in the analysis of complexities and management of the dynamics of technology-based companies. In this context, the chapter describes five processes of TM, namely identification, selection, acquisition, protection, and exploitation. Soft systems methodology (SSM) is one of the soft operations research (OR) tools and techniques that can be implemented in TM phases as a hard OR. Furthermore, two case studies that addressed the use of SSM in policymaking to commercialize the new technologies and technology scenario planning in a research and development (R&D) organization will be also reviewed.

Future study of operations research based on scenario planning and soft systems methodology

foresight ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-249
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Fathi ◽  
Mohammad Hasan Maleki ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Sobhani ◽  
Can Deniz Koksal
Keyword(s):  
Future Study ◽  
Operations Research ◽  
Operation Research ◽  
Soft Systems Methodology ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Soft Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Communities ◽  
Delphi Approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to formulate exploratory scenarios of Operations Research through the critical uncertainty approach and Soft Systems Methodology. Design/methodology/approach In this study, to formulate plausible scenarios, the discipline of operation research internal and external experts’ opinions of this field have been gathered through Delphi approach and uncertainty questionnaires. After use of the most important uncertainties, plausible scenarios of operations research have been mapped with the help of experts through co-thinking workshops. Findings Four scenarios are presented in this study. These scenarios include Solar System, Esfandiar's Eye, Rival’s Setraps and Legendary Simurgh. Naturally, the imagination of such a unitary future for all academic communities is an expectation far from reality, and given the conditions of each of these futures or any integration of them is imaginable. Originality/value Operations Research models have been faced with variously multiple changes since its emergence until now. Investigation into the future of operations research on the necessity for his planning has not received a reasonable notice in the literature. Sporadic activities that have been carried out are also lacking in the necessary methodology. Also, there has been no research about future study using the soft Operation Research tools (Soft Systems Methodology).

Customer product returns – feedback and knowledge management

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alena Klapalová
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Soft Systems Methodology ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Returns Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a multidimensional understanding of the management of feedback from customer product returns and the management practices that lead to the occurrence of product returns in the context of knowledge management. The characteristics of product returns indicate that to manage them requires specific knowledge management, as the nature of their management is rather complex. Design/methodology/approach Understanding of feedback concept for the purpose of product returns avoidance management and its linkages with knowledge management through the theoretical review was performed first. Second, soft systems methodology (SSM) to analyze the very complex situation, as the product returns present, provided the conceptual framework for empirical research. The principles and best practices of SSM were followed and an analysis of documents together with the theoretical knowledge of feedback, product returns and knowledge management served as the basis for the action research. Findings The research highlighted the importance of knowledge management (even in a rather simple form) for the solution of the problematic situation and underlined the necessary interconnections between different areas of business processes management and the need to manage knowledge. It also showed that product returns act as important feedback for the whole organization. Originality/value This paper is the first attempt to apply current knowledge of the feedback construct into the knowledge and product returns management. It is also the first attempt to apply SSM to product returns management.

scholarly journals Matriz de cambio y BSC para la gestión de procesos en la fábrica de confecciones Rogger’s – Huancayo

2019 ◽  
pp. 52-61
Keyword(s):  
Process Management ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Soft Systems Methodology ◽  
Uncertain Information ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Soft Systems ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Internal Barriers

Matriz de cambio y BSC para la gestión de procesos en la fábrica de confecciones Rogger’s – Huancayo Change’s matrix and BSC for process management on textil factory Rogger’s – Huancayo Miguel Fernando Inga Ávila, José Olivera Meza, Freddy Arcos Chuquillanqui DOI: https://doi.org/10.33017/RevECIPeru2009.0025/ RESUMEN Debido al desarrollo improvisado y desarticulado de procesos, que genera un flujo de información deficiente, la competitividad organizacional se enfrenta principalmente a barreras internas. Confecciones Rogger’s, empresa huancaína líder en la confección de prendas para caballeros, enfrentaba una situación problema caracterizado por la redundancia e incertidumbre de funciones productivas y logísticas, flujo de información inoportuno e incierto, alto grado de desperdicio de recursos, entre otros, que restringía su competitividad. Ante esta situación compleja, fue imperativo optimizar los recursos existentes de manera global y sostenida en los sistemas de producción y logística. El trabajo comprende el diagnóstico de la situación problema y el diseño por procesos del sistema integral de producción y logística mediante la Metodología de Sistemas Blandos, complementado con fundamentos teóricos sobre la Teoría de Restricciones y la Matriz de Cambio en pro de un mayor desarrollo empresarial. Palabras clave: Cambio Organizacional, MSB, BSC, TOC, Dinámica de Sistemas. ABSTRACT Due to the unexpected and disarticulated development of processes, that generates a flow of deficient information, the organizacional competitiveness faces mainly internal barriers. Textiles Rogger’s, wanka company, leader in the article preparation for horsemen, faced a situation problem characterized by the redundancy and uncertainty of productive and logistic functions, flow of inopportune and uncertain information, high degree of waste of resources, among others, that its competitiveness restricted. Before this complex situation, it was imperative to optimize the existing resources of global and maintained way in the logistic production systems. The work includes the diagnosis of the situation problem and the design by processes of the integral system of logistic production and by means of the Soft Systems Methodology complemented with theoretical foundations on the Theory of Constrains and the Matrix of Change for a greater enterprise development. Keywords: Organisational Change, SSM, BSC, TOC, Dynamic of systems.

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) as an Interdisciplinary Approach

2017 ◽  
pp. 243-257
Author(s):  
Rahma Al-Kharousi ◽  
Nabhan Harith Al-Harrasi ◽  
Naeema H. Jabur ◽  
Abdelmajed Bouazza
Keyword(s):  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Soft Systems Methodology ◽  
Problem Situation ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Soft Systems ◽  
Homogeneous Groups ◽  
Real World Problem ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) provides an inquiry process for taking a systemic view of a problem situation, incorporating elements of intervention, social and political analysis, and then understanding of the real-world problem situation. The holistic view embodied by SSM facilitated capture of the relationships, procedures, attitudes, culture and structure of each participating organizations through thematic analysis and developing rich pictures. Furthermore, the use of SSM enabled creation of homogeneous groups of actors and system owners to go through different intervention processes. This chapter aims mainly to introduce SSM as interdisciplinary approach that can be applied in complex situation and deal effectively with different viewpoints about the definition of the problem. In the current research, reflection on the use of SSM in adoption of Web 2.0 applications in Omani academic libraries is reported. It focuses on contributions of SSM in enhancing knowledge and practice of participants and researchers through different stages of SSM. This study approves that SSM is a methodology rather than a method. A set of tools and techniques can be adapted to investigate the problematical situation and deal with complexity and different perspectives of organizational people. In this research, SSM is described by participants as a learning process that not only define the problem but also improve the situation.

A SOFT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGY APPROACH TO IMPROVING THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN GAUTENG PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-99
Author(s):  
Lewis Tsuro ◽  
Stan Hardman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Soft Systems Methodology ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Good Tool ◽  
Systems Methodology ◽  
Soft Systems

The Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was developed as a set of tools for identifying and making incremental steps to improve situations with poorly defined causes or solutions. The supply chain forms a key process of any construction project; however, on any given construction site, supply chain inefficiencies could arise from many different avenues. Opinions vary, though, on which of these avenues is more important for increasing supply chain efficiencies; whether any problem even exist across the different aspects of the supply chain; as well as what steps should be taken to resolve them. It was therefore studied, here, whether SSM could be employed as a useful tool to systematically apply in the supply chains of a construction project in South Africa, for understanding and targeting the problematic situations that arise. Following thorough cyclical open-ended interviews with 17 workers, supervisors, foremen, site clerks, senior managers, and the CEO of the principal contractor at a new office park construction project in Rosebank, Johannesburg, and a thematic analysis of the data, SSM was performed to understand the existing challenges, and develop a suitable model for improvement. The study found that SSM was a good tool for understanding the ‘messy’ circumstances surrounding the chosen construction project supply chain, as well as actions that could be taken to improve the supply chain’s efficiency on site. The findings add weight to the argument that SSM could be a good tool for project managers to systematically introduce into their project planning regimens

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