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Step 5 in the ideal system redesign methodology is concerned with creating the ideal design.
As theoretical background, the ideal design resides in conceptual space. We have talked
about the in-formation field which resides in conceptual space. An ideal design is part
of this. Its purpose is to in-form or put form into the current system. And it in-forms
the current system in such a way that it inspires it to behave in a new way and to move towards
new outcomes, a new future that is more ideal then the current future.
The ideal design is an idealised description of the state of the system, that is an end
description, of the functions, or activities or strategies of the system, that is its means,
and then the outcomes that are being achieved by those functions.
There are different types of ideal design. In the biomatrix we distinguish different
types of systems, activity systems, entity systems and the web systems, sub-webs. Accordingly,
we can distinguish different types of designs. There is first of all the activity system
redesign, the redesign of string-like systems like functions, projects, activities; they
are all descriptions of activity systems. Your particular assignment is an activity
system redesign. This module deals with changing your work functions. It is an activity system
redesign and that emphasizes the function, what the activity is and the outcomes that
the activity achieves for its clients. Every activity system is directed at a specific
entity system and it does something or contributes to an entity system. This should be described
in an idealised form. What are the ideal outcomes that I want to achieve for my clients and
how do I ideally go about it to achieve those. Then we have entity system redesigns. That
can be a whole entity, like the whole organisation, or the whole person. It could also be a sub-entity,
for example a department or a business unit that is part of an organisation. It is not
an entity system in its own right, but we are looking more at bundle of activity systems
from an entity system perspective. In the context of an individual we call it a role,
we are looking at the role of a person as a parent or as a worker. And it typically
consists of more than just one function. It could refer to an incomplete entity system.
As we have explained in the first module, artefacts, technological artefacts etc. are
incomplete entity systems. But they can also be designed according to ideal system redesign
methods. What do we emphasize in the context of an entity system redesign? Well, we emphasize
first of all the state of the system, that has to do with being. How is the nature or
the being of the system, what kind of person, what kind of car, what kind of business unit.
So it describes the state of the system as an outcome and then it describes the interacting
activity systems that it is involved in. So what kind of person am I is the state, and
what are my activities: we speak three-fold activity systems, what outward-directed, inward-directed,
self-directed activity systems do I want to contribute and to whom do I contribute each
of my activity systems, who are my stakeholders in each of those activity systems. And how
do I interface and balance these different activities. How do I structure them, what
should be the outcome of each of those activity systems. And we describe that in a more high
level integration in the context of an entity system. We are not doing that in this module,
this is the subject of the organisation transformation programme.
And then we also have web systems. When we deal with complex societal problems, like
for example poverty, then we will have many different activity systems and entity systems
involved in co-producing poverty. We need to redesign quite a few activity systems and
entity systems in our society if we should not reproduce poverty again. And this is really
a combination of both entity and activity system redesign, only we are talking here
about chains of activity systems and containing hierarchies of entity systems. And this is
the subject of our societal transformation programme.
What are requirements of an ideal design in general? According to the general systems
theory, especially the ideal system redesign school, such as represented by Ackoff, Gharajedaghi,
they say an ideal design should be technologically feasible. We should not make a design that
is so ideal that we don't have the technology and I mentioned that earlier: if we make a
communication design then telepathy is not technologically feasible.
The design should also be organisationally viable. We may have the possibility of new
technology, but we have not got the capability as an organisation to use it. Then this is
also not supposed to be part of an ideal design. To give a little bit ridiculous case study
here: once a group of persons brainstorming in the context of the transport system misunderstood
the exercise. They thought they should come up with crazy or idealized strategies as well.
Not feasible or realistic ones, and they thought they are going to deal with traffic jams by
getting helicopters to lift out the cars that jam. Technologically, this is a possible strategy.
But organisationally, it is completely non-viable. We would not allow a strategy like that to
be included in our design. The third requirement is that the system must
be capable of learning and development, it must be built into the system.
Biomatrix systems theory and our methodology would agree with those three points and add
maybe a fourth point. That is the need to incorporate generic systemic organising principles.
Those are the principles of biomatrix systems theory. For example, we would need to build
the seven forces of system organisation into the ideal design and the coherence between
those seven forces. Or when we redesign an entity system, we are looking at a three-fold
organisation of the entity system. So those are principles that are being built into the
ideal design as well. What are the benefits of an ideal design?
An ideal design incorporates the values and expectations of all stakeholders. A design
always is a design for the system and its surrounding in the sense of what the system
wants ideally to contribute to its environment. It creates a consensus and alignment between
the parts of the system and the system and its external and internal stakeholders, the
system and its environment. It also generates commitment and stakeholder
cooperation because if the system builds in that it is wanting to meet the expectation
of its stakeholders, it will get a good will of the stakeholders and very likely enlist
their cooperation because it creates a win win for itself and its stakeholders.
It stimulates creativity and that in itself can be a very good thing to start a design
exercise just to activate creativity in an organisation for example. And it enlarges
the conception of what is possible. Very often as persons go through an ideal design exercise
they change their worldview of how the world works considerably and their vision or perspectives
get enlarged of what is and is not possible. Ackoff has expressed that very beautifully
in summary what the benefit of an ideal design is. "Idealised design reveals that the principal
obstruction between us and the future we want is ourselves." So if we think low level, we
get a low level future. If we think high level, if we think win win, then we are creating
a future that is better for us as well as our environment. It really depends on us.
What is the methodology of ideal design? The ideal design is created by a design team.
And that team uses the brainstorming output as it is integrated in the notebook. It uses
generic systems principles, such as we are going to learn more about in the next module
and have already started to learn in the first module, and then it categorises all that information
around a design framework. It uses a systemic design framework with the fleshed out information
from brainstorming and generic principles. The ideal design should also consider and
possibly involve key stakeholders and incorporate their expectations as well which of course
is part of every systemic framework in any case. But still it is important to emphasize
that. Tips for creating an ideal design. A list
of strategies is not a design. A lot of people when they brainstorm think if one groups it
a little bit together like in a design notebook that is the design. This is not the design.
It needs to be iterated through, high level patterns need to identified and those need
to be lifted out into a design. A design is a much higher level integration then a design
notebook. Creating a design requires a systemic framework to ensure the internal consistency
of the design information. Creating a design also involves vision and creativity. It is
more an art than a science. To translate the brainstorming output into a good inspiring
design is not easy and it can take a lot of work and a lot of iteration.
Large groups cannot do an integrated design. One never uses groups to make designs, one
uses groups to generate ideas for a design, to brainstorm. For that groups are very useful.
The actual design team should not be much larger than maybe five to seven persons at
the most. Creating a design is an iterative process.
One has to work through the information again and again to produce higher level outcomes,
better formulations, more integrated strategies and so on. And ideally, one would involve
a widening circle of stakeholders to refine and iterate the design, so maybe the design
team comes up with a core design and then different stakeholders add, flesh out the
design, change somehow the design. The importance of the design team is in guiding the process
to make sure that the design stays coherent and internally consistent. And as they are
involving stakeholders to reflect on the design and help improve the design, they also create
alignment around the design which is necessary to enlist the support of the stakeholders
in actually manifesting the design through implementing it.
Your ideal design in this module has to do with your ideal work life. You will produce
more detailed information about your work function or your project in the next module
and you will also finalise the design in the next module. However, in the meantime, you
should nevertheless do a first iteration of a design. Even if it is incomplete, you will
just flesh it out in more detail and add on in the next module. But in this module, you
have brainstormed enough output to make a first iteration. And to remind you, you are
busy with an activity system redesign because you are either working on your work function
or if you are working in a team you could work on a team project.
The ideal design that you should do here is describe your functions, sub-functions or
your project and its functions according to the following: first of all, who are the clients,
who are the systems or the entities that your function or your sub-functions should serve.
Then, list the expectations. What do they ideally expect from you and then describe
the ideal outcomes that you want to achieve for your stakeholders or contribute towards
your stakeholders. And then describe the strategies that you will ideally employ to achieve that
outcome. And you should also list some evaluation criteria that allow you to assess if those
outcomes are being achieved. So those five headings should guide your first design iteration
and all the brainstorming output that you have categorised in the notebook should give
you sufficient results to fill in those requirements for the design.