REYES, Sherina Carmela C.

September 15, 2017

D5B-Systems Engineering Assignment No. 1

Questions:

1. Explain how each characteristic (Interaction, Hierarchical, Emergence, Dynamic

and Interdisciplinary) contributes to reduce cost and schedule overrun.
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of machine age thinking.

Answers:

1.
a. Interaction
Complex systems require concrete interaction between general
principles and methods to be done in order to achieve a goal. Only one
process or standard operating procedure should be followed and a rigid
connection among the elements of a system should be established.
For example, in a group working on a thesis project, brainstorming
should be done in order to come up with the best idea. If not all of the
members suggest, an idea may be pushed to be the topic then the next
actions the group will do is prior to the topic chosen, not knowing that one
of the members, who didn’t participate in the brainstorming process, has a
better idea. The group, will then, switch topic to the “better” idea, wasting
all the time, money and effort given to the previous chosen topic.
Moreover, each members of the group should be participative in all
works to be done in for them to comply with the requirements on the
required time. In order to do this, all of the group’s members should be
accessible and can be easily reached through mobile or any means of
 communication for the group to be able to interact and talk easily with
regards to making of the thesis.

b. Hierarchical
A complex system having a hierarchical characteristic requires a
specific job order for each level or position in a system for them to be certain
on what they are to be doing, for them to know that they are really a part
of a whole. Hierarchy portrays sequence wherein planning is being done by
the leader of a group then job is being distributed to the lower positions in
an organization.
For example, in a company, the manager is to distribute the work to
the supervisors of the department, then the supervisors will give his workers
job to assist him/her in the responsibility he/she is assigned to do. With this,
more work can be done in a short period of time, preventing down time.

c. Emergence

From my understanding, an Emergent System is a collective system,

which means that it has properties of a group, not properties of each
element of the group. This kind of system does not have a fixed or constant
plan and the elements act in random ways. In a department, workers
interact, and with all of these interactions, a pattern is being established
from repetition of their jobs which shows the behavior of the workers within
the department and the behavior of the department itself.
A good example of this is the termite habitat or “termite hill”. This
habitat has interconnecting passages with numerous exits, air vents and
large areas within the hill where termites interact or stay. This really is a
wonderful architectural structure with no constant plan or procedure. This
 system exists just because of what they are used to do. Or by following
their simple local rules.
This kind of system minimizes their need to look for a good habitat
because soil is everywhere and also time because the network that they did
is done while doing another task and as a team.

d. Dynamic
A dynamic system can be classified as an adaptive system or a
growing system. An adaptive system can work with any situations
such as the internet and cyberspace that is adaptive to different
human and computer interactions. This system doesn’t need any
other support systems for aid in case of other unusual events. This
can minimize the cost and time of the cyberspace or internet being
independent to help human in all situations.
Another classification is a growing system. Example of this
system is networking. In a networking business, the members are
recruiting persons to join the business. The more you recruit, the
more income you will have. Because of this, the system is never-
ending and is continuously growing. This kind of system reduces time
and monetary cost because of its convenience.

e. Interdisciplinary

From the word itself, interdisciplinary system is composed of

elements from different fields, combined to act to further achieve a goal.
Usually, this is composed of people with different professions, such as
managers or heads of different departments. This kind of system really is a
great help in reducing time monetary waste.
 In occurrence of a general company problem, instead of a problem
given to one or two departments, all members having the same profession,
to be working to solve the chaos, the heads of all the departments will form
a new group to solve the problem. This will be a great help because those
one or two departments has/have other jobs to do, which is massive in total.
Moreover, if so these departments will work for the solution of the problem,
there will surely be one or more persons who will be idle. Additionally, a big
problem has to consider all aspects of the company that needs all
knowledge and disciplines of different professionals, which cannot be done
by department/s with members doing the same job. Having many people in
a system wherein not all are working, and with other jobs left behind, will
cause a massive money and time waste.
In addition to this, interdisciplinary system will improve the
connection and interaction of the managers from different departments
which is a key in achieving company goals for they can address each other’s
needs. The main edge of this system is that different minds are working
having borderless knowledge and solution ideas considering all aspects and
constraints.
2.
a. Strengths
The very idea to create an artificial intelligence is to make the lives
of humans easier. Machine age thinking can be a way for the people to
seek for new discoveries, be curious about science which will therefore
give them knowledge on the advancement in the future and in the next
generations to come. It can be asserted that advances in these areas will
mean far more benefits than losses to society, because they will solve
human problems and free humans from having to do boring and
dangerous tasks. It may be possible that any jobs lost to automation will
be replaced in the long run by newer, better jobs and that, in any case,
 technological innovation will make everyone’s daily lives healthier, safer,
and happier.

b. Weaknesses
No more experiences about good jobs will be reminisced. Because
of thinking about machine age, people are being lazy knowing that jobs
will be easier in the future. Also, everything will be having a huge cost
soon. People are not being creative anymore because of just holding into
tablets and all touch-screen devices, not those pencils, paintbrushes and
crayons. Replacement of humans with machines can lead to large scale
unemployment. Unemployment is a socially undesirable phenomenon.
People with nothing to do can lead to the destructive use of their creative
minds. Humans can unnecessarily be highly dependent on the machines if
the use of artificial intelligence becomes rampant. Humans will lose their
creative power and will become lazy.