Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SDM 5001 Systems Architecture: Social Technical Engineering Systems
SDM 5001 Systems Architecture: Social Technical Engineering Systems
LECTURE 11.1
SOCIAL TECHNICAL ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
© LGChan
SOCIAL SYSTEMS
2
© LGChan
Socio-technical engineering systems refers to the
Social Technical Systems
interaction between society complex technology,
infrastructures and human behaviour
Support System
combined to make complex sociotechnical systems
3
© LGChan
Socio Technical System
Environment
Hardware Software
Society
Liveware
Software Non material elements, eg computer software, work procedures, practices, norms
Live-ware Human elements (Support), eg workers, operators, service staff, third parties, teams
Information Technology
Information Level
Engineering Technology
Machine Level
5
© LGChan
Social Systems
Characteristics
Socio-technical systems are technical works involving the participation of groups of people in
ways that significantly affect the architectures and design of those works
(Rechtin Maier 2009)
Examples
intelligent transport system, telecommunications system, public health systems,
education systems, electrical power distribution system, Toyota production systems
6
© LGChan
Complexity in Socio Technical Systems
Local Interests, Global Outcomes
o Operational and managerial independence of sub systems have different objectives,
especially social systems with changing values
This makes it difficult to optimize the overall socio technical systems
Component Systems
o Difficulty in identifying all components in the society
Some components may be invisible and, others may only be active at a late stage
Interactions
o Interactions are complex and result in unexpected emergent behavior
Complexity
o Many agents with different behaviour and states
o Interactions between agents in a complex environment
o Lots of interconnections between agents
o Communicating in parallel and instantaneously
7
© LGChan
Managing in Socio Technical Systems
Stakeholders
o Who benefits? Who pays? Who provides? Who loses?
o In social system quality, there is a case-by-case trade off, and the quality depends on the
system to be provided
Client vs User
o Client in socio-technical system is frequently not the end user of the system
o End users are usually groups of people who have diverse needs and expectations
o Client manages this problem by
(1) setting standards and licensing to contractors
(2) segmenting the market to different groups of users
Authoritative Solution provided by a few Efficiency and Timeliness Potential missing out
selected people important issues
Strategy (eg board of directors) Lost opportunity for learning
Competitive Use opposing parties Creation of new ideas and Conflict and stalemates
points of view to come up innovation Consume resources
Strategy with preferred solutions Provision of choice (time wasting)
(eg open TV debate)
Collaborative Engage all parties to find Higher stakeholder Increased transaction costs
the best possible solution commitment dialogue can turn into
Strategy agreed by all Comprehensive and conflict, hardened positions
(eg dialogue, town hall effective solutions Fewer and stalemate causing poor
meeting) resources used by results
stakeholder
9
© LGChan
Five Key Characteristics of Open Socio-Technical Systems
1. Systems should have inter-dependent sub-systems which allow various users to
interact and design solutions to satisfy their different requirements
5. System performance relies on the joint optimisation of the technical and social
subsystems
Focusing on one of these systems to the exclusion of the other is likely to lead to
degraded system performance and utility
Source : Baxter Sommerville 2011 Socio-technical systems-From design methods to systems engineering. Interacting with Computers 10
© LGChan
Socio-Technical Systems Design Approaches
Soft Systems Methodology
An action oriented and organized process of inquiry into problematical situations (using a systemic process)
a) to identify the what the business is trying to achieve
b) what are the problem areas, and
c) how is the solution going to affect the business and people involved in it
Contextual Design
Designing products directly from understanding how the user actually performs his work
Human-centred Design
Designing upon an explicit understanding of users, their tasks, and the environments in which those tasks are
carried out
11
© LGChan
Example : Car Sharing Service (UBER and GrabCar)
Car Ride-Sharing P2P System
It is an alternate to hailing public taxis on the road
It pairs drivers (private and taxis) and ride-seekers with each other
12
© LGChan
EXAMPLE : DIGITAL PLATFORM
13
© LGChan
Platform Businesses: Definition and Chicken-and-Egg Problem
Definition and Network Effects Key Success Factors
o A platform business model creates value by facilitating o Attract both customers to platform at the same time
interactions between the different customer segments through a subsidized price mechanism
(eg matchmaking and transaction including search cost • Generally, need to subsidize the more price
reduction) sensitive segment and charge the side that
o Platform business models are “two-sided markets” or increases its demand more strongly as a result of
”multi-sided markets” the other side growth. Eg subsidized Xbox, PSP
machines, but charge more for games
o The value of the platform grows to attract more users • In markets with high sensitivity to quality, need to
• Direct/same side network effects: charge more the side that has to supply quality, so
the more users in one customer segment will as to attract providers of high quality products.
attract more users in that customer segment Eg charge more for games in order to produce
(users of Microsoft office software; quality games
users of an instant messaging system)
o Acquiring new customers at a low cost
• Indirect/cross-side network effects:
the more users in one customer segment will o Retain customers for a long period of time
attract more users in the other customer segment
(users of videogames with game developers) o Attract “lead” users, with lower joining prices or
agreements not to join rival platforms in order to build
initial momentum
14
© LGChan
Platform Development
Module
Developer
User
© LGChan
SUPPLIERS RETAILER CUSTOMERS
Traditional Supply Chain
CUSTOMER CUSTOMER
Platform Supply Chain SEGMENT 1 SEGMENT 2
PLATFORM
Example of Platform Business
oApple iPod/iTunes system o
Windows Operating System
o Android PlayStore Platform
o Ebay
o E-Commerce
o Uber/Grab
16
© LGChan
Two-Sided Markets provide a Springboard for Innovation
Networked market Side 1 Side 2 Platform Providers
17
© LGChan
END OF LECTURE 1.1
SOCIAL TECHNICAL ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
18
© LGChan
SDM 5001 SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
LECTURE 11.2
ARCHITECTING COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS
© LGChan
Collaborative Systems
Characteristics
o Systems with no central control either in their conception, development, or operation
o Voluntary participation and contribution by large number of individuals
o Examples
Open Source Software (Linux, R), World Wide Web (Wikipedia), Open Source Ecology,
Mumbai Box Wallah (Dabbawala), Intelligent Transportation System,
Joint Air Defence System, Urban City Planning
Consumer
Electronics
Web Based IT
3
© LGChan
Architecting Collaborative Systems 1
1 Stable Intermediate Forms
o Intermediate forms should be technically, economically, and politically self supporting
o Able to fulfil some useful purpose, has sufficient revenue to maintain operations, and a
body to oversee policies
3 Leverage at Interfaces
o Focus on architecting of interfaces of the sub-systems (independent) which allow many
people to participate, and to create emergent capability of system of interest
o Well defined interfaces enable participants to easily integrate their contribution to existing
work
4
© LGChan
Architecting Collaborative Systems 2
5
© LGChan
Collaborative Online Social Media Platforms
Collaborative Network Application Examples
Social networks Connect with people Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Media Sharing networks Share photos, videos YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat
Discussion forums Share news and ideas reddit, Quora, Digg
Bookmarking, Content Curation Discover, save, and share new content Pinterest, Flipboard
Consumer Review Find and review businesses TripAdvisor, Yelp, Zomato
Blogging and Publishing Publish content online WordPress, Tumblr, Medium
Social Shopping Shop online Polyvore, Etsy, Fancy
Sharing Economy Trade goods and services Airbnb, Grab, Uber, Taskrabbit
6
Source : https://blog.hootsuite.com/types-of-social-media/
© LGChan
END OF LECTURE 11.2
ARCHITECTING COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS
7
© LGChan
SDM 5001 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
LECTURE 11.3
BUILDER ARCHITECT SYSTEMS
© LGChan
Builder Architected Systems
Characteristics
o Architect produces a pre-conceived “form first” architecture in mind based on his
own ideas and assumptions without full knowledge of the requirements of the
users and market
2
© LGChan
Leveraging Architectures in Innovative Builder Systems
1 Incremental Development for Existing Customer
o Using existing architectures to produce variations and extensions of existing customers
o Low risk because of proven architecture
o Adopt Platform Design
(Example: coffee makers, electric shavers, vacuum cleaners)
(Iridium Example: use technology for high-speed data satellites, M-Star)
New
Penetration/
Disruptive
Substitution
Markets
Existing
Platform/
NA
Substitution
Existing New
Products
3 Modular Architecture
o strategic design of components and assembly to enable efficient changes/modifications
o changes in one component do not affect other components (loose coupling)
Example: add-on accessories, software extension packages (R)
2 Agile Response
o Capability to react more quickly and effectively than competition without disrupting existing market
– Implement strategy effectively: able to rapidly conceive, develop and deliver new systems
– Architecture designed such that changes could be made quickly
(Example: embedded architecture designs, changes made in final stages of production)
– Rapid prototyping to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using 3D computer aided
design or 3D printing
3 Attrition
o Based on ability to sustain and out last competitors in the same market
Low tech strategy
– Assess to low cost capital, low pricing, labour and large distribution network.
– Acquired and buyout markets and competitors 6
(Example: ebay auctions, format wars (VHS vs Betamax, Blue ray vs HD DVD, EXCEL vs Lotus 123) © LGChan
END OF LECTURE 11.3
ARCHITECTING BUILDER ARCHITECT SYSTEM
7
© LGChan