Systems Thinking for agile service design

Johanna Kollmann | @johannakoll | Agile Cambridge 2016

“A system is

a set of elements or parts

often classified as its function or purpose.”

that is coherently organized and inter-connected in a pattern or structure

that produces a characteristic set of behaviors,

Donella Meadows

“Systems-based thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another.  !

Then drawing on that knowledge to create efficiencies of process, infrastructure and communication.”

Abby Covert

HARD systems

SOFT systems

!

You can’t “fix” problems with systems thinking, instead there are “situations you could improve”.

Peter Checkland

Systems exhibit purposeful behaviour over time.

Systems get ‘soft’, unpredictable once humans are involved.

Agile SERVICE DESIGN 😮

UNDERSTANDING

CHANGING

UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM

MODELING systems

MEASURING systems

MODELING systems

Models are the starting point to look at

the situation, and see what change should

be introduced, and how.

Checkland’s ‘Rich Picture’

1. Construction of the Humber Bridge (adapted from Stewart and Fortune, 1994) © The Open University

2. Distance Learning Situation © Wood-Harper et al, Information Systems Definition: The Multiview Approach, Blackwell Scientific Publications 1985

Checkland’s ‘Rich Picture’

Stakeholders

Worldview

Connections

Conflicts

Journey maps

MEASURING systems

Measuring tools

(combined with qualitative research!)

Service design challenges:

😮 Human actors who are employees?

😮 How do you measure “soft value”?

3 things to pay attention to in a system:

1) Stocks & Flows

2) Feedback loops

3) Delays

1) Stocks & Flows

inflow outflow

information feedback, control

stock

Conversion, churn rates

2) Feedback loops

A feedback loop occurs when a change in something ultimately comes back to cause a further change in the same thing.

Reinforcing Loop (positive loop)

births/year populationPopulation

Growth

Balancing Loop (negative or goal-seeking loop)

heat

Thermostattemperature

target temperature

temperature gap

Viral engines of growth

3) Delays

inventory

days

3) Delays

inventory

days

Reacting faster

3) Delays

inventory

days

Reacting slower

Data informs iterations

Service design challenges:

😮 Getting data can take a long time

Look at systems behaviour over time, rather than

focusing on single events.

!

Spot trends, and ask:

‣What came before?

‣What might happen next?

By the time you see what is going on in a

system, it has already happened - and you

are already a step behind.

CHANGING THE SYSTEM

Use this tool to help you think

more systemically!

THE ICEBERG MODEL

EVENTS

What is happening?

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR

What trends are there over time?

SYSTEMS STRUCTURE

How are the parts related?

What influences the patterns?

MENTAL MODELS

What values, assumptions, +

beliefs shape the system?

Increasing LeverageDownload at: http://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/

Donella Meadows’ leverage points

10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows.

Donella Meadows’ leverage points

10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows.

For reference: Donella Meadows, http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/

Structure of information flows

‣How does information flow through the system?

‣What information is shown, how, and to whom?

‣Who can manipulate and control information?

Service design challenges:

😮 Enabling timely information flow can be tricky

Donella Meadows’ leverage points

10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows. 4. The rules of the system (incentives, punishment, constraints).

For reference: Donella Meadows, http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/

Rules of the system

‣Constraints, social rules, rules about roles of actors in the system

‣Who can take which actions?

‣How can actors in the system engage?

Donella Meadows’ leverage points

10. Numbers (subsidies, taxes, standards). 9. Material stocks and flows. 8. Delays 7. Balancing negative feedback loops. 6. Reinforcing positive feedback loops. 5. Information flows. 4. The rules of the system (incentives, punishment, constraints). 3. The power of self-organization. 2. The goals of the system. 1. The mindset or paradigm out of which the goals, rules, feedback structure arise.

Use this tool to help you think

more systemically!

THE ICEBERG MODEL

EVENTS

What is happening?

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR

What trends are there over time?

SYSTEMS STRUCTURE

How are the parts related?

What influences the patterns?

MENTAL MODELS

What values, assumptions, +

beliefs shape the system?

Increasing LeverageDownload at: http://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/

UNDERSTANDING

CHANGING

Matthew Milan

“The fundamental shift design will need to navigate over the next decade: Going from designing for people to designing with people at scale.”

Design as Participation |Kevin Slavinhttp://jods.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/design-as-participation

Cynefin Framework|Dave Snowdenhttp://cognitive-edge.com/

Donella Meadows Institutehttp://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/

Ask me anything: @johannakoll