An architecture for a viable information system : application of “viable system model” in modern systems architecture for the creation of viable information system

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe idea of present work is born in the context of problems that nowadays organizations facing with their information systems. Modern information systems are monolithic, complex and not ready for the future challenges. But, at the same time, they are playing a key role in a chain of value delivery. Such systems are not fitting perfectly into the businesses where they are employed (not providing all desired outcomes as they are expected by the creators and users of the system). There are three main areas where critical problems can arise in the process of information systems development: modelling, managing, and maintaining information systems. Once an architecture of the system is designed and implemented, the organization faces several problems in maintaining it. It is important to notice that, most of the time, people do not approach ISs problems in a systemic thinking way, but instead in a reductionist way. Which means that no one trying to understand all the interactions between components of the system, which may lead to very interesting and useful findings when studied properly. But the information system it’s just a system, sometimes very complex and monolithic, but it’s still just a system. In this work, Viable System Model will be used to help solve problems described above. The goal of this work is to apply VSM to the Information artifacts to take advantage of all benefits VSM offers. The main outcome from this work will be an architecture for Viable Information System. Systems thinking area will be taken as a basis for the development of the ideas presented in this dissertation. We are proposing a new architecture for modern organizations to use, to take advantage of benefits that VSM must offer. Namely: understanding of complexity, resilience to change, survival to an external environment and ability to exist independently of its external environment. Given that Information System is a system, and, so, obeys laws of general system theory, we could take advantage of using the “Viable System Model” architecture

Using the Viable System Model to Study IT Governance Dynamics: Evidence from a Single Case Study

This paper presents a single descriptive case study in which the viable system model (VSM) is used as a theoretical lens to model an organization’s contemporary IT governance system. The case presented herein was selected specifically for being a digitized company of which we knew that a lot of effort was put recently in their IT governance system. We find that the case company’s IT governance system maps well to the structure and underlying logic of the VSM. This paper contributes to the literature by providing an empirical justification exemplar on the applicability of systemic thinking in general, and the VSM in specific, for modelling enterprise governance and management of IT

O controle público de agrotóxicos em Santa Catarina sob a perspectiva do modelo do sistema viável (VSM): o caso da Cidasc

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agroecossistemas, Florianópolis, 2013.Devido aos riscos que apresentam à saúde pública e ao ambiente, os agrotóxicos são regulados e fiscalizados pelo Estado. Muito dos problemas que vem ocorrendo com relação aos agrotóxicos são consequências da dificuldade do poder público em cumprir com a sua obrigação de proteger o ambiente e a saúde da população. Em Santa Catarina, várias entidades públicas têm responsabilidades específicas com relação aos agrotóxicos. Dentre elas encontra-se a Companhia Integrada de Desenvolvimento Agrícola de Santa Catarina (CIDASC), empresa pública responsável por controlar o comércio de agrotóxicos no estado. Esta dissertação tem por objetivos gerais identificar os principais problemas enfrentados no controle de agrotóxicos e afins realizado pela CIDASC por meio do uso do modelo do sistema viável (VSM) e a proposição de melhorias necessárias para que o controle de agrotóxicos e afins realizado pela CIDASC torne-se um sistema viável, conforme a concepção de Stafford Beer. O VSM pode ser empregado em qualquer tipo de organização. Baseado em conceitos da cibernética, o VSM reúne o conjunto de leis, axiomas, princípios e teoremas que, se empregados de maneira adequada, permitirá a viabilidade de qualquer organização. De acordo com o VSM, uma organização poderá ser considerada viável se apresentar um conjunto de cinco sistemas e com inter-relacionamentos específicos tornando-a capaz de sobreviver em um ambiente particular. O VSM foi empregado no modo diagnóstico, com o propósito de comparar o modelo com a realidade observada, visando identificar falhas, pontos fracos ou ausência de elementos essenciais para a viabilidade. Foram utilizadas como fontes a documentação, observação direta e observação participante. O diagnóstico permitiu perceber que há graves problemas no funcionamento do sistema de interesse, os quais estão comprometendo a sua viabilidade. Para tornar um sistema viável, há necessidade de melhorias em sua estrutura geral, no sentido de tornar o sistema de interesse viável de acordo com a concepção de Stafford Beer.Abstract : Because of the risks to public health and the environment, pesticides are regulated and supervised by the State. Many problems related to pesticides are consequences of government's difficulty to comply with its mission that is to protect the environment and people's health. In Santa Catarina State, several public entities have specific responsibilities related to pesticides. Among them is the CIDASC, a State company responsible for pesticides trade control. This research aims to identify the main problems faced pesticides control carried by CIDASC with the use the viable system model (VSM) and to propose improvements for the pesticides control and how make it a viable system according to Stafford Beer's model. The VSM can be employed in any type organization. Based on cybernetics concepts, the VSM is the set of laws, axioms, theorems and principles that, if used appropriately, will enable the viability of any organization. According to the VSM, an organization can be considered viable if has a set of five systems and inter-specific relationships making it able to survive in an environment particular. The VSM was employed in diagnostic mode, in order to compare the model with the observed reality, to identify gaps, weaknesses or lack of essential for viability. It was used as documentation source, direct observation and participant observation. The diagnosis noticed that there are serious problems in the functioning of the system of interest, which are compromising their viability. To make as viable, improvements are required in their general structure, in order to make the system of interest viable in accordance with the design of Stafford Beer

Organic Service-Level Management in Service-Oriented Environments

Dynamic service-oriented environments (SOEs) are characterised by a large number of heterogeneous service components that are expected to support the business as a whole. The present work provides a negotiation-based approach to facilitate automated and multi-level service-level management in an SOE, where each component autonomously arranges its contribution to the whole operational goals. Evaluation experiments have shown an increased responsiveness and stability of an SOE in case of changes

Transformational egovernment success through enhanced project management

Transformational eGovernment is the continuous innovation in the delivery of services, citizen participation and governance through the transformation of external and internal relationships by the use of technology; especially on the Internet. When introduced, it offered the hope and promise to revitalize and modernize public services; reinvigorate and improve services to citizens, business and governments; and, create an exciting environment for employees to work and contribute. Countries, world-wide are inexorably engaged and urged forward by both push and pull motivational pressures to use technology to improve democratic participation, social harmony and economic sustain ability. While eGovernment's first decade has been much more transactional than transformational, radical changes affecting eGovernment are needed in this decade: culture, different services and relationships with all stake holders; organizational arrangements; business processes; and resource management. But progress thus far achieved is not without struggle and transformational eGovernment success is far to the deficit side of the performance measurement scale. The project failure rate is so high that transformational eGovernment progress is stalling. The thesis used the mixed method research approach that included the design and implementation of a piloted and structured survey; data collection and analysis; and examination and testing of potential enhanced project management solutions to focus on international transformational eGovernment activity and problems in: project management; the transformation of public service and its organizational and operational arrangements; and international strategies for transformational eGovernment uptake. The surveys conducted in this research identify a synerqistic compendium of ten key challenges and barriers that prevent progress in the project management of transformational eGovernment projects. As a way forward in addressing these challenges, this thesis recommends that project management methodologies be improved by implementing a project initiation concept document process identifying a series of actions and methods to be incorporated as the initial stage of eGovernment project management methodologies to identify, manage and mitigate the unique challenges and barriers that impede eGovernment success

The Viable System Architecture

This paper presents the Viable System Architecture as a high-level reference architecture. It is component system architecture motivated by an emerging class of applications we classify as “complex systems. ” The architecture is based on the Viable System Model: a cybernetic model of organizations. The concept of Viability is introduced as the overall quality desired of software for complex systems. We explain how viability is achieved by the interaction of a number of principles: autonomy and adaptation; recursion and hierarchy; and invariants and self-reference. The special structure of a component in this architecture is described in detail. The nature of an interface is also described. This unique component interface mechanism defines the componen

Groove: A Case Study in Adaptive Architecture

The Viable System Architecture is applied to the problem of analyzing and extending an existing software system. This software architecture approach is based on Stafford Beer's Viable System Model. The Groove collaboration system is chosen to illustrate how this software architectural methodology can be used to extend an existing system with adaptive features. The Groove system architecture is mapped into the Viable System Architecture representation. An adaptive user interface feature is evolved using fuzzy control techniques