Biological information processing: the use of information for the support of function

In biological systems, the processing and use of information has evolved out of the need for survival in the face of an uncertain environment. As a consequence, the information-function relationship in these systems is shaped by their adaptability characteristics. In contrast, the information-function relationship in man-designed, goal-oriented organizational systems depends on the ability of the information processing system to support the achievement of the organization's goals. In this paper we use results from adaptability theory in the analysis of control-related aspects of the information-function relationship in man-designed organizational systems. In particular, we use a conceptual model of organizational control to characterize features of functional and control structures and their effect on the adaptability of these systems. The concept of implicit control and a design principle for adaptability-enhancing information systems are derived for this analysis.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28155/1/0000607.pd

The analysis of distributed control and information processing in adaptive systems: a biologically motivated approach

Biological systems have evolved hierarchical, distributed control structures that greatly enhance their adaptability. Two important determinants of biological adaptability considered here are: (i) the pattern of distribution of self-control capabilities; (ii) the degree of programmability of information processing. In this paper we model organizations as goal-oriented, adaptive systems, possessing properties similar to those of biological systems. We use the notion of implicit control (defined as the capability of self-control that is embedded in a system's own dynamics) in the analysis of the impact of specific patterns of distribution of control and information processing on the adaptability of organizations. A principle of design of organizational information systems, that captures important aspects of adaptability-preserving strategies of information processing in biological systems, is stated in terms of the implicit control concept.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30310/1/0000712.pd

A synthetic approach to the design of information-systems software

This paper presents an approach to the design of information-systems software in which alternative designs can be created, as necessary, until specified requirements are met and specific objectives achieved. This approach takes advantage of, and in fact complements, the abstraction process that characterizes the abstraction-synthesis methodology of information-systems development. A broad concept of function support, as provided by the information system, and a design-independent specification of information-systems requirements, are basic features of this methodology. The view of design presented here takes advantage of these features by providing the necessary flexibility. Design itself is viewed as a search on the space of possible software-system structures until one which satisfies the requirements of the information system and achieves the project's objectives is found. The design space is defined on four dimensions that correspond to important layers of information-system software implementation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27855/1/0000266.pd

Industry/University Collaboration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn: A Focus on Relevant Technology

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154104/1/kampfner1996.pd

Industry/University Collaboration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn: A Focus on Relevant Technology

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154105/1/kampfner1997.pd

Industry/University Collaboration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn: A Focus on Relevant Technology

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154106/1/kampfner1998.pd

THE INFORMATION PROCESSING ASPECT OF THE DYNAMICS OF A SYSTEM AS A BASIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT All dynamic systems need to process information in order to function. This means that there is an information processing aspect to the dynamics of any system (Kampfner, 1998) that in fact embodies the way in which it processes information. Complex, adaptive systems such as modern organizations include natural and artificial means of information processing as part of their dynamics. Although the natural and the artificial forms of information processing are fundamentally different, they are also highly complementary of each other. One claim of this paper is that a synergistic combination of natural and artificial computing is essential to the ability of modern organizations to successfully perform their functions and persist in the face of an uncertain environment. I also argue that considering information processing as an aspect of dynamics is essential to finding the synergistic combination of natural and artificial computing that is needed for the effective support of function and adaptability in modern organizations. The development of computer-based information systems can be thought of as a means of integrating computer-based information processing into the dynamics of modern organizations. The abstraction-synthesis methodology of information systems development, or ASM, (Kampfner, 1987, 1997) provides a conceptual framework for this integration. In the ASM, the information needs of the functions that the computer-based information system will support are determined on the basis of the information processing aspect of its dynamics. This is followed by the design and development of the computer-based processes that will help to meet these information needs in a manner consistent with the adaptability of the system as a whole. The synergy of the combination of natural and artificial computing is possible because these two fundamentally different forms of information processing can complement each other in many useful ways.  &nbsp

Real brains, artificial minds : by John Casti and Anders Karlqvist, Editors, North-Holland, New York, 1987, 226 pages (US$51.25)

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28183/1/0000635.pd

HANDLING THE VARIABILITY OF INFORMATION PROCESSING IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS: AN INFORMATION SYSTEMS DESIGN PERSPECTIVE

The variability of the dynamics of a system introduces variability in the way in which information needs to be processed. Complex adaptive systems such as modern organizations usually include computer-based processes as part of the information processing aspect of their dynamics. According to an adaptability-programmability tradeoff (Conrad, 1985), however, despite the tremendous speed, capacity, accuracy, and communication capabilities of digital computers digital computing faces important challenges, especially when it comes to the support of unstructured processes or of processes where the variability of information processing is high.   In this paper we discuss an approach to handling the variability of information processing in a system as goal of the design of computer-based information systems. We use the view of information processing as an aspect of the dynamics of systems as a means of identifying the requirements that the dynamics imposes on the way in which information needs to be processed. Our approach considers the analysis of the degree of structure of the processes that participate in the dynamics, the uncertainty of the changes occurring in these processes, and the computational and adaptability properties of the processors available in the system. Central to our approach is finding a combination of digital computing, human intelligence, and other forms of information processing on whose basis a computer-based information system that effective supports the functions of the system and contributes to its adaptability can be designed. A function support principle of design and the adaptability-programmability tradeoff provide the necessary guidance

The Need of Compatibility of Information Processing with the Control Structure of the Organization

In order to be effective an information system must be compatible with the structure and dynamics of the organizational functions it supports and with the adaptability of the organization. An important aspect of the structure of organizations is their control structure, that is, the way in which their control functions relate to each other and to the organizational functions they control. The potential impact of the information system on the adaptability of the organization is particularly important since it affects the ability of the organization to cope with the uncertainty of its environment. This paper addresses the need for an information system to be compatible with the structure and dynamics of the organization it supports and with its adaptability. Because of the effect that the control structure of an organization has on its adaptability, modeling organizations as distributed control structures is particularly useful in our case