A simulation project for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system design and Business Process (BP) design in an organisation usually starts with an unstructured problem situation. We have already outlined a simulation meta-methodology addressing the situation. Now, we give a detailed description of the proposed simulation meta-methodology dealing with both the hard and the soft asp...

Each of the five systems approaches discussed in this volume: system dynamics (SD), the viable systems model (VSM), strategic options development and analysis (SODA), soft systems methodology (SSM) and critical systems heuristics (CSH) has a pedigree. Not in the sense of the sometimes absurd spectacle of animals paraded at dog shows. Rather, their pedigree derives from their systems foundations...

There are many attempts to explain success and failure in information systems. Many of these refer to a purported sociotechnical gap. In this article we develop an alternative approach that does not impose such a strong dichotomy, but regards social and technical rather as dimensions along which to study workpractices. The developed theory involves not only the “social” and “technical” construc...

This paper develops a novel training methodology for computationally intelligent systems utilizing gradient information in parameter updating. The devised scheme uses the first-order dynamic model of the training procedure and applies the variable structure systems approach to control the training dynamics. This results in an optimal selection of the learning rate, which is continually updated ...

This paper presents and compares the SSDDD “Systematic Soft Domain Driven Design Framework” to DDD “Domain Driven Design Framework” as a soft system approach of information systems development. The framework use SSM as a guiding methodology within which we have embedded a sequence of design tasks based on the UML leading to the implementation of a software system using the Naked Objects framewo...

In many read-world planning domains, generating good plan quality is a central issue. This is especially true for problems with many solutions, or with many goals that cannot be achieved altogether. We propose an extension to the PDDL language that aims at a better characterization of plan quality by allowing the user to express strong and soft state constraints about the structure of the desir...

This paper explores the co-existence of relational and territorial spaces – soft spaces through the experiences of EU integration and territorialisation. First, we seek a better understanding of EU integration through an engagement with the literature and research on soft spaces. We propose that EU integration is best understood as involving an interplay between territorial and relational under...

This article presents a systems approach to knowledge synthesis or construction, starting with a new systems thinking named the informed systems thinking, which should serve as the basic tool of knowledge integration and support creativity. Based on this new systems thinking, a new systems approach to knowledge synthesis or construction has been developed as a systems methodology that consists ...