Many techniques and approaches are used in the systems engineering and systems thinking domains. Part of the skill of the systems engineer / systems thinker is knowing what technique and approach to use, and when. Here’s some simple insight into some of the techniques we use. You may see multiple rows with the same first column; this is simply because there may be several techniques that could be applicable.
| when you want to… | make use of | …so you can… |
|---|---|---|
| raise a wider awareness / break down silos / ensure everyone contributes | round table | solicit individual perspectives on issues opportunities or suggestions |
| break down silos / tackle broken processes | business process modelling | raise awareness of the 'bigger' process / join up and fix broken processes / improve process documentation / open up options for process automation |
| reduce inter-organisation communication problems / build up a common vocabulary | concept modelling | add crispness and rigour / remove ambiguities / connect human and technology / IT perspectives |
| make more visible qualitative dependencies and relationships | causal loop modelling | provide insights into 'what drives what' / identify self-reinforcing loops / identify levers for change |
Watch this space, as more information will be added to this page over time!