Flexibility of System of Systems

Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Oct-Dec 2008 by Gorod, Alex, Gandhi, S Jimmy, Sauser, Brian, Boardman, John

Abstract

In order to remain competitive, organizations have to make themselves accessible to a diversity of alternatives, which could be a direct influence on their flexibility; however, flexibility introduces a new context by which these organizations manage the systems they realize. In this paper, we present a theoretical perspective on the management of flexibility of a type of system called a System of Systems (SoS). We first define flexibility as it has been described with respect to the management of a system, how this may relate to SoS and establish that there is a deficiency for understanding how the SoS should be managed near the optimization region of flexibility. We then propose a theoretical model for managing flexibility in a SoS that begins to address this optimization region of flexibility. We demonstrate our model with an empirical case study of the New York City Yellow Cab SoS and conclude with potential implications this research has on flexible systems management.

Keywords: adaptability, autonomy, belonging, connectivity, diversity, emergence, flexibility, risk of flexibility, optimization space, system of systems.

Introduction

In the 1980's the United States (U.S.) government first introduced the term "system-of-systems" to describe an engineered system composed of multiple systems when they defined the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (Congress, 1989). More recently, the context of a System of Systems (SoS) has increasingly been proposed in both industry and academia as a solution to the engineering and management of complex systems problems because of the dynamic and flexible environment that it is believed these systems perform in. As a result, there is a reciprocal impact on customer needs that are continuously changing, which yields an exponential increase in complexity. A potential tension can thus arise between realizing the SoS and fulfilling customer needs which can have a direct influence on the SoS flexibility. While this tension may exist, there is limited knowledge or guidance on how organizations may conceive, realize and manage SoS. Hence, in this paper we will present a theoretical perspective and model, grounded in the literature and our research, on the flexibility of SoS that can help in managing their realization. First, we will discuss the management of flexibility as it has been described for systems, how this may relate to a SoS, and establish a need for the understanding how a SoS should be managed near the optimization region of flexibility. Second, we present our theoretical model for managing and engineering a SoS that will allow for researchers and practitioners to begin to understand and conceptualize the flexibility of a SoS. Finally, we use an empirical case study to exemplify our model and describe that a SoS has an Optimization Space where there is the highest level of adaptability at a certain corresponding level of a Flexibility Dynamic.

Flexibility

Businesses are witnessing an increasing demand for a global perspective that has created a greater appeal for complex systems as an integrative part of a competitive market (Friedman, 2006). Due to increasing globalization, systemic and organizational complexity and flexibility are becoming a common requirement for any organization to remain competitive (Dove 2001). Factors such as the fluidity of stakeholder requirements, evolving competitors, and the nature of the global environment are demanding this higher level of flexibility. Flexibility, we contend, is an important phenomenon in today's changing environment because, as stated by Sushil (2001), it is necessary for an organization to have options to be able to cope with their dynamic environment. Organizations have to be flexible with respect to various dimensions in order to remain competitive and the right amount of flexibility correlates with the highest amount of adaptability. Thus, adaptability is any change in the structure or functioning of an organization or system that makes it better suited to its environment (Sober 1993).

For systems engineering, Nilchiani and Hastings (2007) define flexibility as the ability of a system to respond to potential internal or external changes, affecting its value delivery, in a timely and cost-effective manner. The existence of flexibility can help a system adapt itself to the new conditions that arise because of changes in the environment. Likewise, Sushil (2001) further describes systemic flexibility as:

. . .the exercise of free will or freedom of choice on the continuum to synthesize the dynamic interplay of thesis and antithesis in an interactive and innovative manner, capturing the ambiguity in systems and expanding the continuum with minimum time and efforts...enterprise flexibility means creating options at various levels in the enterprise, developing ways and means of change across the range of options and providing freedom of choice to various actors in the enterprise to make this change happen with the minimum time and effort. This systemic concept of the enterprise flexibility can explain its various connotations such as adaptiveness, openness, responsiveness, change, freedom, agility, resilience, customization and so on ....