Systems Thinking for Design

Session 6

• Dr. Karthik Chandrasekaran

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Session outline

Moving from discovery to diagnosis

Understanding the Context: Stakeholder Analysis

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Recap of sessions so far (1/2)

We, hopefully, learnt

more about the fuzzy
front-end of product
innovation, and the
importance of discovering
or understanding a
problem context
Incubators try to help
startups deal with
challenges in this stage

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Recap of sessions so far (2/2)
• Understanding self, identifying an area of
interest, seeking collaboration and negotiating
problems of interest (1-3)
Problem Space

• Observing, listening & discovering more about

the problem and its context (historical, social,
economic, technological trends) in a non-
judgmental way (4)

• Checking for completeness and summarizing

problem understanding with Discovery Matrix, Solution Space
Basic Systems Principles (System, Environment)
(5)

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 What next? Why another step before design?
• Aspects to probe in the discovery matrix
Deploy / • What is the real system-of-interest?
Discovery
Operate • What are its unique characteristics, context,
constraints?
• What are the high leverage parts-relations that
can drive holistic change?
• What is the likely purpose of the system?
Develop /
• Why do we do this?
Manufacture Diagnosis • It is only through a deeper understanding
of the problem situation that you can
define the problem in a creative way … in
Design other words, frame the problem
statement or “Design Challenge”

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How do we do diagnosis?
• By analyzing the discovery matrix for patterns of relationships

• Using multiple methods such as

• Stakeholder Analysis
• Cybernetic (Feedback) Analysis
• Network Analysis

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 How can we leverage other disciplines to
improve problem solving?
What you studied in design
Deploy / history should be applied here
Discovery
Operate

Matrices & Graph Theory

Develop /
Manufacture Diagnosis What you are studying in
Engineering Economics
should be applied here

Design Business Case for a potentially

What you will study in courses like
Algorithms & Data Structures, DSP, innovative product, service or solution
Materials Science, Mechanics will help here

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Session outline

Moving from discovery to diagnosis

Understanding the Context: Stakeholder Analysis

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Understanding the context
Complexity is the result of interactions
among stakeholders
 Several interest groups can be present in a
situation
 Customers views can be different from
employees views
 Departmental objectives may only convey
internal perceptions

Important to recognize the constraints in a

situation

And distinguish between constraints and

alterables (solution options)

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Who is a Stakeholder?
• Individuals, groups or agencies who have a stake
in the system-in-focus
• Their needs have to be fulfilled by the system either
by choice or by obligation

• Those who will be affected by the product or

solution
• They may or may not have a role in product /
solution formulation

• Over time mismatches could emerge between

organizational or departmental objectives and
their stakeholders

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What are the Needs of Stakeholders?
• NEED Refers to the requirements of
stakeholders which are to be
fulfilled by the system-in-focus
• Fundamental Needs
• The fundamental reason why stakeholders
are associated with a system
• Operational Needs
• Related to existing responsibilities of
departments
• Operational needs arise due to changes in
fundamental needs (of existing or new
stakeholders)

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Alterables and constraints
• Alterables
• Parameters, events or processes that can be
controlled or altered to fulfill the needs
• Alterables are different from alternatives. One
alterable can have multiple alternatives
• Constraints
• Limitations imposed by factors that are not
controllable by the system-in-focus
• The time factor separates constraints from
alterables

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Using Stakeholder Analysis for Diagnosis

• Categorize the key elements (identified from

problem description) into:
• Stakeholders
• Needs

Stakeholders
• Alterables
• Constraints
• Refine the discovery matrix by exploring the Needs
four categories

Needs
• S x N x A x C matrices
• Develop a list of system objectives by Alterables

Alterables
combining Needs, Alterables & Constraints
• Ex: To “address a need” through “an alterable” …
constraints define the extent of achievement Constraints

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Exercise 6.1
• Classify elements in the discovery matrix by S,N,A,C. Identify
missing stakeholders or needs or alterables or constraints

Stakeholders Needs of stakeholders Alterables for the Constraints for the

system-in-focus system-in-focus

S1. Customer N1.1 Clean streets A1. Improve collection C1. Street size/layout
N1.2. No health hazards
N1.3 A2. Local treatment C2
S2 N2.1…

S3. N3.1… A3. Spray disinfectant C3. Limited resources

S4
A4 C4
S5

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Inferring from Stakeholder Analysis (1/3)
• Boundary Analysis: Does it provide clues about the system-of-interest?
• What is the domain of interest?
• What is the problem of interest?

• Stakeholders & Needs: Are they diverse, conflicting or concentrated and

aligned? Which stakeholders are most critical and who can be ignored? Who is
the customer?
S1 N1 Needs with S1 N1
Diverse set of Stakeholders with
S2 N2 high out- S2 N1 S1 N2
stakeholders high in-degree,
S3 N3 degree, S3 N2 S2 N3
& needs Possibility of
S4 N4 Potential for S4 N4
Alignment
conflict

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Inferring from Stakeholder Analysis (2/3)
• Alterables: Check the out-degree and in-degree of alterables
N1 A1 Alterables with N1 A1
Diverse needs – Needs with high in-
N2 A2 high out- N2 A1 N1 A2
rethink system degree, Multi-pronged
N3 A3 degree, N3 A2 N2 A3
boundary approach,
N4 A4 Advantageous N4 A4
Dependencies
• Constraints: Do they point to unique aspects of the problem & limits to change?
• Are constraints within the system or in the environment?
• Identify those which have a high out-degree?
• Check if they affect the high out-degree needs or high in-degree stakeholders?

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Inferring from Stakeholder Analysis (3/3)
• Formulate objectives by combining needs, alterables and constraints
• An objective is To “satisfy the need of a stakeholder” by “modifying an alterable” within
“the given constraints”.

• Once all combinations are formed, refine and reduce the set of objectives (what
the system should do) to about 20-25 most important ones

• Analyze the objective set to see if it provide clues about purpose of the system,
its unique aspects and critical success factors

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Exercise 6.2
• Derive inferences about your problem from the SNAC matrix

The problem solver or designer should

overcome the tendency to use their
constraints as an excuse to avoid
understanding the unique characteristics
of their clients

Interactions with stakeholders and more

fine grained observations of their
everyday work can help question the
obvious and explore alternatives

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 Stakeholders & Needs of a naval refit unit
NHQ / Ship Staff Planning & Production MSB Industrial / non-
 Attention to maximum defects  Accurate requirements for industrial workers,
Control materials and spares (quantity, supervisory staff and
 Quality and timely delivery of specification) from Naval civilian officers
ships after refit  Standard defect lists or updated Dockyard
 Shore supply services (water, matrix units  Due consideration for
electricity, etc.) from dockyard  Return of unused material experience
 Draft Key Schedule for a particular  Standardization of material and  Higher responsibility and
 Single point contact before, refit spares training for the same
during and after refit
 Timely accessibility to information  Consolidated and phased  Respect from younger
NHQ / WNC / ENC on resources available at requests for material/spares service officers
 Timely delivery of ships with Production Centers, Service &  Training for higher
desired quality to maintain Support Centers and Dry Dock Controller of Defence responsibilities –
balance of force Facilities Accounts (CDA) supervisory and managerial
 Minimum number of  Transparency in operations  Healthy working conditions
 Timely and reliable feedback on
postponements
shop floor status from Production  Authentic information on  Skill Training
 Transparency in operations of and Service & Support Centers on manpower sanctions and  Minimum off-loading of
dockyard actuals work
each WI and material status

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Alterables
 Materials planning (how Resource allocation/utilization On line inventory control with Conduct training courses
much, from whom and when) access to each shop floor during lean periods
Recruiting younger people
Local purchase Streamlined systems and
 Maintain database of past procedures
problems on refit and the Training – multi-skill, managerial,
computer On-line access to ship movement
material used. plan Simple impact analysis
models
 Maintain database on past Fresh talent – lower age group
Out sourcing vessel maintenance
delivery schedules from MSB  Guidelines on contract work
and other suppliers for Higher position for civilian Computerized data base on casual
various types of material
officers workers QA guidelines
Relocation of people Comprehensive Mode of appraisal
 Computerization and personnel
networking of departments database
Facilities planning/grouping Budgets
Computer operators and
 Channeling similar material
Trained manpower from training resources Cost accounting and reporting
requirements through a center procedures
single source User friendly system for different
types of analysis On-line connectivity with
stores

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 Constraints

 Lack of documentation on NHQ policy – on class of SRO (Statutory Recruitment Physical spread of dockyard for regular
foreign equipment and ships, changes in priorities Order – criteria for recruitment) monitoring
material.
WNC policy Shortage of skilled man power Untimely change in ship movements
 Actual material requirements
not known till the opening of Apprentice Act Selection of proper external
agencies for maintenance Availability of vessels
equipment at dry dock
Frequent changes in officers
placement Non-availability of spares and Maintenance of vessels during heavy
 Non standardized nature of inventory status work load
equipment /defects.
Location in Mumbai (on
costs, availability of people) Complaint over verbal Limited supply of feed water
 Materials procurement policy communication.
of NHQ (dependence on MSB) Inconveniences to people
(travel/health) and Delay in availability of ship Difficulty in maintaining casual labor
 Lead time for the supply of operational difficulties due to movement detail. details
material by MSB and other maximum load taken up in
agencies monsoon Non-availability of vehicles Some naval specifications are not in
conformity with IS/BS specifications.
Dry dock facility
Shortage of alternate sources of suppliers

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 Sample system Objectives & measures
ASD DGM (PL/PP), COSM, PRMs DCY, CoY
 To abide by NHQ  To improve accuracy of key  To assess information on ship
policy/priorities schedules taking into requirements (fresh water, feed
consideration actual work load water, fuel requirements)
 No. of Deviations concerning
departments, management, employees  Percentage of deviation between  No. of deviations from actual
actual and estimated
 To improve flexibility in requirements
maintaining balance of force  To standardize defects list to  To improve dry dock utilization
ensure minimum deviation
 No. of ships under refit class wise between planned and  % space unutilized
 To minimize dependency on unplanned defects  To identify new technologies for
foreign agencies  % of defects standardized shop floor equipment
 No. of depending foreign agencies  To minimize slippage in  No. of equipment identified for new
schedules by reducing lead technology
 % materials / spares / equipment
procured from foreign agencies time in organizing resources  No of new technologies identified
 Average lead time

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Summary of stakeholder assessment
• The ranking of processes (in terms of objectives)
• Planning & production
• Human Resources
• Yard Services
• Materials
• Quality Assurance
• Information Systems
• Costing and Auditing.
• About 60 percent of objectives were related to Planning, Production
and HR processes indicating their criticality in overall improvement

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Reflect on today’s
session and post
your comments

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