Business Information System Analysis: Hard and Soft System Thinking and Decision Process Design - Desklib

This study focuses on hard and soft system thinking and paradigms, their comparison, and decision process design using the case study of Clinical Healthcare Inc. Hard system thinking enables users to look at the specifications of the scheme in a larger depth, while soft system thinking is used to analyze complex problems and identify acceptable improvements. The decision process design for Clinical Healthcare Inc. involves recognition of key stakeholders, risk analysis, and the creation of effective procedures and relationships.

Business information system analysis
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Hard System Thinking...............................................................................................................4
Soft System Thinking.................................................................................................................5
Comparison of Hard and Soft Systems Thinking and the circumstances where the two System
Thinking may overlap................................................................................................................6
Design and evaluation of a decision process by using the case study of Clinical Healthcare
Inc...............................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10
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Introduction
Bednar and Sadok 2015 clearly provide an overview of the socio-technological toolbox on
the combination of the methods with the number of amalgamation of socio-technical
methodologies. The authors of the study has been developing the system development and
thinking over a long period of time. The greatest contribution from the concerned article is
the SSM, which is having a crucial role in the area of system. There is also another system
which is based tactic that could be utilised for the system thinking for the system resolution.
Bednar defines this kind of system as the HST. One good example of HST is landing of the
humans on the moon in 1970s. Bednar 2015 found that HST has limitations in meaning with
the diversity in human action. At last, Bednar and Sadok outlines that HST and SST are the
two dissimilar stances in the contemporary system practice.
This study concentrates on stating the Hard and Soft thinking and paradigms. The first
part of the study will outline the process and definition of the stated two systems. After that,
the second part of the study will provide a contrast of the Soft and Hard System Thinking.
The study will also outline the circumstances where the two system thinking might overlap.
At last, the decision process would be outlined by taking the case scenario of Clinical
Healthcare Inc.
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Hard System Thinking
Hard System Analysis enables the users to appear at the specifications of the scheme in a
larger depth. This analysis closely aligned with the organisational ambition and objectives. It
also supposes that every scheme of the HST could be disaggregated in a number of subsets.
HST considered as system which has a clear purpose and defined purposes and is helpful in
creating and designing the solutions which might attain the objectives and goals (Bednar &
Sadok, 2015). It outlines a replica which has specific purposes and these purposes could be
articulated in quantitative terms permitting the growth of methodological paradigms. It is
expressed that the spirit of hard system model comprises a number of subsystems which
could be quantified and identified to state a description of the workings of those subsystems
(Bednar & Sadok, 2015). Thus, the whole scheme is the collaboration of all the subsystems.
Different apparatus such as prepared flowcharts, diagramming techniques and
mathematical representation are grounded on the applications of the management science
techniques which are utilised to analyse and describe the arrangements. The Hard system
comprises different stages and these stages comprises commitment and awareness, objectives
and goals, assessing alternatives, model construction, constraints, evaluation and
implementation (Buede & Miller, 2016). The commitment and awareness stage is to create
awareness of the problematic situation. After this, the agreement is reached optimising the
purposes and scope of the study to identify the dilemma. After this, commitment is made
which is very important to execute a solution as without any commitment a project will fail
(Buede & Miller, 2016). In situation of the objectives and goals stage, constraints which are
relevant for the system are needed to be analysed to establish the direction and nature of the
company. The direction and nature of the company is established which can be expressed in
the hierarchy of the statements. The main objective of existence of the organisation is its
mission statement. These mission and visions of the company are both long-term and short-
term objectives of the company. Furthermore, an organisation set the goals to meet the actual
objective of the company.
After implementing the objectives in accordance to the alternative stage, several
possible ranges of the substitutes and alternatives gets discovered to attend the inclined issues
and convene the purposes. If, under any situation no alternatives exist, then the mission,
objectives and system of the company are readdressed to create a review of the analytics
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(Glover, Sarma & Overbye, 2012). After it, the assessing of the alternatives stage, companies
could measure the alternatives against the defined set of criteria which allows making
valuable judgement for the effectiveness of the proposed path. After that, during assess the
alternative stage, it is significant to gauge the alternative next to the set of criterion which
permits us to make a valuable judgement for the efficiency of the planned ways for attaining
the organisational objectives. In addition to this, the study conducted by Bednar and Sadok
2015 classified the measure of performance as the four Es such as Effectiveness, Efficiency,
Efficacy and Equity. At last, in the model building, at the implementation and evaluation
phase towards the system model, there is requirement of providing systematic description and
evaluation to analyse and recognise the evaluation and credibility of the different route to the
objectives.
Soft System Thinking
In 1981, Peter Checkland developed a strategy named Soft system methodology to analyze
the situations of complex problem and identify the acceptable improvements that could be
implemented to the related situations (Satzinger, Jackson & Burd, 2011). SSM functions with
the main aim to attain enhancement of the system that can be achieved by the help of series of
multistage functions of gathering information, analysis, description and debate. SSM has
various stages and process among which the first stage comprises of making an observation
carefully about the problem with all the details and recordings. The process comprises of
qualitative data collection like the opinions and attitudes regarding the situation along with
attitude regarding the interference in matters in the form of picture known as Rich picture.
Different viewpoints are taken inconsideration about the models of the system along with the
descriptions drawn within the picture (Satzinger, Jackson & Burd, 2011). Thereafter, the real
world situations are taken in consideration to make various comparisons about the models of
the picture that are lastly discussed with the problem owners to suggest them with the
changes that are systematically desirable and culturally feasible in nature and ensure
improvements in the present situation. The decision process has been evaluated by making a
brief description of the various stages of the Soft system thinking by the help of case study
about the firm Clinical Healthcare Inc.
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Comparison of Hard and Soft Systems Thinking and the circumstances where the two
System Thinking may overlap
The concept behind the classification of systems into two parts by Bednar is important to be
understood. Bednar 2015 stated the main difference between the two approaches is that the
hard approach answer the basic question of the type of system needed to solve the problems.
The basic difference between the two is that there is no comparison stage involved in the case
of soft technology method. In case of any comparisons to be made, a structure is provided by
the soft system thinking to conduct a debate about the changes that enhances the hopes of its
superior quality because of the detailed information discussed at the root level (Vera &
Fabian, 2016). Whereas, the hard system thinking takes the preparation of implemented
designed system as the first priority. Moreover, the hard thinking system is basically used for
the special cases whereas; the soft thinking system is usually implemented for the general
cases. The conceptual model is improved by the help of soft thinking systems as it uses the
formal system thinking along with other thinking systems. On the other hand, the design is
optimized by the help of hard system as it uses a defined performance criterion as well as
selection of best alternative that is also feasible in nature. Since the problems are not
specified in the soft thinking system, an additional stage is implemented for the system
analysis that helps in organizing debate about the change. The main characteristic of the
human body system can be reflected by the additional stage (Vera & Fabian, 2016).
However, a single account can never describe the human activities therefore; this can be
sufficient or acceptable for the hard system thinking. Moreover, the system already agreed
upon are implemented by the soft thinking system whereas, the designed are usually
implemented by the hard system thinking. Furthermore, a comparison has also been made
regarding the RAND corporation version along with Jenkins account that led formation of
hard system thinking.
It is stated the interpretation of the system concept is the main ground of classification
between the hard system and soft system. The system is considered to be an objective part of
the world in the hard system thinking (Wu, 2012). On the other hand, epistemological
concept is taken into consideration in the soft thinking system that is mainly constructed by
subjective thinking than objective entities. Having a specific goal and a good structure are the
presumptions of the hard thinking system. On the other hand, other strategies are employed
by the soft thinking system because they consider it difficulties. Hard thinking system lays
emphasis on the ability of people to deal with the problems as it assumes people to be capable
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of doing so (Wu, 2012). On the other hand, the observed object along with the observer are
considered to be responsible for building a problematic situation because of the importance
given to the observer at the observing situation. Making a detailed comparison of the hard
and soft thinking system leads to the conclusion that SST achieves a shifting that is paradigm
in nature that plays a vital role in changing the applied system thinking from hard approach to
soft approach.
Design and evaluation of a decision process by using the case study of Clinical
Healthcare Inc.
Clinic Healthcare Inc. is providing health services since 1996. The company offers a
complete line of the Chiropractic and message supplies at the lowest prices in the industry.
The concerned organisation in the holistic multi-criteria benefit analysis is making effort
develop an understanding of what the true benefits in its current system (Dennis, Wixom &
Tegarden, 2015). The current situation of the company requires recognition of the key
stakeholders of the issues. In order to manage the key variances, it is important for the Clinic
healthcare to have a formal agreement with its management regarding the recognition of the
potential variances. A list of all the variances needs to be described as per the legal
accountabilities, best practices and professional necessities and requirements (Dorf & Bishop,
2011). For each of the operational variance, the management of the concerned organisation
need to be explained with recommendations.
The information and the cyber-security management indulges all the risk analysis, it
related scenarios and the protection plan. All of these include the technological aspects,
organisational aspects and the social aspects. The Clinical Healthcare for its business
information system analysis, have to consider different questions such as Human Activity
System, it redesigning and involved risks (Hoffer, 2012). The risk analysis of the company
emphasised more towards the potential damage and its consequences for the human activity
system. For each of the risk, it is important to recognise the system entity, damage, threat and
probability. It is also important to identify on how to treat the influences. The threats of the
concerned organisation are related to the key variances while all the other operations are
related to the operational variances (Hoffer, 2012). The outcome of the plan needs to be
executed and implemented in the designing of the overall ST system analysis.
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It could be said that the utilisation of the ST methods in the context of Clinical
Healthcare continuous to pose several challenges. From the context of the concerned
organisation, it could be identified that the STT continuous to play a very significant role and
is appreciated by the majority of all the related units (Åström & Wittenmark, 2013). The
attitude of the company supporting the usage of the toolbox is purely pragmatic and the
company is focusing on the perception of the employees and the mangers of the company.
The theme of the company comprises the development of the organisational and technical
design of the new work system. The organisational design is referred to the dissimilar
conduct of analysing the human activity system to attain the job satisfaction objectives and
efficiency. It is important that Clinical Healthcare pays specific attention towards the
creation of effective procedures and relationships. The organisation needs to identify the
objectives of its benefit management to develop a specific plan.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, it could be said that socio-technological dimension is very much used in the
current business scenarios of the Clinical Healthcare. The approaches of ST are very popular
and several organisations are implementing it in its business operations. The concept of
system analysis comprises the implementation of the organisational problems, the realization
of the benefit management analysis and the evaluation of achieving the objectives till it is
properly implemented. The study also concluded that different tools such as structured
flowcharts, diagramming techniques and mathematical representations are based on the
applications of the management science techniques which are used to analyse and describe
the systems. The Hard system comprises different stages and these stages comprises
commitment and awareness, objectives and goals, assessing alternatives, model construction,
constraints, evaluation and implementation. The study also analysed that it is important for
the Clinic healthcare to have a formal agreement with its management regarding the
recognition of the potential variances. A list of all the variances needs to be described as per
the legal accountabilities, best practices and professional necessities and requirements.
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References
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Courier Corporation.
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methods. John Wiley & Sons.
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oriented approach with UML. John wiley & sons.
Dorf, R. C., & Bishop, R. H. (2011). Modern control systems. Pearson.
Duan, G. R. (2010). Analysis and design of descriptor linear systems (Vol. 23). Springer
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Glover, J. D., Sarma, M. S., & Overbye, T. (2012). Power System Analysis & Design, SI
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Analysis and Design and Interative Development. Pearson Education India.
Rosenblatt, H. J. (2013). Systems analysis and design. Cengage Learning.
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changing world. Cengage learning.
Vera, Y., & Fabian, N. (2016). Crime prevention through environmental design.
Wu, B. (2012). Manufacturing systems design and analysis. Springer Science & Business
Media.
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