Torrens University: MGT603 System Thinking Report on Centurylink

This report provides a detailed analysis of Centurylink's organizational issues using a system thinking approach. It identifies problems related to customer service and technician shortages, specifically focusing on modem installation. The report utilizes the CATWOE framework to analyze the situation, considering customers, actors, the transformation process, world-view, and environmental constraints. The analysis reveals that the company's shortage of technicians and the lack of customer technical expertise are key issues. The report suggests that Centurylink should create a new system to streamline the installation process and hire more technicians. The report also includes a rich picture to visualize the complex situation and references supporting the analysis.

Running head - SYSTEM THINKING
System Thinking
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Background of System Thinking
The key technique which several organizations follows for handling substances
regarding performances of schemes, which spots at the system’s elementary portion, is
known system thinking (Sharma & Matheson, 2016). The organization of system thinking or
investigation of system thinking is fine thought out as traditional inspection, which welfares
the business in longsuffering the systems and breaking them into various other basics.
According to the system thinking process, conduct of the system fallouts in frequent
establishment and the symmetry of the practice itself (Phillips & Stalter, 2016).
The support giving suggestions that flows in the system thinking. Finally suggestions
the system to failing (Oner & Adadan, 2016). Thus, complementary process is practical,
which expending the request of system thinking as it assistances in preserving symmetry in
the certain system. . The process could be used in many kind of research area and is applied
to various other fields of studies like – economics, educational system and medicine.
Analysis of the problem faced
In the assignment one, the problem that have been pointed out are regarding the
service of the organization Centurylink (Morrill, Wiley & Bugenhagen, 2017). Issues that
have been pointed out is the issues regarding the public service that the organization provide
for the installation of the modem at the various houses that that they provide connection with.
The organization have been facing along issue regarding their disruption of the customer
service provided by the organization. They been in the business for a longer period and they
have been this kind of issues in recent times (Wiley & Bugenhagen, 2015).
Centurylink is organization that have its base in the United States of America. The
organization provides communication and data service at many houses and other
organizations. The organization have been providing connection in more than 37 states in the

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country (Casey, et al., 2019). The organization have a superb track record as the service they
provide in undoubtedly one of the most excellent kind of service in the field. The consumers
have been completely satisfied by the service that is produced by the organization.
Recently, they have been facing some issues regarding the shortage of staffs. There
have been issues in the organization that there have been many people that have not been able
to provide the necessary service that is needed for the organization. They were not able to
provide the necessary amount of service so that they could be able to get their modem
installed in the organization. The shortage of the technician at the organization have led to the
rise of many other problem. The shortage of technician at the organization have overthrown
the management of Centurylink (Osborne, 2018). There have been complains the consumers
are in desperate need of the service as they are not able to perform the task by their own. As
the technicians were hired to perform other work in the organization as well. However, if the
organization have been suffering the loss of technician and they were able to come up with a
prominent solution also. The organization were offering the modems and not the service of
installation. They claimed that they customers would be able to perform the task by their
own.
The organization were doing well also many of the customers that were buying the
service were doing well also. The load on the various technicians were lowered by that time.
Although, it was found with the help of survey that the customers that have purchased the
modem were able to join the connection as they had a background in the field of technical
studies. Initially the demand of the technicians become high again.
CATWOE
The understanding of the system thinking is better down is done better with the help0
of the system thinking tool. The tools is named as CATWOE. It is used by organizations and

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other associations for the analysis of the system that would help in understanding the system
behavior and the other issues regarding the various behavioral aspect or the issues that have
been raised in the organization. The tool CATWOE stands for – customers, actors,
transformation process, world-view and environmental constraints (Vucurevich, 2015).
Customers – The customers are seen as a very important part of the organizational structure.
They are one of the most important stakeholders of the organization as they are the one who
buys the products that is produced by the organization. The organization is responsible for
creating the service and the customers are entitled to receive the various services that is
produced by the particular organization. Centurylink is the organization that produce service
that is received by the customers. Centurylink providers’ connection in communication and
data transfer that is enjoyed by the various customers of the organization. The modem that is
produced by the organization is responsible for the providing the data that is offered by the
organization Centurylink. Thus, the modem needs to be installed by the organization for
enjoying the service of the organization (Heinz & McNaughton, 2018). However, the
customers are unable to install the modem by their own as they are not equipped with or have
the experience to set the modem by their own. Most of the customers’ are from not aware of
the procedures that is used of installing modem at their homes. Thus, these customers are in
desperate need of the technicians that would help them in installing the modem at their place.
The organization is currently in short of technicians that would provide the service by virtue
of which the customers would be able use the connection provided by the organization. Thus,
the organization is facing a crisis in the customers, point of view.
Actors – The actors in the CATWOE tools is considered as the person or the number of
different category people that are involved with the problem that is in the organization. The
people that are involved with the problem that is faced by the Centurylink organization are
the employees – both higher and lower level at the management and the other technical

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sectors of the organization and the customers that are getting the service form the
organization (McNaughton, Heinz & Bugenhagen, 2017).
Transformation process – Centurylink would be needing a change in their business
conduction process as they service they are providing the customers are not satisfactory for
their customers.
World-view – It is the element by the virtue of which the problem or the issue at the
organization is viewed in a broader aspect. These service issues have been creating huge
problem for the organization as the name and the brand image of the organization is at stake.
Owner – This aspect of the tool is used to determine the various aspect of the organization
related to the stakeholders.
Environmental Constraints – The resources in the organization is analyzed with the help of
this aspect. The various aspects that are the part of the environmental constraints are budget
and the time constraints.
Root Definition
By virtue of the CATWOE system analysis tool, the problem that is assessed from the
analysis could be explained as Centurylink is facing crisis regarding the their service
providing.
Solution
The solution that would be recommended for Centurylink as they should create a new
system that would help them in this installation process and they should hire more technicians
to help them get in touch with every houses they provide service.

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Rich Picture
(Source – Author)

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References
Sharma, S. R., & Matheson, A. (2016). Systems thinking in 21st century: a call to health
promoters. Health Prospect, 15(2), 1-2.
Phillips, J. M., & Stalter, A. M. (2016). Integrating systems thinking into nursing
education. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 47(9), 395-397.
Oner, D., & Adadan, E. (2016). Are integrated portfolio systems the answer? An evaluation
of a web-based portfolio system to improve preservice teachers’ reflective thinking
skills. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 28(2), 236-260.
Morrill, R. J., Wiley, W. L., & Bugenhagen, M. K. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,712,445.
Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Wiley, W. L., & Bugenhagen, M. K. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,154,634. Washington, DC:
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Casey, S. M., Schwengler, T., McBride, K. M., & Castro, F. (2019). U.S. Patent Application
No. 16/149,446.
Osborne, D. M. (2018). Re: Interconnection Agreement By and Between Central Telephone
Company d/b/a CenturyLink and Matrix Telecom, LLC d/b/a Excel Telecommunications for
the State of Nevada Pursuant to Section 252 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Vucurevich, T. (2015). U.S. Patent Application No. 14/629,031.
Heinz, J. M., & McNaughton, J. L. (2018). U.S. Patent No. 9,929,923. Washington, DC: U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office.
McNaughton, J. L., Heinz, J. M., & Bugenhagen, M. K. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,602,265.
Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.