Viable Systems Model based Requirements Engineering

To manage in business environment of global economy, enterprises and their information systems have to change continuously. In this context, the use of Viable Systems Model (VSM) [1] that is designed for enterprises to manage in unpredictably changing environment becomes a promising option for requirements engineering in continuous information systems development and change management. VSM [1], [2], [3] has been applied in many areas, such as computer systems design [4], metaprogram management [5], strategic management [6], and environment scanning and foresight [7], intranet design [8], etc. The VSM of an enterprise prescribes 5 interrelated sub-models, which are called systems: Operational System 1, which brings the benefit to the customer of an enterprise, Coordination System 2, that ensures smooth cooperation of relatively independent parts of the operational system, Integration System 3 that cares for optimal work and auditing (done by System 3*) of the System 1, Strategic Management System 4, and Organizational Identity Management System 5 that ensures balance between intensions of System 4 and goals of the rest of the whole super system of five Systems. System 1, System 2, System 3, System 4, and System 5 are just functional systems and the VSM does not prescribe corresponding 5 organizational units that fulfill theses functions, i.e., the functions can be distributed among different roles in an enterprise. The VSM also prescribes a number of communication channels inside of System 1 and among the Systems1-5. The VSM has the following features that show its potential applicability in requirements engineering:  VSM prescribes clear groupings of functionality where there are specific functioning units for particular groups of elements (customers) in the environment.  VSM has a fractal structure, which fosters repetition of particular enterprise architecture patterns at different levels of model hierarchy.  VSM addresses internal structural changes in the system that opens possibility to identify requirements for mechanisms of adaptation and for adapting of the system.