The complex relationship between organizations, information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) indicates that changes to the organization are likely to have an effect on the usefulness of existing IS and the success of IS projects. Information needs of new and existing users have to be assessed and organizational IS evaluated for their capability to satisfy these needs. This paper des...

The development of systems practitioners in engineering has revealed the need to bridge between the research methods teaching of engineering management and soft systems approaches. Whilst action research might be viewed implicitly as the research strategy of systems practice we argue that engineering management research methods, in the broadest sense, require practical linking with soft systems...

There are many complicated and seemingly intractable problems in the health care sector. Past ways to address them have involved political responses, economic restructuring, biomedical and scientific studies, and managerialist or business-oriented tools. Few methods have enabled us to develop a systematic response to problems. Our version of soft systems methodology, SSM+, seems to improve prob...

This paper reports on some of the outcomes from a two-year Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) which included the development of an implementation process for the installation of customer relationship management (CRM) applications in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK mail order sector. Soft systems methodology (SSM) was used to help appreciate the organizational structures and p...

Background: It is notoriously challenging to implement evidence-based care and to update and improve health care policy. Adhering to evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) serves as the driving force behind making decisions based on the best evidence and making efforts for improving the quality of patient care and outcomes. Despite requiring Iranian hospitals to implement CPGs in Ja...

This work presents the use of a problem structuring method, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), to structure a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) model, aimed at appraising energy efficiency initiatives. SSM was useful to help defining clearly the decision problem context and the main actors involved, as well as to unveil the relevant objectives for each stakeholder. Keeney’s Value Focused Thi...

This paper presents research in progress on the development of a soft systems process for the analysis and definition of systems problems in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this process is to act as a guide for systems practitioners in their work with SMEs. The intention being to provide a process that considers the technical, organisational, personal and social dimensions o...

This paper underlines how the use of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) for an efficient planning, implementation and monitoring of a dynamic performance management system supported by a conceptual scheme that enables a conscious and prepared implementation, can provide instances of performance of a collaborative network, and also promote alignment among the partners. A systematic way to implement ...

Checkland has said that the process of doing Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) provides the means by which an organisation can define itself through learning what it is which characterises the organisation. (Checkland and Scholes, 1990, 311-312) If the process of doing SSM is a learning system then in SSM an organisation has a means of instituting organisational learning. Respected authors (specif...

This paper presents a pedagogical evaluation of the framework SDDD as a “soft systems” approach to Domain-Driven Design of computer-based information systems development. The framework combined techniques from Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), the Unified Modelling Language (UML), and an implementation pattern. Systems development and teaching evaluations are done to find better framework which c...