What are we looking at?
What exactly is a “system”, what is it made of, and can any collection be called one?
The definition
One of the most basic concepts we deal with in systems analysis is “system” itself. If our understanding of it isn’t precise and deep, the whole process of analysis stays vague. The usual, accepted definition is:
A system is a set of related components that work together to reach a specific purpose.
Three things are key in this definition:
Components. Every system is made of several parts; they may be physical objects, people, data, tasks or even concepts.
Relations between components. Components alone don’t make a system. What gives the set its coherence is the relation between them, whether physical, logical, informational or controlling.
Purpose. Most systems have a purpose that determines the direction and work of the components. Without one, components may sit side by side by chance but don’t count as a “system”.
A car is a simple example: the engine, wheels, steering and the rest all interact to reach a purpose like “effective movement”.
Does every system have a purpose?
In systems analysis we usually assume systems have purposes, but that assumption needs some explanation.
Natural systems, like the solar system or the water cycle, don’t have a purpose set by a conscious agent. I do believe the order of creation was set by God; but in systems analysis that order is usually treated as a cause-and-effect relation in the equations, not as a “purpose”, and instead we say the behaviour of these systems is regular and analysable. That is why some theories set purpose aside in these cases or treat it as “unconscious”.
Human systems, however, are assumed to have purposes by nature, because people have awareness and choice. When someone is inside an organisation or a team, we assume the system was made, or joined, for some purpose. The solar system has no conscious purpose; a factory does, for instance producing good-quality goods.
The smallest system
By the same definition, the smallest structure that counts as a system has at least two components and one relation between them. Two people in a room are a system only if there is some relation between them, such as conversation or cooperation. Otherwise they are scattered components with no systemic function.
How does a systems view help?
Once we understand the definition of a system and its parts precisely, in our analysis we can know what components we are dealing with, find and model the relations between them, and identify, analyse or even correct the system’s purpose.
| Element | Explanation |
|---|---|
| System | A set of related components that work toward a purpose |
| Components | The elements the system is made of |
| Relations | Connections or interactions between components |
| Purpose | The destination or final function of the system |