Systems Thinking Assignment #1: Gen-i Change Management System

This report uses the Viable Systems Model to analyse the Change Management System at Gen-i. The scope of this project was to cover the system as it pertains to the Accident Compensataion Corporation account. This systems analysis project has provided some useful insight into how the change management function at Gen-i is working. The system description presented a worldview that was very mechanistic and orderly and this is typical of Information Technology organisation culture. The viable systems model revealed that the system is functioning in a world where one group is carrying the majority of the weight of system management. The leadership that should be present is not engaged in the meta system functions. The solutions that were drawn specifically targeted the active management and leadership for the system, the issue of metrics and accountability and the management of the communications between the actors and other stakeholders in the system. Taking a broader view of the situation, this is a recipe for dissatisfaction among the technical resources as there is no way of recording their successes and celebrating them. Finally, the lack of transparency and management in the system is leading to a situation where the external customer has no visibility of where the system is breaking down and this is leading to false conclusions as to whom is to blame. As a systemic problem this quite complicated and is worthy of further analysis using a soft systems methodology approach (Jackson, M. 2004).

The main word document can be accessed here:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df9bf7w7_182nmr7d5rx

Diagrams from the document can be accessed at thise links: