Complex systems are open systems which interact with their surrounding environment. However, it may be difficult to define clear borders around complex systems. In other words, the boundaries among the subsystems as well as between the system and its surrounding environment may dynamically change due to continuous flows of information and resources passing through them.
Although it might be easy to define clear border among tangible resources at LTH (like buildings, laboratories, workshops, and equipment), it is difficult to do so for intangible resources (like brand, reputation, culture, knowledge, skills, motivation, and capacity for communication and collaboration). These are we (the agents of LTH) and our interactions that dynamically determine the state of intangible resources at LTH. As intangible resources are borderless, LTH is borderless, too.
Supply chains are open systems with continuous flows of goods, resources, information, and finance passing through them. Flows of goods relate to huge amounts of materials and products (raw materials, in-process and finished products) as well as packages (primary, secondary, and tertiary) moving across networks of supply chains. There are also significant numbers of movable resources like humans and machines (unit loads and cargo carriers, vehicles, robots, machineries, etc.). Supply chains are also open to both horizontal and vertical flows of data and information as well as finance passing through them. This openness makes the supply chains dynamic and able to self-organize.
Due to, for example, division of labor and knowledge, economy of scope, economy of scale, market diversification, e-business, free trade, offshoring/outsourcing, and globalization of labor force, supply chains are evolving globally both horizontally and vertically. As a result, it is very difficult to define exact border for supply chains.
As supply chains are open systems with continuous flows through them from the entire globe, global governing rules and policies are required. Although tougher national regulations (rules and policies) can be defined, international regulation are also required. For example, introducing GHG emissions taxes or eco-labeling should become global to make the price and trade of exported/imported goods as well as services fare.
Although it might be easy to define clear border among tangible resources at LTH (like buildings, laboratories, workshops, and equipment), it is difficult to do so for intangible resources (like brand, reputation, culture, knowledge, skills, motivation, and capacity for communication and collaboration). These are we (the agents of LTH) and our interactions that dynamically determine the state of intangible resources at LTH. As intangible resources are borderless, LTH is borderless, too.
Supply chains are open systems with continuous flows of goods, resources, information, and finance passing through them. Flows of goods relate to huge amounts of materials and products (raw materials, in-process and finished products) as well as packages (primary, secondary, and tertiary) moving across networks of supply chains. There are also significant numbers of movable resources like humans and machines (unit loads and cargo carriers, vehicles, robots, machineries, etc.). Supply chains are also open to both horizontal and vertical flows of data and information as well as finance passing through them. This openness makes the supply chains dynamic and able to self-organize.
Due to, for example, division of labor and knowledge, economy of scope, economy of scale, market diversification, e-business, free trade, offshoring/outsourcing, and globalization of labor force, supply chains are evolving globally both horizontally and vertically. As a result, it is very difficult to define exact border for supply chains.
As supply chains are open systems with continuous flows through them from the entire globe, global governing rules and policies are required. Although tougher national regulations (rules and policies) can be defined, international regulation are also required. For example, introducing GHG emissions taxes or eco-labeling should become global to make the price and trade of exported/imported goods as well as services fare.
