Dear reader of this blog;
Happy new year!
One of my this year's resolutions (årslöften) is to update this blog regularly. I promise to do so especially for those who are not still heartily persuaded that sustainable development of complex systems call for a complexity theory perspective.
I am really grateful for your feedback and comments ...
Next: Adaptation
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Evolution
Some complex systems have two other very important characteristics: evolution and adaptation. These two are briefly explained in this and next posts, respectively. In future posts, Co-evolution and Co-adaptation and their embodiment in context of LTH as well as supply chains will be described.
Evolution, in general, is defined as a process of gradual and progressive change or development over time. Evolution is change of complexity and adaptation of complex systems in time. For me, evolution is the loveliest characteristic of complex systems where an inception starts. Based on what I have understood till now, evolution has originated from discipline of biology with belief in two generating mechanisms; natural selection and genetic drift. For sake of simplicity, I just exemplify some dimensions of natural selection which may help a complex system like LTH to evolve (I have adopted the principles from http://necsi.edu/):
1) Variation in species: This may relate to existence of optimal diversity of/at departments and divisions. Diversity should be in humans (for example students, researchers, and personnel) and their skills, research areas, research projects, courses and programs, etc.
2) Organisms produce more offspring than actually survive: There should be enough students and researchers in all levels from bachelor to professorship.
3) Organisms must struggle to survive: The organisms, like agents or departments at LTH, must be provided with enough resources and facilities. In addition, agents should also themselves struggle to earn resources like money; projects; contact with other faculties, universities, and industries; etc.
4) Some variations allow members of a species to survive and reproduce better than others: The agents, like departments or divisions, should train their students and personnel in a way to prepare them for surviving, like finding or creating jobs, after graduation.
5) Organisms that survive and reproduce pass their traits to their offspring, and the helpful traits gradually appear in more and more of the population: The senior researchers and graduate students must share and transfer their knowledge and experience with junior researchers and undergraduate students in time.
All the above mentioned dimensions provide opportunities for evolution in supply chains as well. Some examples inspired from the above principles can be as follow:
1) Variation in supply chain resources (both tangible and intangible);
2) Back up from upstream agents of the chain like dual sourcing than single one;
3) Optimal expanding and diversification of the downstream links like entering the new markets or creating new demands;
4) Shifting from supply chain view to value network view;
5) Translating markets’ values for each type of chain in the network.
Supply chains have tremendously evolved since their existence. Developing from traditional transport links to logistics and distribution and then combination with marketing and production are all evidence of evolution in supply chains. Supply chains have also faced with revolution in their evolution. For example, Industrial- and Information revolution as well as globalization (by introduction of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and its successor, WTO (World Trade Organization)) have tremendously affected evolution of supply chains.
In my current standpoint, I do believe that there is not naturally any guaranty for sustainable development in complex systems. What we can do is to make and run semi-sustainable strategies and operations, respectively which may show a pattern of emergent sustainability in both short- and long-terms. If we succeed to gradually develop while sustaining the system in the long term then we can open the door towards evolutionary sustainability. The role of a leader for sustainable development is to navigate the system in the direction towards emergence of evolutionary sustainability.
Evolution, in general, is defined as a process of gradual and progressive change or development over time. Evolution is change of complexity and adaptation of complex systems in time. For me, evolution is the loveliest characteristic of complex systems where an inception starts. Based on what I have understood till now, evolution has originated from discipline of biology with belief in two generating mechanisms; natural selection and genetic drift. For sake of simplicity, I just exemplify some dimensions of natural selection which may help a complex system like LTH to evolve (I have adopted the principles from http://necsi.edu/):
1) Variation in species: This may relate to existence of optimal diversity of/at departments and divisions. Diversity should be in humans (for example students, researchers, and personnel) and their skills, research areas, research projects, courses and programs, etc.
2) Organisms produce more offspring than actually survive: There should be enough students and researchers in all levels from bachelor to professorship.
3) Organisms must struggle to survive: The organisms, like agents or departments at LTH, must be provided with enough resources and facilities. In addition, agents should also themselves struggle to earn resources like money; projects; contact with other faculties, universities, and industries; etc.
4) Some variations allow members of a species to survive and reproduce better than others: The agents, like departments or divisions, should train their students and personnel in a way to prepare them for surviving, like finding or creating jobs, after graduation.
5) Organisms that survive and reproduce pass their traits to their offspring, and the helpful traits gradually appear in more and more of the population: The senior researchers and graduate students must share and transfer their knowledge and experience with junior researchers and undergraduate students in time.
All the above mentioned dimensions provide opportunities for evolution in supply chains as well. Some examples inspired from the above principles can be as follow:
1) Variation in supply chain resources (both tangible and intangible);
2) Back up from upstream agents of the chain like dual sourcing than single one;
3) Optimal expanding and diversification of the downstream links like entering the new markets or creating new demands;
4) Shifting from supply chain view to value network view;
5) Translating markets’ values for each type of chain in the network.
Supply chains have tremendously evolved since their existence. Developing from traditional transport links to logistics and distribution and then combination with marketing and production are all evidence of evolution in supply chains. Supply chains have also faced with revolution in their evolution. For example, Industrial- and Information revolution as well as globalization (by introduction of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and its successor, WTO (World Trade Organization)) have tremendously affected evolution of supply chains.
In my current standpoint, I do believe that there is not naturally any guaranty for sustainable development in complex systems. What we can do is to make and run semi-sustainable strategies and operations, respectively which may show a pattern of emergent sustainability in both short- and long-terms. If we succeed to gradually develop while sustaining the system in the long term then we can open the door towards evolutionary sustainability. The role of a leader for sustainable development is to navigate the system in the direction towards emergence of evolutionary sustainability.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Emergence
Emergence is another fundamental characteristic of complex systems.
It relates to capability of complex systems to show macroscopic properties which are distinct from microscopic properties of each agent (sub-system) of the system. In other words, we cannot understand the characteristic of the whole system by just looking at characteristic of each sub-system. The main reason is dynamic change of structures and interconnections/ relationships/ behavior of sub-systems.
Both complicated and complex systems show emergent properties. The former ones have predetermined while the later have semi-determined or non-determined characteristics.
A good example of emergence in a complicated system is different characteristics of Graphite and Diamond while both are constituted from Carbon. Interconnections of Carbon atoms in Graphite make it soft and dark while other interconnections of the same atoms in Diamond make it hard and clear. Isn’t it surprising?
A good example of emergence in complex systems is different characteristics of faculty of engineering (LTH) at Lund University than individual or collective characteristics of its departments and division. Some divisions may not have engineering or technological characteristics while are very important for emergence of such characteristics at the LTH in whole.
That’s due to belief to emergence that humans turn to families and societies, birds to flocks, ants to colonies, fish to shoals, mammals to herds, bees to swarms, etc.
By analogy, focal companies/enterprises/organizations have figured out that the values in different markets would be fulfilled just if they look at whole of the supply chain or network. Surprisingly, when they take the holistic view to whole of the chain or network the values can better be fulfilled even if some agents (sub-systems) of the chain or network in some occasions show other values (characteristics).
Due to existence of emergence in complex systems, like supply chains, their sustainable development call for a holistic, instead of reductionist, approach. The whole system can develop and evolve sustainably when both the design (statics) and operations (dynamics/interrelations) of each agent show a pattern of sustainability. Even if several partners or parts of supply chain – which are becoming more global – are sustainable, the whole is still unsustainable.
The role of a strategist for sustainable development is to arrange the statics and dynamics of the system in a way that desirable outcome be emerged both in short- and long terms.
It relates to capability of complex systems to show macroscopic properties which are distinct from microscopic properties of each agent (sub-system) of the system. In other words, we cannot understand the characteristic of the whole system by just looking at characteristic of each sub-system. The main reason is dynamic change of structures and interconnections/ relationships/ behavior of sub-systems.
Both complicated and complex systems show emergent properties. The former ones have predetermined while the later have semi-determined or non-determined characteristics.
A good example of emergence in a complicated system is different characteristics of Graphite and Diamond while both are constituted from Carbon. Interconnections of Carbon atoms in Graphite make it soft and dark while other interconnections of the same atoms in Diamond make it hard and clear. Isn’t it surprising?
A good example of emergence in complex systems is different characteristics of faculty of engineering (LTH) at Lund University than individual or collective characteristics of its departments and division. Some divisions may not have engineering or technological characteristics while are very important for emergence of such characteristics at the LTH in whole.
That’s due to belief to emergence that humans turn to families and societies, birds to flocks, ants to colonies, fish to shoals, mammals to herds, bees to swarms, etc.
By analogy, focal companies/enterprises/organizations have figured out that the values in different markets would be fulfilled just if they look at whole of the supply chain or network. Surprisingly, when they take the holistic view to whole of the chain or network the values can better be fulfilled even if some agents (sub-systems) of the chain or network in some occasions show other values (characteristics).
Due to existence of emergence in complex systems, like supply chains, their sustainable development call for a holistic, instead of reductionist, approach. The whole system can develop and evolve sustainably when both the design (statics) and operations (dynamics/interrelations) of each agent show a pattern of sustainability. Even if several partners or parts of supply chain – which are becoming more global – are sustainable, the whole is still unsustainable.
The role of a strategist for sustainable development is to arrange the statics and dynamics of the system in a way that desirable outcome be emerged both in short- and long terms.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Self-organization
Self-organization is one of the fundamental characteristics and themes of a complex system.
It relates to ability of a complex system to spontaneously arrange its components and their interactions into a sustainable, global structure that tries to maximize overall fitness, without need for an external or internal controller (inspired from Kauffman, 1995).
This is the main reason that new methods of governing complex systems suggest that the agents (sub-components) should be supported - although I love to call it persuaded - instead of forced or obligated. It is also the fundamental of bottom-up, in addition to top-down, policy or decision making.
That’s due to the belief to self-organization that, for example at Lund University, supervisors set aside optimal flexibility to their students to navigate in their research; or the head of the faculty delegates the power to each department and division.
By analogy, democratic governance and policy making requires delegation, distribution, and decentralization of power.
Thanks to self-organization, complex systems and their complicated or complex agents (sub-components) are able to spontaneously generate new internal structures and forms of behavior. Due to self-organization, the whole system can move toward innovation, adaptation, and evolutionary sustainability. For a system to self-organize, it must be open, flexible, communicating, and dynamic.
Capability of complex systems, like supply chains, to self-organize makes me optimistic to the feasibility of their sustainable development. This calls for generating a self-organizing economy where a global pattern of corporate social responsibility be emerged.
It relates to ability of a complex system to spontaneously arrange its components and their interactions into a sustainable, global structure that tries to maximize overall fitness, without need for an external or internal controller (inspired from Kauffman, 1995).
This is the main reason that new methods of governing complex systems suggest that the agents (sub-components) should be supported - although I love to call it persuaded - instead of forced or obligated. It is also the fundamental of bottom-up, in addition to top-down, policy or decision making.
That’s due to the belief to self-organization that, for example at Lund University, supervisors set aside optimal flexibility to their students to navigate in their research; or the head of the faculty delegates the power to each department and division.
By analogy, democratic governance and policy making requires delegation, distribution, and decentralization of power.
Thanks to self-organization, complex systems and their complicated or complex agents (sub-components) are able to spontaneously generate new internal structures and forms of behavior. Due to self-organization, the whole system can move toward innovation, adaptation, and evolutionary sustainability. For a system to self-organize, it must be open, flexible, communicating, and dynamic.
Capability of complex systems, like supply chains, to self-organize makes me optimistic to the feasibility of their sustainable development. This calls for generating a self-organizing economy where a global pattern of corporate social responsibility be emerged.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Complex Supply Chains and Sustainable Development
Based on the last post, supply chain is a complex system because:
1) It constitutes of several heterogeneous components (agents) which are usually referred to ‘supply chain design’ or ‘supply chain statics’.
Such components can be focal companies, suppliers, customers (B2B and B2C), distribution centers (terminals, hubs, consolidation centers, etc.), warehouses, retailers (outlets), transport actors, logistics service providers, resources (both tangible and intangible), goods (materials, packages, inventories, products, etc.), humans, and so on.
2) There are tremendous interactions among its components (agents) which are usually referred to ‘supply chain operations’ or ‘supply chain dynamics’. Interactions create flows in the chain, namely flows of information, goods (including packages), resources, and money.
Due to dynamic, diverse, and nonlinear interactions, supply chain (s) is (are) preferably called supply network (s). Due to such interactions, demarcation of / defining border for the system is very difficult.
3) Each sub-component (sub-agent) of supply chain components (agents) is a complex system by itself which may have an attribute of complexity or just complication (I will explain the difference of these attributes in another post).
For example, a focal company is by itself a complex system. It may constitute of several assembly lines, work stations, resources (staffs, tools, assets …), departments, and so on and so forth.
4) It may respond to different markets in different ways. Because of different values in different markets, different action/reaction strategies are required. Values can be time, cost, quality, environmentally friendliness, etc.
As supply chain is a complex system, its sustainable development call for complexity thinking. In whole of my PhD program, I will do my best to preserve my complexity glasses on my eyes when I study sustainable development of supply chains and packaging logistics.
For the integration of sustainable development into supply chain management to become reality, models and perspectives in which comprehension, not elimination or reduction, of the emergent complexity needs to be explored, developed, and used.
Concluding, there is great need for models and frameworks that consider the complexity and paradoxes involved, take holistic perspectives, and challenge the basic assumptions underlying most of the research published (i.e. reductionism, positivism and economic growth).
1) It constitutes of several heterogeneous components (agents) which are usually referred to ‘supply chain design’ or ‘supply chain statics’.
Such components can be focal companies, suppliers, customers (B2B and B2C), distribution centers (terminals, hubs, consolidation centers, etc.), warehouses, retailers (outlets), transport actors, logistics service providers, resources (both tangible and intangible), goods (materials, packages, inventories, products, etc.), humans, and so on.
2) There are tremendous interactions among its components (agents) which are usually referred to ‘supply chain operations’ or ‘supply chain dynamics’. Interactions create flows in the chain, namely flows of information, goods (including packages), resources, and money.
Due to dynamic, diverse, and nonlinear interactions, supply chain (s) is (are) preferably called supply network (s). Due to such interactions, demarcation of / defining border for the system is very difficult.
3) Each sub-component (sub-agent) of supply chain components (agents) is a complex system by itself which may have an attribute of complexity or just complication (I will explain the difference of these attributes in another post).
For example, a focal company is by itself a complex system. It may constitute of several assembly lines, work stations, resources (staffs, tools, assets …), departments, and so on and so forth.
4) It may respond to different markets in different ways. Because of different values in different markets, different action/reaction strategies are required. Values can be time, cost, quality, environmentally friendliness, etc.
As supply chain is a complex system, its sustainable development call for complexity thinking. In whole of my PhD program, I will do my best to preserve my complexity glasses on my eyes when I study sustainable development of supply chains and packaging logistics.
For the integration of sustainable development into supply chain management to become reality, models and perspectives in which comprehension, not elimination or reduction, of the emergent complexity needs to be explored, developed, and used.
Concluding, there is great need for models and frameworks that consider the complexity and paradoxes involved, take holistic perspectives, and challenge the basic assumptions underlying most of the research published (i.e. reductionism, positivism and economic growth).
Monday, August 23, 2010
Definition of complex systems!
There are several definitions for complex systems. Giving a sharp definition of a complex system is hard since the term is used in a wide variety of contexts. However, most of the definitions contain the following common parts:
1) Complex systems are those which are composed of many (often heterogeneous) components. The components – they are often called agents- are highly woven together.
2) Complex systems are those which there are interactions among their components. The interactions are dynamic and nonlinear. Interactions make the characteristics of the whole system different than collective characteristics of each component.
3) Complex systems are those which have complex components as well!
4) Complex systems are those which have within themselves the capacity to respond to their environments in more than one way.
The main objective of science of complexity is to figure out how groups of components (agents) work together. A complex system can be our brain, an economy, an ecosystem, Lund University, Packaging logistics, Supply chains, Sustainable supply chains, etc.
Lund University is a good example of a complex system because:
1) It is constituted of many heterogeneous agents namely faculties, departments, divisions, research groups, etc.
2) There are huge interactions among faculties as well as among faculties and industry, society, research organizations, etc. In fact, Lund University is more than just collection of its faculties.
3) Each faculty, or other agents of the university, is a complex system by itself. For example, LTH which is one of the eight faculties has several heterogeneous complex subsystems like departments. Departments are again by themselves complex systems. For example, department of design sciences at LTH is constituted of several complex subsystems like divisions. Divisions are again by themselves complex systems. For example, division of packaging logistics at department of design sciences is constituted of several diverse research groups (like sustainable-, innovative-, intelligent-, traceable-, food-, complex adaptive- packaging logistics, etc). Furthermore, there are massive and diverse interactions among its research groups as well as among research groups and other groups at Lund University, society, politicians, governors, industries, etc.
4) It can respond to different environments in different ways. Such environments can be the society, the country (Sweden), the continent (Europe), or the World.
In the next post, other examples of complex systems will be mentioned and discussed. The examples will be mainly about supply chains and logistics.
1) Complex systems are those which are composed of many (often heterogeneous) components. The components – they are often called agents- are highly woven together.
2) Complex systems are those which there are interactions among their components. The interactions are dynamic and nonlinear. Interactions make the characteristics of the whole system different than collective characteristics of each component.
3) Complex systems are those which have complex components as well!
4) Complex systems are those which have within themselves the capacity to respond to their environments in more than one way.
The main objective of science of complexity is to figure out how groups of components (agents) work together. A complex system can be our brain, an economy, an ecosystem, Lund University, Packaging logistics, Supply chains, Sustainable supply chains, etc.
Lund University is a good example of a complex system because:
1) It is constituted of many heterogeneous agents namely faculties, departments, divisions, research groups, etc.
2) There are huge interactions among faculties as well as among faculties and industry, society, research organizations, etc. In fact, Lund University is more than just collection of its faculties.
3) Each faculty, or other agents of the university, is a complex system by itself. For example, LTH which is one of the eight faculties has several heterogeneous complex subsystems like departments. Departments are again by themselves complex systems. For example, department of design sciences at LTH is constituted of several complex subsystems like divisions. Divisions are again by themselves complex systems. For example, division of packaging logistics at department of design sciences is constituted of several diverse research groups (like sustainable-, innovative-, intelligent-, traceable-, food-, complex adaptive- packaging logistics, etc). Furthermore, there are massive and diverse interactions among its research groups as well as among research groups and other groups at Lund University, society, politicians, governors, industries, etc.
4) It can respond to different environments in different ways. Such environments can be the society, the country (Sweden), the continent (Europe), or the World.
In the next post, other examples of complex systems will be mentioned and discussed. The examples will be mainly about supply chains and logistics.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Series of characteristics of complex systems!
In the previous posts, I intented to make you familiar with the holy grail of my current research. In general, I mostly deal with three main issues: "Packaging logistics", "sustainable development", and "complexity".
In a series of coming posts, I am going to write about definitions, characteristics and themes of each issue; starting by complexity and complex systems. In addition, I will try to mention examples from several disciplines but mostely from logistics, packaging logistics, and sustainable development. The next post is about 'definition of complex systems'! So, do not forget to follow;
In a series of coming posts, I am going to write about definitions, characteristics and themes of each issue; starting by complexity and complex systems. In addition, I will try to mention examples from several disciplines but mostely from logistics, packaging logistics, and sustainable development. The next post is about 'definition of complex systems'! So, do not forget to follow;
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