RELEVANCE OF SOFT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGY

Relevance of Soft Systems Methodology in Industries

Relevance of Soft Systems Methodology in Industries

Introduction

The systems approach is a widely used method of exploring the nature of complex business situations by mapping the activities in a systems model. Systems can be described as “hard” or “soft”. Hard systems have precise objectives that can be expressed in mathematical terms, while soft systems are used in relation to human activities where there is unlikely to be agreement about the precise objectives of the system (Kirk, 1995). Soft systems may, therefore, be appropriate to the study of people-orientated hospitality activities. This paper considers the use of soft systems methodology to understand the complexity of hospitality operations and demonstrates its use through a fictional case study, which is drawn from real-life experiences.

Systems Theory

A system can be defined as “an organized, unitary whole composed of two or more interdependent parts, components or subsystems and delineated by identifiable boundaries from its environmental supersystem” (Kast and Rozenweig, 1985). A system must be bounded and contain parts which are described as subsystems. Systems interact with their environment, taking in and outputting substances, people or things, as in the examples of a computer or the human body. Hard systems theory has been developed from technology and manufacturing and assumes that any process can be broken down into a number of units to be defined and adjusted (Johns et al., 1994). The soft systems approach was developed by Checkland and Scholes (1990) as a technique of describing, modelling and solving the problems of complex situations.

Relevance of Soft Systems Methodology in Industries

Soft systems methodology has lots of relevancy in industries. Johns et al. (1994) argue that the “hard” systems approach is limited in scope because of the assumption that the transfer of tangible items is the main focus of the system. Alternatively, the “soft” systems approach emphasizes the “rich picture”, where there is a need to consider every feature of the system being studied. Hospitality operations are complex, and involve much interpersonal contact between staff and customers as well as connection with other systems such as human resources and finance. Accordingly, the “soft systems” approach is particularly appropriate for the study of hotel operations, and enables its richness and complexities to be modelled without preconceptions.

Patching (1990) explains how soft systems methodology (SSM) can help to unpack complexity using a mixture of systems thinking in the systems world, and practical activities in the real world. Figure 1 shows the steps involved in soft systems methodology moving from the real world to the systems world and back again to the real world.

From an unstructured situation, the problem is expressed in the form of conceptual models, which are compared with reality in order to elicit desirable action. Patching proposes the mnemonic CATWOE to use as a checklist to ensure that the all the components of the root definition are covered:

1. C clients or customers;

2. A actors who carry out the activities within the system;

3. T transformation, or the changes that take place in ...