Soft System Methodology

【Topic 1: Problem Solving.  Subtopic 1.7: Soft System Methodology】

HOW to solve a problem (thoughts of 2000)?

Peter Checkland writes a 1999 book “Soft system Methodology (SSM) in Action”, where many practical business cases are detailed. Features of his SSM are: ease of use; stated rules to follow; and there is even a “constitutive definition of SSM” to limit claimed use of SSM.  Checkland is able to package SSM as a process knowledge and rules for users to do it themselves.  This package, although updated over years, remains a practical way to solve even today’s business problems.  SSM stated rules includes its 7-stage processes:

Stage 1: Finding out

Stage 2: Expressing the problem situation

Stage 3: Formulating Root definition & CATWOE, Analysis 1, 2, 3

Stage 4: Building Activity Models

Stage 5: Comparing Models and Perceived World

Stage 6: Debating

Stage 7: Taking Action

Root definition means to find the root cause in the cause-effect theory.  CATWOE is another famous SSM term, meaning Customer, Actor, Transformation, Worldview, Owner, and Environment of the problem situation.  These 6 CATWOE elements catch the relevance of the problem, and are used to raise relevant questions and start debates.  It is only through debates stakeholders are able to see other people’s worldviews and be clear the necessary actions to take.

In a project to define the mission of Information and Library Services Department (ILSD) of British Imperial Chemical Industry (ICI) company, Checkland mentors several ICI researchers to cycle these 7 stages, each cycle with progressive contents.  In cycle 1 ICI researchers are building an EROS (Environment Relation Operation Support) model where root definition and CATWOE of 26 problem themes are defined and debated.  A theme of “management information system” is deemed to be the central one out of 26, and a number of root definitions and models are prepared in the second cycle.  This cycle-2 model is again compared and debated.  The activities 4 and 5 in cycle-2 model regarding general users and potential users become the focus of cycle 3.  Eventually, in cycle 4, a key user – “RD6” – is picked from a list of 5 users and approached to become the major target of ILSD mission.  Because the users are all ICI internal departments, politics and culture are also analyzed.

In later projects, SSM is evolved, and its rigidness of SSM is loosen. However, it remains an effective tool for not only commercial world, but local and central Governments.