Viable System Model (VSM) - Viable Systems Approach - Introduction

 

The viable systems approach (VSA) is a systems theory in which the observed entities and their environment are interpreted through a systemic viewpoint, starting with the analysis of fundamental elements and finally considering more complex related systems (von Bertalanffy, 1968). 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viable_systems_approach

Viable System Model (VSM)

The model was developed by operations research theorist and cybernetician Stafford Beer in his book Brain of the Firm (1972). Together with Beer's earlier works on cybernetics applied to management, this book effectively founded management cybernetics.

The first thing to note about the cybernetic theory of organizations encapsulated in the VSM is that viable systems are recursive; viable systems contain viable systems that can be modeled using an identical cybernetic description as the higher (and lower) level systems in the containment hierarchy (Beer expresses this property of viable systems as cybernetic isomorphism). A development of this model has originated the theoretical proposal called viable systems approach.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viable_system_model

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/computing-ict/managing-complexity-systems-approach-introduction/content-section-15.7

Systems Methodologies

http://systemsthinkersanonymous.com/tag/viable-system-model/

Purpose of a System in Light of VSM

https://harishsnotebook.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/purpose-of-a-system-in-light-of-vsm/

Good discussion.  Man is a system, He is part of an assembly line. Assembly line is a system.

A research paper titled --- LEAN PRODUCTION SYSTEM DESIGN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE VIABLE SYSTEM MODEL --- is available at https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-84800-267-8_63 .

If you are interested in a more down-to-earth alternative systems thinking view, plz check out the following papers by J. Parnaby:

A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF JIT METHODOLOGIES IN LUCAS INDUSTRIES (https://booksc.org/book/37502199/e8f0d2 )

CONCEPT OF A MANUFACTURING SYSTEM (https://booksc.org/book/29502538/f0f9f2 )

This is a 4-part series of articles EXPLOITING THE CONCEPT OF A MANUFACTURING SYSTEM that he co-wrote with Denis Towill.

FYI, Denis Towill has written a very eye-opening paper --- INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING THE TOYOTA PRODUCTION SYSTEM --- available at https://booksc.org/book/34794871/7ffcd8 .