Soft systems enable to open up a completely new point of view regarding on how systems ideas can be and should be used in order to help with the process of decision-making and problem solving. This is because of the fact that, the situation or problem is not as easy or clears as what hard system tends to believed. Problems and situations of different organizations are unique due to the different factors and aspects being faced in both internal and external environment. Soft system helps to focus first on the scope of proper treatment of all those wicked, messy and ill-structured problems that can escape or considered as distorted by the systems methodologies (Jackson, 1992).
The fundamental solving techniques for soft systems were described by the Checkland’s soft system methodology (SSM). It is a philosophical system concept formulated specially as a tool for solving management problems. Logical information stream compares the conceptual models with reality perception and the complementary cultural stream does the cultural, policy and intervention analysis.
To address soft problems, Peter Checkland developed an iterative approach known as the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) that consists of seven distinct stages:
Every business system has to deal with soft problems. Social and political problems behaviours of the system users are soft problems. An improvement of customer services at Utility Store’s is a soft problem of the domain. A rich picture has been assembled to show the factors involved i.e. inputs, processes and out puts. However, according to Checkland (1981) a full CATWOE analysis is required to present a conceptual model of the soft problems solution.
- C (Customer): Who would profit from this system and who would lose?
- A (Actor): Who would perform the actions needed?
- T (Transformation): What inputs are transformed to what output?
- W (Weltanschauung): What makes the system world-important?
- O (Owner): Who can start or stop the processes?
- E (Environment): What are the influences of the neighbourhood or environment?
Different opinions have been observed about the soft system methodology and modelling like:
As Pesl (2003) explained that soft and hard system specifications seem that there is a strong boundary between these two categories and that we can consider the area of policy and sociologic sciences as soft systems and the area of physics, biology, geology etc. as hard ones (because here it is only a description of the material world). But this point of view can be questioned as Hard and soft problems are related in a system. For example, at Utility Store online customer services taking time in processing the order and this is a hard problem while customers have issues with this system which can be considered as soft problem.
In rich pictures the thoughts are represented as pictures, not words. Rich pictures are very strong language for soft system description. But, in larger organisations like Utility Store, it is difficult to explain a complicated problem situation in rich pictures. However, rich picture will be able to focus on presenting important issues or problems, which can help in order to draw attention towards the problem. In addition, it can help in order to identify boundaries and interfaces between subsystems to be identified, together with the different conflicts and concerns of the different entities involved in the entire system (Curry, Flett & Hollingsworth, 2006).
Rich pictures offers backtracking and iteration processes when we would like to improve the output from some of the stages. The work can be done simultaneously at variously detailed levels and in more epochs (Pesl, 2003). Therefore, it is easier to develop and change pictures when more data are gathered (Curry, Flett & Hollingsworth, 2006).
The idea of rich pictures is beneficial for soft modelling in a business organisation like Utility Store as most of the activities involved in retail business can be sketched clearly and a conceptual model can be constructed. But, soft modelling especially rich pictures are limited resources to solve the problem. It is difficult to assemble the richest picture of a soft problem situation without idea of its solution. Rich pictures can improve the soft problem situation but it doesn’t give any solution. Soft model is a conceptual model not necessarily meets the requirement of the real world. A rich picture in Task 2 shows an activity of customer’s online order. The process takes 2-3 working days when customer wants credit shopping. The process needs to be as quick as possible. It is important to improve the online customer services. It seems difficult to give a clear solution of the problem. However, a conceptual model has been assembled using rich pictures concept to improve the situation.
Based on the assumption that no human situation is perfect, it can be said that the soft systems approach can be applied in almost all situations where there is a need to enhance the understanding of a problem situation so that improvements can be put in place. (Patching, 1990).
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