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Original Articles

Modelling complex systems for project planning: a semiotics motivated method

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Pages 313-327 | Received 17 Jul 2005, Accepted 28 Nov 2005, Published online: 26 Jan 2007
 

Abstract

A large and complex IT project may involve multiple organizations and be constrained within a temporal period. An organization is a system comprising of people, activities, processes, information, resources and goals. Understanding and modelling such a project and its interrelationship with relevant organizations are essential for organizational project planning. This paper introduces the problem articulation method (PAM) as a semiotic method for organizational infrastructure modelling. PAM offers a suite of techniques, which enables the articulation of the business, technical and organizational requirements, delivering an infrastructural framework to support the organization. It works by eliciting and formalizing (e.g. processes, activities, relationships, responsibilities, communications, resources, agents, dependencies and constraints) and mapping these abstractions to represent the manifestation of the “actual” organization. Many analysts forgo organizational modelling methods and use localized ad hoc and point solutions, but this is not amenable for organizational infrastructures modelling. A case study of the infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer (IASI) will be used to demonstrate the applicability of PAM, and to examine its relevancy and significance in dealing with the innovation and changes in the organizations.

Acknowledgements

The research project SEDITA is supported by EPSRC (GR/S04840/01). The case study on the IASI project was provided by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) who has invited us to take part in the initiative of demonstrating and comparing methods for complex systems modelling. Details of the case study can be found at www.cnes.fr/html/_.php.

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