Dynamic Modelling For Re-Engineering Organizations

Abstract

Dynamics is an essential characteristic of our society and of organizations. The turbulent developments in our society lead to the question of how organizations should be designed in such an environment. Both at the office and in the factory, what matters is the effectiveness of the workplaces. The physical and information processes in the organization must be efficiently and effectively coordinated and information “navel strings” to other organizations must be offered. Such questions of design require a new approach to the development of organizations: dynamic modelling or, also, the dynamic designing of dynamic systems. The dynamic modelling approach constitutes a problem solving perspective on organization redesign. It aims to analyze and diagnose an organizations current situation with simulation and animation techniques, and subsequently identify and evaluate alternatives for change. This paper shows how dynamic modelling has been applied to a number of actual cases, and points at issues for future research.

Résumé

La dynamique est distinctive pour notre societé et les organisations modernes. Les développements turbulents dans notre societé avancent la question comment il faut qu’on projete un organisation dans un telle entourage. Dans les bureaux et dans les usines, l’effectivité des endroits de travail est le point essentiel. Les procès physiques et informatiques dans un organisation doivent être coordonner effectivement et efficacement. Il faut qu’il y aît des cordons ombilicals avec d’autres organisations. Pour répondre telles questions de projet, il y a besoin d’une nouvelle approche pour projeter des organisations: ‘dynamic modelling’ ou le projeter dynamiquement des systèmes dynamiques. L’approche ‘dynamic modelling’ represante une perspective de ‘problem solving’ sur le projeter des organisations. L’object est qu’on analyse et diagnostique la situation actuel d’une organisation avec des techniques de simulation et d’animation. Ensuite il faut qu’on identifie et évalue des alternatives pour changer l’organisation. Cet article-ci illustre l’application de ’dynamic modelling’ dans quelques situations réeles et indique des directions de la recherche future.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G.J. De Vreede

Gert-Jan de Vreede (1967) holds a Masters degree in Information Systems from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. He is currently working as a research assistant at the School of Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management (SEPA) of Delft University. His research focuses on improving coordination withing organizations using dynamic modelling techniques and Group Support Systems.

D.T.T. Van Eijck

Daniel T.T. van Eijck (1968) holds a Masters degree in Information Systems from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Currently he works as a research assistant at the school of Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management (SEPA) of Delft University. He is involved in a research project on designing organizational coordination and the support of dispersed organizations by communication and information technology. He is currently writing his doctoral dissertation titled “Designing Organizational Coordination.

H.G. Sol

Henk G. Sol (1951) is chaired professor of Systems Engineering and dean of the School of Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management of Delft University of Technology. His research interests include management information systems, (group) decision support systems, dynamic modelling, and designing information-intensive organizations.