Combining PSMs with hard OR methods: the philosophical and practical challenges

Abstract

Combinations of problem structuring methods with hard OR methodologies are seldom described in the literature. This paper will reflect on the barriers to such combinations that can be seen at the philosophical level—paradigm incommensurability—and cognitive level—type of personality and difficulty of switching paradigm. This paper examines the combination of Soft Systems Methodology and Discrete Event Simulation within an Intermediate Care case study. The paper will argue, by way of the practical application, that these problems are not insurmountable and that the result can be seen as interplay of the soft and hard paradigms. The idea of yin and yang is proposed as a metaphor for this process.

Keywords:

• PSMs
• hard OR
• multimethodology
• pluralism
• paradigms
• SSM
• DESM/simulation
• health care
• philosophy of OR

Acknowledgements

Figures in this paper are taken from Systems Modelling: Theory and Practice, M Pidd (ed.), 2004. Copyright John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Reproduced with permission.