Category: 01 – System Definitions

  • Open, Closed and Isolated systems

    At a high level, systems are classified as Open or Closed. Closed Systems (also known as isolated systems in thermodynamics – see further below) No interaction outside of the system No interaction with the systems environment Receive no inputs from, or provide no outputs to, the environment Closed systems with outputs are knowable only through its…

  • The whole system design paradigm

    Whole system design incorporates sustainable design – design and development of systems to achieve: Consume natural resources within capacity for them to be regenerated Do not release/produce hazardous/polluting substances Avoid contributing to irreversible impacts on ecosystem Provide useful and socially acceptable benefits long term Cost-effective and produce reasonable rate of return on total life-cycle investment.…

  • Importance for sustainability 

    There is a good quote from the EPA website which can be accessed directly from here http://www.epa.org/sustainability/basic info.htm Sustainability – issue of concerns about social, environmental and economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth and resulting consumption of natural resources. Growth has been spurred by reductionist approach to development and scientific progress. Focused on…

  • Systems are important 

    The events reported on daily are parts of larger trends which are indicators of underlaying system structures. With that in mind, we are then able to manage, and live within, a world full of complex systems. Systems & sustainability A systems view becomes more important as we produce viable ways of dealing with societies and…

  • Systems Introduction 

    Two approaches to systems understanding are: Reductionist- breaking problems into smaller pieces, and Holistic – the idea that the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts Systems thinking Process of understanding systems requires us to think in a systems manner Ability to think in terms of whole systems Software developers, and similar…