Optimization

Complex Systems are made up of many Interdependent Flows, Stocks, processes, and parts. As a whole, the system may be too complex to take in all at once—if there are more than seven or eight variables or dependencies, the Cognitive Scope Limitation kicks in and confusion takes over.

If that's true, how can anyone analyze extremely complex systems?

Deconstruction is the process of separating complex systems into the smallest possible subsystems in order to understand how things work. Instead of trying to understand the system all at once, you break up the system into parts, then work on understanding the subsystems and how they interact with one another.

Deconstruction is the reverse-engineering aspect of Gall's Law. Remember: complex systems that work inevitably evolved from simpler systems that also worked. If you can identify simpler subsystems and focus on understanding how they work and how they fit together, you can eventually understand how the entire system works.

If you know nothing about how cars work, popping the hood of your vehicle and examining the contents is an exercise in confusion-there are so many parts that it's hard to know where to begin. Understanding the system is not impossible, however-identifying important subsystems like the engine, transmission, and radiator can give you valuable insight on how the entire system functions.

Once you've identified important subsystems, temporarily isolating them in your mind can help you understand how they work. Instead of focusing on how the entire car works, you simply concern yourself with the engine for a while. Where does the subsystem begin? What Flows are involved? What processes take place inside the system? Are there Feedback Loops involved? What happens if Inflow don't come in? Where does the system end? What are the Outflows?

It's important not to lose sight of Interdependence when using isolation to Deconstruct a system, since each subsystem is part of a larger systen. Identifying triggers and endpoints—-the parts of the system that interact with other subsystems—is just as important. Triggers teach you what make a subsystem start operating, and endpoints show you what makes the system stop.

In addition, it's important to understand the conditionals present in a system—if-then or when-then relationships that influence the operation of the system. For example, an engine requires an Inflow of gasoline vapor to operate. If that Inflow is present, a spark from the spark plug ignites it, providing energy that pushes a piston that powers the rest of the system. If that Inflow is absent or a spark doesn't come from the spark plug, the energy is absent and the system stops, making both the Inflow of gasoline vapor and the spark from the spark plug conditions of the system's operation.

Creating diagrams and flowcharts can help you understand how each Inflow, process, trigger, conditional, endpoint, and Outflow comes together.

Explaining complex systems in words alone can be limiting for best results, draw diagrams of the Flows, Stocks, conditionals, and processes involved. Well-constructed flowcharts can help you understand the Flow of a system as it operates, which can go a long way toward helping you fix the system when things break down.

To analyze a system, Deconstruct complex systems into subsystems that are easier to understand, then build your understanding of the system from the ground up.