105
Foundations in Systems Integration
The subtleties of integration are wrapped in a puzzling ontology that has
as yet defied simple, sustained scrutiny. This book suggests that integration
is more than bringing together different parts (objects) in a manner to be
merely combined or summed. Fundamentally, integration is not the act of
combining two or more objects into a whole. Nor is the discipline of integration a process that orchestrates acts of aggregation and combination. Rather,
integration is a method of dealing with the logic and rigor necessary to know
what and when to bring parts together, parts that might already be within
wholes and parts that are barely parts (speaking to definitize objects in this
case). Integration is nominally part and wholes, but the wholes are different
than the individual parts. Further, the boundaries of the objects suggest
what should be partitioned and integrated, rather than some other delineation or mapping onto design or architecture of the future product or service.
The difference of thinking in integration* results in a system.
general Systems Thinking
Systems integration builds on an assemblage of principles that are relevant
for general systems theory (Boulding 1956; von Bertalanffy 1968; Miller 1978;
Jain 1981; Rapoport 1986; Klir 2001), pertinent to systems engineering, as well
as the practices of every discipline and field—all work. Without a broad
appreciation of general systems theory, which abstracts domain-specific
knowledge to a set of high-level criteria that reflect discipline knowledge, the
attempts to perform integration (of thoughts, or data, for example) from other
disciplines may be done in the absence of proper foundation and context.
The difference between data and information is context. The difference
between information and an integrated form that relates the totality of experience subjective and objective experiences in a cogent, relevant, and useable
form is knowledge. Consider human systems integration and the question of
potential or actual losses incurred at the system level for two design strategies: just-in-time versus on-demand information. At issue is the timeliness
and quality of flow of information, that is, the losses incurred due to poor
integration and ineffective use of humans in a computer-enabled environment. The work of systems theory explicates the relations, dimensionalities
of boundaries, interfaces to objects and processes, forms of interaction
(EMMI), and the functions and behaviors that determine and evoke action.
This fabric of concepts weaves general systems theory. An all-inclusive fabric
is needed—a fabric characterized by consistency of logic, continuity of
method, applicability across disciplines, scalability from the interdomain’s
micro- to macrostructures, and capaciousness. Most importantly, the optimal fabric needs to focus on the eventual goal of describing a definitive
theory of systems integration. Systems integration contributes to the development of general systems theory through universal principles and laws
* Specifically in terms of partitioning objects according to their three types of boundaries.
Foundations in Systems Integration
The subtleties of integration are wrapped in a puzzling ontology that has
as yet defied simple, sustained scrutiny. This book suggests that integration
is more than bringing together different parts (objects) in a manner to be
merely combined or summed. Fundamentally, integration is not the act of
combining two or more objects into a whole. Nor is the discipline of integration a process that orchestrates acts of aggregation and combination. Rather,
integration is a method of dealing with the logic and rigor necessary to know
what and when to bring parts together, parts that might already be within
wholes and parts that are barely parts (speaking to definitize objects in this
case). Integration is nominally part and wholes, but the wholes are different
than the individual parts. Further, the boundaries of the objects suggest
what should be partitioned and integrated, rather than some other delineation or mapping onto design or architecture of the future product or service.
The difference of thinking in integration* results in a system.
general Systems Thinking
Systems integration builds on an assemblage of principles that are relevant
for general systems theory (Boulding 1956; von Bertalanffy 1968; Miller 1978;
Jain 1981; Rapoport 1986; Klir 2001), pertinent to systems engineering, as well
as the practices of every discipline and field—all work. Without a broad
appreciation of general systems theory, which abstracts domain-specific
knowledge to a set of high-level criteria that reflect discipline knowledge, the
attempts to perform integration (of thoughts, or data, for example) from other
disciplines may be done in the absence of proper foundation and context.
The difference between data and information is context. The difference
between information and an integrated form that relates the totality of experience subjective and objective experiences in a cogent, relevant, and useable
form is knowledge. Consider human systems integration and the question of
potential or actual losses incurred at the system level for two design strategies: just-in-time versus on-demand information. At issue is the timeliness
and quality of flow of information, that is, the losses incurred due to poor
integration and ineffective use of humans in a computer-enabled environment. The work of systems theory explicates the relations, dimensionalities
of boundaries, interfaces to objects and processes, forms of interaction
(EMMI), and the functions and behaviors that determine and evoke action.
This fabric of concepts weaves general systems theory. An all-inclusive fabric
is needed—a fabric characterized by consistency of logic, continuity of
method, applicability across disciplines, scalability from the interdomain’s
micro- to macrostructures, and capaciousness. Most importantly, the optimal fabric needs to focus on the eventual goal of describing a definitive
theory of systems integration. Systems integration contributes to the development of general systems theory through universal principles and laws
* Specifically in terms of partitioning objects according to their three types of boundaries.