Sociotechnical Engineering at IT Meetup Bruchsal 19.09.2024 by Yevgen Nebesov

In software projects, individuals and technical artifacts mutually influence each other, forming complex sociotechnical systems that necessitate a holistic approach. Despite their complexity, we can approach these systems similarly to how we approach technical systems: by eliciting requirements, designing, troubleshooting, and even testing them. The talk will demonstrate how these systems engineering activities can be reinterpreted in sociotechnical systems.

1. ComplexityNavigator.rocks
Sociotechnical
Engineering
19.09.2024
For kids between
8 and 88 years
old

2. ABOUT ME
KHARKIV

3. Systems architecture
in real life
Systems architecture
in books

4. Systems
Architect
Technical
System
Social
System

5. He is thinking about
another woman
People and matter are
interconnected and have
agency upon each other
SOCIOMATERIALITY

6. SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE IS...
...the navigation of
complexity in projects

7. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Uncertainty
Technical
Uncertainty
Domain
Uncertainty
Political
Uncertainty
Operational
Uncertainty
DOMAIN
DRIVEN
DESIGN
TEAM
TOPOLOGIES

8. "Needless to say, Politics Systems Architecture is
too important to be left to the politicians
Systems Architects."
Charles de Gaulle
Yes, he really
said it!

9. A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO
ADDRESS MULTIDIMENSIONAL
COMPLEXITY

10. SYSTEMS THINKING
FOR SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS
HOW SYSTEMS
ARCHITECTS
CALL IT?
HOW STRATEGY
CONSULTANTS
CALL IT?

11. Sociotechnical Systems
are systems, and can be
engineered like other
systems

12. Systems Engineering for Sociotechnical Systems
REQUIREMENTS
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING

13. Sociotechnical
Engineering is
not a method

14. Systems Engineering for Socio-Technical Systems
REQUIREMENTS
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING
Functional
Non-
functional
We are here

15. Functional
Requirements
FUNCTIONAL VS NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Non-functional
Requirements
Ich bin ein

16. Build the Product Y,
please. Nothing else.
There are project
artifacts to be created.
Functional Requirements: Examples
THE PROJECT X
SHOULD
DEVELOP THE
PRODUCT Y

17. Functional Requirements: Examples
We want to sink
costs by 40%
We want to build a
platform for other
products

18. Systems Engineering for Sociotechnical Systems
REQUIREMENTS
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING
Functional
Non-
Functional
We are here

19. DEVELOPMENT AVAILABILITY
We want to be able to make
technical decisions without
relying on a single person
for approval.
Non-Functional Requirements: Examples

20. WE WANT TO INCREASE
PRODUCTIVITY BY
HIRING MORE PEOPLE
DEVELOPMENT SCALABILITY
Non-Functional Requirements: Examples

21. WE WANT OUR ENGINEERS TO BE
SATISFIED AND HAPPY WHILE
WORKING ON THE PROJECT
DEVELOPERS’ SATISFACTION
Non-Functional Requirements: Examples
BEWARE OF
SOCIAL DEBT

22. Our budget is €2,000,000,
and the time to market is
3 years.
Non-Functional Requirements: Examples
FINANCIAL AND TIME CONSTRAINTS

23. REQUIREMENTS HELP REDUCE
POLITICAL COMPLEXITY AND NAVIGATE
SOCIAL AND TECHNICAL DECISIONS
This sheet
is 2 dip
Requirement: Conclusion

24. Systems Engineering for Socio-Technical Systems
REQUIREMENTS
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING
We are here

25. System Design
System Elements Arrangement Decisions
SYSTEM DESIGN INVOLVES MAKING
ARRANGEMENT DECISIONS ABOUT
SYSTEM ELEMENTS.
Tactics and
Design Patterns

26. System Elements
“People work on artefacts according
to their roles.”
Cassandra Lead ArchitectLead ArchitectLead Architect
Software Architecture
Documentation
Software EngineerSoftware EngineerSoftware Engineer

27. ROLES-ARTEFACTS-MAPPING

28. ARRANGEMENT DECISIONS
Decomposition
Integration
Allocation

29. REQUIREMENTS
System Elements
Arrangement Decisions
Patterns & Tactics
Systems Engineering for Socio-Technical Systems
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING
We are here
Don’t show me
Roman numbers.
Romans are not
invented yet.

30. PATTERNS & TACTICS
Designing
solution from
scratch
Reusing
someone else’s
work

31. EXAMPLE: AVAILABILITY

32. EXAMPLE: AVAILABILITY

33. Redundant Spare
REDUNDANT

34. SELF-TEST + REMOVAL FROM SERVICE
GIVEN the allocated Lead Software Architect is on
vacation
WHEN an external software architecture audit for the
project is requested
THEN the audit should not result in any major findings

35. REQUIREMENTS
Systems Engineering for Socio-Technical Systems
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING
We are
here
It’s not a bug,
it’s a feature.

36. Eat, pray,
TROUBLESHOOT
IDEA NUMERO UNO:
BUGS ARE RELATIVE

37. IDEA NUMERO UNO: BUGS ARE RELATIVE

38. IDEA NUMERO UNO: BUGS ARE RELATIVE

39. IDEA NUMERO UNO: BUGS ARE RELATIVE

40. BUGS VS PERCEIVED BUGS
FIXING PERCEIVED BUGS MEANS
CHANGING SOCIOTECHNICAL
REQUIREMENTS

41. IDEA NUMERO DUO: DISSOLVING MESSES
Russel Ackoff
“Messes are
systems of
interconnected
problems”
Solving
problems
Dissolving
messes

42. HOW NOT TO SOLVE THE MEETING PROBLEM?
Let’s make meeting more
efficient by
appointing a moderator
and sending an agenda
upfront
Le’t cluster all meetings
in the morning
Let’s allow people decline
meetings if they have
nothing to contribute

43. HOW TO DISSOLVE THE MEETING MESS?

44. REQUIREMENTS
Systems Engineering for Socio-Technical Systems
DESIGN
TROUBLESHOOTING

45. Understanding the context
Gathering requirements
Documenting design
Roles-Artefacts-Mapping
Dissolving messes
SOCIOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING WORKSHOP

46. SOCIOTECHNICAL CHEAT SHIT SHEET
WORK IN PROGRESS
complexitynavigator.rocks

47. WORK IN PROGRESS
BOOK “SOCIOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING”

48. Smile and wave!
THANK YOU

49. Good bye!