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PODCAST

Systems Thinking and Beyond

Dr Joseph Kasser

The AI team take a deep dive into successful innovative tools, practical and conceptual applications of systems thinking and beyond and systems engineering to various types of problems, summarizing the concepts behind the successes and usually drawing general conclusions for how the concepts may be used in other situations. The opinions expressed by the AI team in each deep dive are their own and have not been edited in any way. While systems thinking provides an understanding of the problematic

education courses

All Episodes

21:40

Applying systems thinking to systems engineering

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/04/08

The AI team does a deep dive into a made to the INCOSE Chesapeake Chapter presentation which challenges conventional systems engineering approaches by advocating for a more holistic, systems thinking perspective. It introduces the Holistic Thinking Perspectives (HTPs) framework, a multi-faceted method for analyzing problems from various viewpoints, including external (systems thinking) and internal (analysis) perspectives. The presentation contrasts systems thinking with conventional

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0:00

Creating outstanding project managers

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/04/06

The AI team take a deep dive into a project management course designed for young project managers with a few years experience seeking to advance their skills. The course uniquely emphasizes a systemic and systematic approach, integrating engineering and project management processes for both planning and execution. Key areas of focus include managing the quadruple constraints (scope, schedule, cost, and people) and applying systems thinking to overcome common challenges faced by young project

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20:53

Writing and presenting quality conference papers

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/25

Our AI team takes a deep dive into a guide to writing and presenting high-quality conference papers, authored by Professor Joseph Kasser. It discusses all stages of the process, from brainstorming and researching to writing, citing sources correctly, and giving presentations. Significant attention is paid to avoiding plagiarism and intellectual property issues. The guide uses exercises and examples to illustrate key concepts, and includes discussions of effective presentation techniques and dealing

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0:00

Building a better systems engineering postgraduate...

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/24

Our AI team takes a deep dive into a presentation made to the INCOSE Chesapeake chapter in July 2022. The presentation/paper explores the creation of a postgraduate systems engineering course designed to cultivate “outstanding” systems engineers. The study employs a systems approach, analyzing various pedagogical methods and identifying key skills and knowledge requirements. It introduces a framework categorizing systems engineers into five types based on their problem-solving abilities

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0:00

The thinking in systems thinking

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/18

The AI team take a deep dive into Barry Richmond’s The ‘Thinking’ in Systems Thinking which introduces seven essential skills for effective systems thinking. The text explains these skills—Dynamic Thinking, System-as-Cause Thinking, Forest Thinking, Operational Thinking, Closed-Loop Thinking, Quantitative Thinking, and Scientific Thinking—providing detailed definitions and examples of each. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of these skills and their application in building and

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0:00

Systems engineering – A 21st century systems methodology

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/17

The AI team take a deep dive into Derek K. Hitchins’ book, “Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology.” It comprehensively explores systems engineering principles and their application to diverse fields. The book uses a holistic approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding the interactions between system components and their environment. It covers various methodologies, including the Generic Reference Model (GRM) for system design and the Rigorous Soft Method

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Holistic thinking: tools and strategies for problem...

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/14

The AI team take a deep dive into a collection of excerpts from a book which centers around holistic and systems thinking as applied to various domains, including systems engineering, problem-solving, and decision-making. Author Joseph E. Kasser’s background in systems engineering and academia informs the text, which explores cognitive processes, communication strategies, and the nature of systems. The material presents numerous tools, techniques, and real-world examples to illustrate concepts

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0:00

Help we have a QA problem

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/11

The AI team take a deep dive into a case study by Niels Malotaux, a project coach, on resolving a significant QA backlog caused by an imbalance between developers and testers. Malotaux implemented “Evolutionary Planning,” a methodology emphasizing iterative planning, continuous improvement (Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle), and proactive developer involvement in testing. This approach drastically reduced the backlog, improved customer satisfaction, and boosted sales. The core of the methodology

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Systems engineers are from Mars; software engineers...

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/10

The AI team take a deep dive into a 2000 paper, presented at the 13th International Conference on Software & Systems Engineering and their Applications, which explores the communication breakdown between systems and software engineers. The authors argue that this lack of communication, stemming from differing training, backgrounds, and interpretations of terminology, significantly contributes to project failures. They analyze the distinct perspectives and methodologies of each engineering

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Creating outstanding problem solvers

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/05

The AI team take a deep dive into a unique lifelong learning course on problem-solving, emphasizing systems thinking and a holistic approach. The curriculum covers various thinking styles (systems, critical, and holistic), problem identification and classification, decision-making tools, and the application of these concepts to project management, systems engineering, and risk management. Multiple learning resources are used, including lectures, readings from several books by Dr Kasser, and

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0:00

Benchmarking competency models for systems engineers

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/03/03

The AI team take a deep dive into a 2013 paper whihc introduces a framework for benchmarking competency models used to evaluate systems engineers. The authors highlight the challenges in comparing existing models due to differing competency groupings. They propose a Competency Model Maturity Framework (CMMF) that assesses competency across knowledge, cognitive characteristics, and individual traits. The paper benchmarks nine existing competency models using the CMMF, revealing a

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0:00

Writing good requirements

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/25

The AI team take a deep dive into Dr Kasser’s course focused on writing effective system requirements. The curriculum covers identifying stakeholders, eliciting their needs, converting those needs into well-written and ultimately good requirements, and managing requirements throughout the system development lifecycle. Each module builds upon the previous one, culminating in a comprehensive understanding of requirements engineering best practices. Emphasis is placed on practical application and

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Holistic Thinking and Technology Availability

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/23

The AI team take a deep dive into a technical note that critiques the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) system used by NASA and the DOD for assessing technology maturity, arguing that its focus on early-stage development is insufficient. It proposes a holistic thinking approach, advocating for a Technology Availability Window of Opportunity (TAWOO) that considers the entire technology lifecycle, from conception to obsolescence. The TAWOO incorporates a dynamic TRL (dTRL) to better predict future

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0:00

Nuclear power and Australia’s energy transition

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/20

The AI team take a deep dive into C.J. Kikkert’s presentation to the Retired Engineers Group in Adelaide, Australia, February 2025. The presentation explores the feasibility of nuclear power within Australia’s energy transition. Kikkert, an electrical engineer with no vested interest in nuclear or renewable industries, analyzes nuclear power’s properties, costs, and timelines, comparing it to variable renewable energy (VRE) sources like solar and wind. The presentation

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0:00

Holistic systems optimization

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/18

The AI team take a deep dive into a paper which proposes a holistic approach to optimizing complex systems by focusing on optimizing interactions between subsystems during the design phase, rather than optimizing individual subsystems afterward. Using a male-female sexual relationship as an initial case study, the author argues that this method yields superior results. The approach is then illustrated through diverse examples, including weapons systems, the Apollo program, and

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Two major misconceptions of systems thinking exposed

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/16

The AI team does a deep dive into an online presentation made by Dr Joseph Kasser and Bruce Lerner to the British Computer Society (BCS) in 2023. The presentation exposes two common misconceptions about systems thinking. First, it clarifies the proper application of reductionism, arguing that it’s a valuable analytical tool, not an opposing methodology to systems thinking. Second, it explains that “open” and “closed” systems are not distinct types but rather different

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Systems Integration: A Complex Challenge

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/11

The AI team take a deep dive into David Hetherington’s webinar presentation on systems integration made in the INCOSE Sector III Speaker Series in December 2024 – Systems Integration: A Complex Challenge. The presentation details the complexities of integrating multiple systems from various suppliers. He contrasts two organizational types: “Marching Band” (highly structured, predictable) and “Goat Rodeo” (chaotic, unpredictable), offering

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Luz: From Light to Darkness

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/09

The AI team take a deep dive into the case study on the successful system design process of the LuZ SEGS-1 solar power system’s control and electronics in 1981, using a modified Functions Requirements Answers and Test (FRAT) approach. The author, Joseph Kasser, uses the SEGS-1 project as a case study to illustrate how FRAT facilitates understanding the relationships between system functions, physical decomposition, and requirements. The paper presents several design choices and their

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0:00

Which system are we discussing?

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/06

Our AI team take a deep dive into Joseph Kasser and Bruce Lerner’s pdf handout “Resolving the-8.pdf” for a presentation aimed at a focused discussion in an INCOSE Oak Café meeting in 2024 analyzes the inconsistent definitions of “system” in literature. The authors examine numerous definitions, revealing a lack of consensus stemming from the context-dependent nature of “system”. They propose focusing on the System of Interest

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Introducing the balanced classroom

Systems Thinking and Beyond ·

2025/02/05

The AI team take a deep dive into a research paper which explores the design and implementation of a “balanced classroom” approach to systems engineering education. The author, drawing on years of teaching experience and systems engineering principles, argues that traditional lecture-based methods are ineffective and proposes a system that integrates various pedagogical techniques, including flipped classrooms and authentic learning activities. The research investigates the effectiveness

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