Smart Decisions in Complex Systems

Faced with ever-increasing complexity on a daily basis, the decision-makers of today are struggling to find the appropriate models, methods and tools to face the issues arising in complex systems across all levels of global operations. Having, in the past, resorted to outdated approaches which limit problem-solving to linear world views, we must now capitalize on complexities in order to succeed and progress in our society. This book provides a guide to harnessing the wealth inherent to complex systems. It organizes the transition to complex decision-making in all business spheres while providing many examples in various application domains. The authors offer fresh developments for understanding and mastering the global "uberization" of the economy, the post-modern management of computer-assisted production and the rise of cognitive robotics science applications.

Auteur

Pierre MASSOTTE, Pr. HDr.Ing., has long worked for IBM in Quality then Advanced Technologies (AoT), then as scientific director in EMEA Manufacturing, to improve European Manufacturing plants and Development Laboratories competitivity. Lately, he joined "Ecole des Mines d'Alès" as Deputy Director within the Nîmes EMA Laboratory. His research and development topics are related to complexity, self-organization, and issues on business competitiveness and sustainability in global companies. He is the co-author of several books in production systems management. He is now involved, as senior consultant, in various 'inclusive society' projects.

Patrick CORSI , Dr. Ing. is an international consultant specialized in breakthrough design innovation processes. After an engineering and managerial career in industry with IBM Corp., IBM France, SYSECA/THOMSON-CSF and a successful start-up in artificial intelligence in Paris, he acted as a Project Officer within the European Commission in Brussels, specializing in R&D projects in advanced AI technologies. He is an ex-Associate Professor, a serial business books and eBooks author and a professional speaker, and an Associate Practitioner with Mines ParisTech in a large number of application domains.

Contenu

Contents

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

List of Acronyms xix

Introduction xxv

Part 1. 1

Chapter 1. The Foundations of Complexity 3

1.1. Complexities and simplexities: paradigms and perspectives 3

1.1.1. Positioning the problem 4

1.1.2. Reminders, basics and neologisms 5

1.1.3. What are the analytical steps in a complex system? 16

1.1.4. Organization and management principles in complex systems 31

1.1.5. Action and decision processes in self-organized systems 35

1.1.6. Notions of centralization and decentralization 36

1.2. What is the prerequisite for the handling of a complex system? 43

1.3. Applications: industrial complex systems 45

1.3.1. Distributed workshop management system 45

1.3.2. Analysis and diagnosis of a complex system 47

1.3.3. Some recommendations and comments to conclude 48

1.4. Time to conclude 50

1.4.1. Summary 50

1.4.2. Lessons and perspectives 51

Part 2. 53

Chapter 2. Evidencing Field Complexity 55

2.1. Introduction 55

2.2. Qualitative study of deterministic chaos in a dynamic simple system 58

2.2.1. Description of a few simple cases 58

2.2.2. Initial conditions related to the emergence of chaos 59

2.2.3. Modeling and mathematical analysis of chaos 62

2.2.4. Application at the level of a simple cell 63

2.3. Test for the presence of deterministic chaos in a simple dynamic system 68

2.3.1. Characterization of the systems studied 69

2.3.2. A general question: is there deterministic chaos? 70

2.4. Properties of chaos in complex systems 77

2.4.1. Study of an elementary cell 77

2.4.2. Complex cellular systems 81

2.5. Effects of fractal chaos in Complexity theory 83

2.5.1. Organized complexity 83

2.5.2. Innovative complexity 84

2.5.3. Random complexity 85

2.5.4. Principles of implementation 87

2.6. Self-organization: relations and the role of chaos 87

2.6.1. Introduction 87

2.6.2. How to combine self-organization and chaos 88

2.6.3. Critical self-organized systems 89

2.6.4. Networked systems and co-operative systems 90

2.6.5. The three states of a dynamic complex system 93

2.6.6. Towards a typology of behavioral complexity 94

2.7. Applications: introduction of new concepts in systems 95

2.7.1. Questions on the management of complex industrial systems 95

2.7.2. Implementation of the concepts of chaos and self-organization 96

2.8. Conclusions 98

Chapter 3. The New Complex Operational Context 101

3.1. The five phases of economy how everything

accelerates at the same time 101

3.2. The expected impact on just about everything 105

Chapter 4. Taking Up Complexity 109

4.1. Taking into account complex models 109

4.1.1. A brief overview of the approach called complexity 109

4.1.2. Another (bio-inspired) vision of the world: universality 112

4.1.3. How to address complexity in this universal world? 115

4.1.4. The usefulness of this book 116

4.2. Economy and management of risks 117

4.2.1. Important challenges to raise 117

4.2.2. Adapted vocabulary that it is useful to adopt 118

4.2.3. What do we mean by dynamic pricing? 119

Part 3. 121

Chapter 5. Tackling Complexity with a Methodology 123

5.1. Any methodology must first enrich the systemic interrelationships 123

5.1.1. The innovation economy: the dynamic management of innovation 124

5.1.2. A basic mechanism of efficient innovation 125

5.1.3. The benefits of such a shift mechanism 126 5.2. Towards a...