The main goal of this work is to develop an innovation framework for companies, with application on an existing company, that needs to pass through a process of innovation. In this document a new methodology is created by merging two theories into one. The first theory is a new created creative theory called "The Theory of Ten" (Teorie Deseti), in this case used for finding the initial conditions for innovation. The second theory is Systems Theory, more concretely Soft Systems Methodology. Both of the theories were partially adapted and merged to an unified unique methodology.

Since the 1990 the use of Electronic Patient Records (EPR) in health services has become increasingly prevalent world wide. EPR has become an important aspect of the continuous improvement of patient care. Transferring all patient records from paper based to electronic is now a priority for many health services. The research reported in this thesis is sponsored by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) to provide opportunity to explore the potential role for EPR in the Medical Records Department. The study has been designed to gain better understanding of the users perspectives with regard to the use of patient records. In order to analyse and understand the complex dynamic involved in the management and use of patient records, it was recognised that systems thinking offered an appropriate framework for this research. Soft System Methodology (SSM) was therefore applied to the analysis of the data and used to inform the development of a conceptual model. Using SSM in combination with the structured questionnaire survey and telephone semi-structured interview, triangulation of methods was achieved. Use of these generated rich data revealing for example the general dissatisfaction expressed with the existing manual patient records system, the lack of confidentiality, poor legibility, shortage of space and the frequent misfiling of records. The need to address these problems has informed the strategic plan for the development and implementation of EPR for HMC. The research has successfully addressed the stated aims and research questions and guided the formulation of proposals for improvements.

The thesis is focused on cooperation between academic and corporate sector, especially on participation of companies in classes and courses at universities through involvement of their employees in teaching. The aim of this thesis is to analyze current ways of corporate sector involvement in practical parts of courses and to design proposals for possible improvements to the current practices used at The Faculty of Informatics and Statistics of The University of Economics, Prague. Analysis was conducted by application of Theory of systems (General System Theory), Soft System Methodology and business process modeling (using BPMN). Based on the conclusions of the analysis three alternatives for possible improvement in the field are specified, two of them are recommended for implementation. Alternatives recommended for implementation are described in greater detail including process design and description and specification of requirements for technical, financial and human resources.

Hamad Medical Corporation, the main healthcare provider in the state of Qatar, sponsored this study to investigate the use of electronic records management as the basis for a novel information management system in its Nursing Department. To assess the viability of an electronic records management system a questionnaire survey of a representative sample of the staff and interviews with key post holders were under taken. Results obtained indicated a wide spread dissatisfaction with the existing manual system. However, introduction of any computer-based technology requires great care. To assist with identifying any issues with this technological change, Soft System Methodology (SSM) was employed to discern what changes could be made to improve the current problematic situation found in the Nursing Department. In fact the change archetypes uncovered (procedural, attitudinal, structural and cultural) formed an innovative input into obtaining a roadmap for development of the electronic staff records system. This roadmap was facilitated by the use of Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM): In fact the roadmap was an ISM intent structure. The roadmap suggested that change could be affected by having written policy documents and the top goal to be achieved reflected an improvement in manpower placing and budgetary forecasts. The use of a multi-methods approach meant that as well as this study's main objectives being reached, the process encompassed some methodological innovations. This study is the first to use the output of SSM to facilitate the NGT and ISM interactions. Equally, it is the first study of its sort to be applied to the Nursing Department at HMC, Qatar, which is an example of a cross-cultural eastern philosophical tradition. The methods used here revealed some significant findings, and have helped in the development of an electronic records management system for use at HMC, Qatar.

Hospital Information Systems (HIS) are considering a significant aspect for supporting health care professionals in their work. However, a large number of them are often poor to provide the needed information for accomplishing various work activities in the oriented environment. The aim of this research is to address users’-Administrators and Clinicians- perceptions in order to gain a deeper knowledge about problems they encounter with daily work performed through IS. Additionally, the scope is extended into formulating suggestions through the employment of Soft System Methodology (SSM) that could bring improvements. A qualitative interpretive method with an inductive analysis was followed. Data collection completed through focus group interview sessions and the adoption of SSM three activities in order to acquire the complexity of the problem situation.   Research findings revealed that despite IS Lisora serves as a tool for supporting users work operations, it causes significant problems in their daily operations since the information flow are not feasible. Thus, the research study suggests five feasible and desirable improvements that could improve the overall processes followed by the hospital’s users and bring improvements. In all, SSM was proved to be very efficient in identifying problems that exist. In this way proposed solutions to the problems were enlightened. The general hospital of Preveza shall benefit from the higher efficiency offered by the system, which in turn shall improve the quality of health-care services offered.

This diploma thesis focuses on the analysis of a particular soft complex system in the company. This system is a running car service with a determined problem situation. This system and its problem is then evaluated in terms of soft systems methodology, system dynamics and critical systems heuristics. The theoretical section provides concepts to understand the complexity and also individual system approaches. As beneficial of work I consider the practical part, which is aimed to the analysis of complex real-world system using the selected approaches as well as an evaluation of these approaches. Main purpose is to bring comparisons and suggestions for improvement and also a broader view to the system. All of this increases information value of approaches and we are able to deliver more relevant information. Thesis is therefore focused not only to deal with examples from practice but also to extend the selected theories within the system approaches.

This diploma thesis applies the principles of systemic thinking to the current web design process. It focuses on dealing with the issues related to conflicts and diversity of opinions among individual members of the team working on web design. In the theoretical part, this thesis deals with topic areas and activities relevant for modern approach to web design and the overall role of the user during the design process. In the practical part, the team responsible for web design is viewed as a soft complex system, to which Checklands soft system methodology is applied as a problem-solving tool.

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This study explores stakeholder analysis and requirements engineering within an agile project at a system development company requesting a case management system. Stakeholder analysis is commonly explored in traditional project planning studies, such as the waterfall model. In agile projects, on the other hand, it is not common to have a project-planning phase or to carry out a stakeholder analysis, often due to that a stakeholder analysis entail a long and extensive documentation. Our study explores how Soft Systems Methodology can be used in an agile project-planning phase as well as how rich pictures from the SSM support requirements engineering. The study is based on an agile method in which the project-planning phase is expected to deliver a product log, and hence a requirements list. Requirements are collected, modelled and validated together with users in the form of user stories where role, goals and purpose are expressed in a sentence. Stakeholders and roles are identified and analyzed using methods in Soft Systems Methodology, like "finding-out" analyses. The result is then presented in so called rich pictures of the current situation and in a future desired situation. The data collection is carried out together with informants at the case company in the form of observations and semi-structured interviews. The result of the study indicates how rich pictures from SSM can support the start-up of an agile project. / Denna studie utforskar intressentanalys och kravinsamling inom ett agilt projekt på ett systemutvecklingsföretag som efterfrågar ett ärendehanteringssystem. Intressentanalyser är vanligt förekommande och utforskade i traditionella förstudier så som enligt vattenfallsmodellen. I agila projekt är det däremot vanligt att en förstudie inte utförs eller att förstudien inte innehåller en intressentanalys, ofta på grund av att intressentanalyser innebär lång och omfattande dokumentation. Vår studie utforskar hur Soft Systems Methodology kan användas i en agil förstudie samt hur rika bilder från SSM stöttar kravhantering. Studien utgår från an agil metod där förstudien förväntas leverera en produktlogg, där studiens fysiska bidrag blir en kravlista. Krav samlas in, modelleras samt valideras tillsammans med användare i formen av användarhistorier där roll, mål och syfte uttrycks i en mening. Intressenter och roller identifieras och analyseras med hjälp av metoder inom Soft Systems Methodology, som exempelvis ”finding out”-analys. Resultatet presenteras därefter i så kallade rika bilder över nuvarande situation samt i en framtida önskad situation. Datainsamlingen görs tillsammans med informanter på ett fallföretag i form av observationer och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Utfallet av studien visar hur den rika bilden från SSM kan stödja uppstarten av ett agilt projekt.

Soft System Approaches have been developed worldwide to help problem-solvers and decision-makers develop solutions to complex problems, such as aerospace systems. Soft System Approaches were designed to help lower the disorder of developing a complex system by increasing understanding of a situation. Four Soft System Approaches were investigated, two from the West and two from the East. Within the context of the paper, the West refers to thought patterns associated with thinkers and scientists in Europe and North America, and the East refers to those from and around China. The two from the West are Peter Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology and Fran Ackerman and Colin Eden’s Strategic Options Development and Analysis, and from the East they are Qian Xuesen’s Meta-Synthetic Approach and Jifa Gu and Zhichang Zhu’s Wuli-Shili-Renli Approach. The four approaches were selected due to their prevalence and notoriety within the Soft System Approach research. The Western Soft System Approaches were created as a direct response to reductionism and are more holistic than Hard System Approaches; however, they are classified as systematic due to their structure. The approaches are tools that can be deployed for a specific task. Eastern Soft System Approaches rooted in Eastern philosophy went from holism to reductionism to a unity of the two. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; therefore, approaches that seek to balance reductionism and holism and give guidance and structure while inviting in other methods. The Eastern approaches are classified as framework Soft System Approaches, which provide structure and guidance but not a formula. Systematic approaches are better for determining a course of action, while framework approaches are better for guiding a whole program. The Eastern approaches covered can and do incorporate other methods, including each other. Depending on the problem and problem solver, the systematic or framework approach may be better suited. Overall, however, the framework approach will be able to solve the most varied problems due to the lack of prescriptiveness and the use of other approaches. Knowing the difference between the approaches and how they can be used helps manage the development of complex aerospace systems.