Editing Soft systems methodology (section)

== Overview ==
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The Soft Systems Methodology was developed primarily by [[Peter Checkland]], through 10 years of research with his colleagues, such as [[Brian Wilson (systems scientist)|Brian Wilson]]. The method was derived from numerous earlier systems engineering processes, primarily from the fact traditional 'hard' systems thinking was not able to account for larger organisational issues, with many complex relationships. SSM has a primary use in the analysis of these complex situations, where there are divergent views about the definition of the problem.<ref name="ChecklandScholes1999">{{Cite book|last1=Checkland|first1=Peter|last2=Scholes|first2=Jim|title=Soft systems methodology in action: a 30-year retrospective|date=1999|publisher=Wiley|isbn=0-585-26918-1|edition=[New ed.]|location=Chichester, UK|oclc=222718086}}{{page needed|date=July 2020}}</ref>

These complex situations are known as "soft problems". They are usually real world problems where the goals and purposes of the problem are problematic themselves. Examples of soft problems include: How to improve the delivery of health services? and How to manage homelessness with young people? Soft approaches take as tacit that people's view of the world will change all the time and their preferences of it will also change.

Depending on the current circumstances of a situation, trying to agree on the problem may be difficult as there might be multiple factors to take into consideration, such as all the different kinds of methods used to tackle these problems. Additionally, Peter Checkland had moved away from the idea of 'obvious' problems and started working with situations to make concepts of models to use them as a source of questions to help with the problem, soft systems methodologies then started emerging to be an organised learning system.

Purposeful activity models could be declared using worldviews, meaning they were never models of real-world action. Still, those relevant to disclosure and argument about real-world action led to them being called epistemological devices that could be used for discourse and debate. The distinction between the everyday world and systems thinking was to draw attention to the conscious use of systems language in developing intellectual devices which were used to structure debates or an exploration of the problem situation being addressed.<ref name="ChecklandScholes1999"/>

In its 'classic' form the methodology consists of seven steps, with initial appreciation of the problem situation leading to the modelling of several [[#Human activity system|human activity systems]] that might be thought relevant to the problem situation. By getting all the relevant people who are the decision-makers in this situation to come together, sit down in discussion and exploration about the definition of the problem. Only then will the decision makers in said situation will more likely arrive at a mutual agreement which will settle any arguments or problems and help get to the solution over exactly what kind of changes could be either systemically desirable and feasible in the situation at hand.

Later explanations of the ideas give a more sophisticated view of this systemic method and give more attention to locating the methodology with respect to its philosophical underpinnings. It is the earlier classical view which is most widely used in practice (created by Peter Checkland). A common criticism of this earlier methodology is that it follows an approach that is too linear. Checkland himself agreed that the earlier methodology is 'rather bald'.<ref name=":0" /> Most advanced SSM analysts{{Who|date=November 2022}}  will agree, though, that the classical view is an easy way for inexperienced analysts to learn the SSM methodology.

SSM has been successfully used as a business analysis methodology in various fields. Real-world examples of SSM's wide range of applicability include research applying SSM in the sugar industry<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Proches |first1=C. N. G. |last2=Bodhanya |first2=S. |title=An Application of Soft Systems Methodology in the Sugar Industry. |doi=10.1177/160940691501400101 |publisher=Sage Journals |journal=International Journal of Qualitative Methods|date=2015 |volume=14 |pages=1–15 |doi-access=free }}</ref> leading to improvements in [[business partner]] relationships, successful use as an approach in [[project management]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Winter |first1=M. |title=Problem structuring in project management: an application of soft systems methodology (SSM) |journal=Journal of the Operational Research Society |date=21 Dec 2017 |volume=57 |issue=7 |pages=802–812 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602050}}</ref> by directly involving [[Project stakeholder|stakeholders]] or aiding in [[business management]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Paucar-Caceres |first1=Alberto |last2=Hart |first2=Diane |last3=Roma i Vergés |first3=Joan |last4=Sierra-Lozano |first4=David |title=Applying Soft Systems Methodology to the Practice of Managing Family Businesses in Catalonia |journal=Systems Research and Behavioral Science |date=26 August 2015 |volume=33 |issue=3 |publisher=Wiley Online Library |pages=312–323 |doi=10.1002/sres.2356}}</ref> by improving communication between [[Project stakeholder|stakeholders]]. It has proven to be a useful analysis approach to teaching and learning processes,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Patel |first1=Nandish V. |title=Application of soft systems methodology to the real world process of teaching and learning |journal=International Journal of Educational Management |date=1 February 1995 |volume=9 |pages=13–23 |doi=10.1108/09513549510075998}}</ref> as it does not require a specific problem to be identified as its starting point – which has led to "outside of the box" suggestions for improvement. SSM was even used by the [[UK government]] as part of the revaluation of their Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method ([[SSADM]]) [[system development methodology]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Middleton |first1=P. |title=Managing information system development in bureaucracies |doi=10.1016/S0950-5849(99)00015-4 |journal=Information and Software Technology |volume=41 |issue=8 |date=15 June 1999 |pages=473–482|publisher=The Queen's University of Belfast}}</ref>

Even professional researchers who are to take the change for face value structure of thinking, show the same tendency to distort perceptions of the world rather than change the mental structure which we give our bearings with. Failure of classic systems in rich 'management' problem situations during the research programme led to examining the adequacy of the systems thinking.

The methodology has been described in several books and many academic articles.<ref>Checkland P.B. (1981), Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, Wiley [rev 1999 ed]{{page needed|date=July 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0"/><ref name=Checkland2000/>

SSM remains the most widely used and practical application of [[systems thinking]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Augustsson |first1=Hanna |last2=Churruca |first2=Kate |last3=Braithwaite |first3=Jeffrey |title=Re-energising the way we manage change in healthcare: the case for soft systems methodology and its application to evidence-based practice |journal=BMC Health Services Research |date=14 September 2019 |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=666 |doi=10.1186/s12913-019-4508-0 |pmid=31521156 |pmc=6744652 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lamé |first1=Guillaume |last2=Jouini |first2=Oualid |last3=Stal-Le Cardinal |first3=Julie |title=Combining Soft Systems Methodology, ethnographic observation, and discrete-event simulation: A case study in cancer care |journal=Journal of the Operational Research Society |date=24 June 2019 |volume=71 |issue=10 |pages=1545–1562 |doi=10.1080/01605682.2019.1610339 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mehregan |first1=M. Reza |last2=Hosseinzadeh |first2=Mahnaz |last3=Kazemi |first3=Aliyeh |title=An application of Soft System Methodology |journal=Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences |date=1 January 2012 |volume=41 |pages=426–433 |doi=10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.04.051 |doi-access=free }}</ref> and other systems approaches such as [[critical systems thinking]] have incorporated many of its ideas.