Paul Edward Eclavea!

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MISBUSI!

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MISBUSI Critique Paper!

The paper of Steven Alter outlines what the work system theory is and how the old

system falls short and how the new system addresses these problems. The main idea is
that the work system is a natural unit for the analysis of systems inside an organization.
The work system being

humans and/or machines doing work, using information

technology and other such resources. The paper states how that by nature work systems
should be in sync with its goal, differences of work, gaps in performance and interactions
within the system are all compelling reasons why a work system should be improved as it
should. These work systems exist to make products and services for the customers, it can
be evaluated though a variety of means; partially through efficiency and internal processes
of the system and another in part through customer evaluations of the products that are
produced. This makes the work system measurable through both internal and external
users preferences. Work systems also cover totally automated systems and the
application of the WST allows for a bridge for experts to work between the socio-technical
systems and technical systems which on their own focus on internal operations and user
interfaces respectively. It is declared that systems constantly change over time both due to
planned and unplanned change and the changes involved are not only in hardware and
software but all other components of a work system. !

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New variables are introduced to give a more precise look at the work system. The

old variables were lacking in the proper evaluation of systems for them to be upgraded.
These new variables include the processes and activities, participants, information,
technology, the product/service, the customer, environment, the infrastructure and the
strategies being applied to the work system. !

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The old framework of Steven Alter states how there was minimal direction given to

the user through the steps that were given and it was all vaguely connected. In the new
system the procedure would be to focus the work systems themselves, the problems and
opportunities for the system to improve itself over time and allows it to grow better and in
the process addressing real problems that are faced in the real-time situation and an
output that amounts to a more productive and more directed system.!

This approach, working towards problems directly rather than as a set of directions or as a
template tackled problems faster and allowed solutions to be implemented more effectively
into the different work systems.!

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The another approach to the new system improved how to define the systems

scope making it easier to locate where the problems since the borders to where potential
problems are focused to definite places. The work system should be the most focused
since it identifies problems and oppurtunities per system. Focusing on the problems in this
nature allows the improvement of the system through the features, benefits and how the
system is currently rather than as a general business situation where there is room for
misjudgement. The new systems users even state how there is much effort put into the
identification of the work systems scope and looking at the problems focal points and as
this process goes on leading to new scopes and limitations of the system currently.!
In the old system the common error of assuming that the system consist of only the
software and computerised information led to inaccurate views to the system as the
system accounts for more than a handful of variables outside the two mentioned. The new
system implements nine elements of the work system framework and leads to a fairer view
of the system to be worked on and the range of possible upgrades.!

The change of having more elements in the work system allows it to be more specific and
can identify the problems of the work system that the old system could have overlooked. It
reveals oversights, inconsistencies, economic and organisational practicality; all variables
that are as important as the old variables and reveals much more and at a deeper level,
the problems that are in need of solving within the system.!

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