.

Step 3. Retrieve the most significant knowledge of the forum, and complement it
with a additional source of information. Look for some examples about how
companies are working with "Systems Thinking" in the real world.

Contribution by:
VANIA GARCÍA MACHORRO: A different way of looking at problems, in which if
something fails, the whole system fails.
CINTIA PALOMARES AGUIÑAGA: “Reactions”, Cintia shares in the fórum that in a
system there are actions and reactions, which in no other contribution the reactions
are mentioned.
ANDRÉS AGUSTÍN PARRA CENTENO: Family of actions of thinking.
MICHELLE LÓPEZ LÓPEZ: The way Michelle defined her definition was great, but
the best thing she did was to put it into action by setting 2 examples: “The business
is just getting started” and “A problem comes up”; in both examples we can learn.
MARIANA RAMÍREZ PACHECO: “Most of us see people´s misbehavior as the
cause of the problem, instead of analyzing the system´s structure is causing that
misbehavior.
LUIS GERARDO PÉREZ SALGADO: The most significant of Luis point of view, we
think is when he refers the system as a complex system which is better to analyzed
as a whole structure and fix it particularly.
MARIANA NAVARRO BUENDIA: “The ability to solve problems” First person to
mention the word ability which is very intersecting.
VICTOR FERNANDO LANDA AGUILAR: “Helps us to know the correlation that
exist in every event”
JULIA HERNÁNDEZ VILLANURVA: We think the most significant contribution of
Julia to the forum is when she mentions that the whole parts are studied, because
it´s true that in order to get a system to work is to study the parts of the system,
might seem very logical but it’s good to mention it.
MELISSA GISSELE DE ANDA GARCÍA: In the business world, without a system
nothing would work.
Companies that use or have used the “System thinking”:

Costco and Organics – Costco has realized that one of the biggest barriers
to being able to meet consumers’ growing demand for organic food is the
supply chain. So they’ve started investing in organic producers. This
increases their relationship capital with both customers and suppliers while
 improving natural capital. While it uses financial capital today, the
expectation is that guaranteed supplies will give a good return on that
investment in the future.

Google and Renewable Energy – Google started out as a weightless

company. Their starting assets were intangible: two people and an
algorithm. But the bigger they grow, the greater their tangible footprint.
They’ve had to build enormous data centers that use significant amounts of
energy. This has led them to become the world’s largest investor in
renewable energy. These investments are a positive for natural capital and
also increase the company’s brand and relationship capital. Given the
outlook for non-renewable energy, this move should also reduce risk,
protecting its financial capital.

Subaru and Zero Waste – Subaru has the only zero waste automotive
manufacturing facility in the U.S. Their expertise has attracted many
followers including the U.S. Parks Service and my family–we just bought our
first Subaru! This program is a huge positive for natural capital. But it also
benefits the company. It increases the company’s brand and relationship
capital. And it’s also great for financial capital, with the company returning
superior profit margins compared with its peers.1

STEP #4

Introduction to systems thinking

Systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way

that a system's constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time
and within the context of larger systems. The systems thinking approach
contrasts with traditional analysis, which studies systems by breaking them
down into their separate elements. Systems thinking can be used in any
area of research and has been applied to the study of medical,
environmental, political, economic, human resources, and educational
systems, among many others.

Adams, M. (17 de August de 2016). Smarted Companies Blog. Obtenido de http://info.smarter-

companies.com/blog/three-examples-of-systems-thinking-in-action/
 According to systems thinking, system behavior results from the effects of
reinforcing and balancing processes. A reinforcing process leads to the
increase of some system component. If reinforcement is unchecked by a
balancing process, it eventually leads to collapse. A balancing process is one
that tends to maintain equilibrium in a particular system.

Remark three practical applications in the real world of System Thinking approach.

 A pretty good example of "systems thinking" can be found in the United States
of America where the judicial system, for example, is used to check and
balance the consequences of enacted laws.
 Costco and Organics: Costco has realized that one of the biggest barriers to
being able to meet consumers’ growing demand for organic food is the supply
chain. So they’ve started investing in organic producers. This increases their
relationship capital with both customers and suppliers while improving natural
capital.
 Google and Renewable Energy; Google started out as a weightless
company. Their starting assets were intangible: two people and an algorithm.
But the bigger they grow, the greater their tangible footprint. They’ve had to
build enormous data centers that use significant amounts of energy.

An example of a real project of a multinational company that makes

use of System Thinking

A global conclusion about the System Thinking approach

In conclusion, adopting a systems view can contribute in planning and

controlling the complexity and uncertainty by embedding flexibility in consulting
activities. When implemented and aligned properly, systems view can alleviate
the flaws present in the existing frameworks to produce a more general
framework which includes both prescriptive and descriptive elements .Also, it
facilitates the links between project management initiatives and the strategic
goals and objectives of an organisation helping in maintain a clear vision of
what is being done and why it is being done.
 Sources

Essays, UK. (November 2018). Benefits of Systems Thinking. Retrieved from

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/the-advantages-and-
disadvantages-of-systems-thinking.php?vref=1
Mary Adams. (2016). Three Examples of Systems Thinking in Action.
18/02/2019, de Smarter-Companies Sitio web: http://info.smarter-
companies.com/blog/three-examples-of-systems-thinking-in-action/
Margaret Rose. (2012). Systems thinking. 18/02/19, de TechTarget
Sitio web: https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/systems-
thinking