A system is a functioning unit of integrated and inter-dependent entities working in tandem to serve a purpose or meet an objective.
What does it mean by a functioning unit?
A system has a function to carry out. This function is guided by the purpose or objective, the system is designed to serve or meet.
Take for example, the queue system that is followed at a hospital pharmacy:
It is made up of the following entities:
1. The pharmacy (with its counter and railings)
2. The vendor or the pharmacist
3. The buyers
4. The medicines
5. The money
This queue system has two objectives:
A1. To distribute medicines to all who can afford them.
A2. To collect money from those who buy the medicine.
This system will work only when the following conditions regarding system entities mature:
B1. There are medicines in the pharmacy
B2. There is/ are buyer/s for medicine
B3. There is money with the buyers
B4. The pharmacy is open
B5. The vendor/ the pharmacist is present
In other words, all the system entities should be ‘up and running’ for the system to start work.
The system will function in the following way following the algorithm:
Step 1: There are medicines in the pharmacy & there is money with people- System pre-requisite
Step 2: The pharmacy opens, the vendor takes his place and buyers arrive - System start
Step 3: Buyers (system variables) stand in a queue formation as directed by the railings- System soul
Step 4: The buyers demand the medicine- System prompt
Step 5: The vendor gives the medicine and takes money- System interaction
Step 6: The buyers depart/ the pharmacy closes down- System close
Of course, in this Contoured System Algorithm [CSA], the phrases in the step 2 can have any order. It is depended on the system environment which prevails there (which is also composed of relative system flexibility (RSF)]
Now, analyzing the steps, we see certain terminologies which need close attention.
>>>System pre- requisite>>> System start>>> System soul>>> System prompt>>> System interaction>>> System close>>>
Let’s call it Functional System Cycle (FSC)
1. System pre-requisite: The system condition which readies the system to function. No system pre-requisite, no system start.
2. System start: The part that brings about or introduces the system PD or system potential difference. Just as energy flows from an area of higher energy to an area of lower energy, system entities flow (depending on the objective). No potential difference, no soul.
3. System soul: The arrangement of particular system entities which defines the body of the system. No soul, no prompt.
4. System prompt: The system PD is converted to system kinetics. The system transforms from static state to dynamic state. No prompt; no interaction.
5. System interaction: The act of sustaining the dynamic state of the system. When this expires, system comes to a close.
6. System close: The system returns to a state of disintegration. Unless the system pre-requisites are there, the system will not start again.
As you can see, the FSC describes the system really well.
What does it mean by a functioning unit of integrated and inter dependent entities working in tandem?
As we have seen, the pharmacy system is made up of the following entities:
1. The pharmacy (with its counter and railings)
2. The vendor or the pharmacist
3. The buyers
4. The medicines
5. The money
For the sake of simplicity, let’s denote the entities 1to 5 in the following way:
The pharmacy (with its counter and railings) can be represented as e1 or entity 1. Similarly there are e2, e3, e4 and e5.
These five entities belong to the following sets:
C1. System Nucleus= {e1 & e2} or N= {e1 & e2}
C2. System Orbit= {e3} or O= { e3}
C3. System Barter= {e4 & e5} or B={ e4 &e5}
This NOB [Nucleus, Orbit and Barter] is called system sets or system classes.
Nucleus of the system/ System nucleus
Nucleus of the system is the main set comprising of queue system entities that play a pivotal role in the functioning of the system. The system entities that belong to the system nucleus (e1 and e2) interact with all the system variables (each buyer), which in turn belong to the system entities of the system orbit (e3) in the given system span.
Orbit of the system/ System orbit
Orbit of the system is the non-main set comprising of queue system entities that play an operational role in the functioning of the system. The system variables (each buyer) form this system entity. This entity is dynamic in nature and refreshes each and every time the system interaction is over for a given variable.
System Barter
System barter is also known as system currency exchange. It’s what system variables exchange with the system nucleus facilitating system interaction. In the given example of hospital pharmacy, system variables exchange money for the medicine. No money, no medicine and no interaction which calls for a system glitch.
System record
The system keeps an evidence of the system interaction in a system record. In the pharmacy example, system records are: the receipt of the bill (kept with the system orbit) and its duplicate (kept with the system nucleus).
From the above analysis, it can be discerned that there are seven laws governing a queue system
1. A system has objectives
2. All the system entities should be up and running for the system to start work
3. The system has two states- static and dynamic
4. The system follows an algorithm or a sequence of steps
5. The system has a nucleus, an orbit and barter
6. The system records the barter information both with the system nucleus and with the system orbit
7. The system functions in cycles
As we have seen, the system has integrated entities. System nucleus itself is composed of two different elements. The case is same with the system barter.
The system orbit is depended on system nucleus and vice-versa to meet the objective as envisioned by the system. The system nucleus and system orbit work in tandem. Because, there is no interdependence possible, if the system doesn’t function in tandem.
Dissolving a queue system
This queue system can be neutralized in the following way:
Equalize system nucleus and system orbit in a quantitative manner, where there are ‘n’ number of system nuclei for ‘n’ number of system variables of the system orbit. This would disrupt the system soul neutralising the queue system as a whole.
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