Table of Contents

Overview
Preface

1 COMPLEXITY AND DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR                                            

1.1                        About Complexity and Complex Problems                                                   

1.2                        What Complex Problem Examples Have in Common                                  

1.3                        Thinking About and Modelling Naturally in the Time Domain                         

1.4                        Overcoming Our Sometimes Constrained View of the World               

1.5                        About System Dynamics Modelling                                                                  

1.6                        A Systems Engineering Approach to Model Requirements and Model Building   

1.7                        The System Dynamics Modelling Process                                            

1.8                        Top-Down Compared to Bottom-Up Approach to Problem Solving        

1.9                        Integrating Soft Systems Methodology, Systems Thinking, System
                              Dynamics Modelling and Systems Engineering                                            

1.10                      The Systems Engineering ‘Vee’ Model Applied to System Dynamics
                              Modelling Projects                                                                                                

1.11                      Group Model Building                                                                      

1.12                      Summary                                                                                               

2 WHY MODULES ARE IMPORTANT                                                   

2.1                        Models and Modelling Building Blocks                                           

2.2                        Modelling Methodology                                                            

2.3                        Taking Action to Remedy the Problem Situation                  

2.4                        Model as a Necessary and Sufficient Representation              

2.5                        Necessary and Sufficient Representations—A Human Resources Management
                              Example                                                                                                     

2.6                        The Need for Structural Building Blocks—Modules               

2.7                        Communicating Ideas About Dynamic Hypotheses             

2.8                        Importance of Structure—Models and Real-World Problems       

2.9                        Systems Engineering—Component and Module Re-use                     

2.10                      Modules to Deliver Specific Functionality                                    

2.11                      Combining Modules—Essential Considerations                         

2.12                      Array Modules                                                                               

2.13                      Module—Expanded Definition                                              

2.14                      Module Descriptions                                                             

2.15                      Summary                                                                            

3 BUILDING A BASIC POWERSIM™ STUDIO MODEL       

3.1                        Background                                                                    

3.2                        Summary                                                                  

4 BUILDING A MODEL TO ANALYSE FEEDBACK DYNAMICS      

4.1                        Quality Thinking First                                                              

4.2                        Outline of Remaining Steps—From Conceptual Model to Analytical Model

4.3                        Summary                                                                        

5 BUILDING AN ARRAY MODEL STEP-BY-STEP          

5.1                        Background to This Chapter                                     

5.2                        Summary                                                             

6 VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION                       

6.1                        Verification—Building the Model Right                             

6.2                        Validation—Building the Right Model                           

6.3                        Verification—Considerations for Design of Testing         

6.4                        Validation—Considerations for the Design of Testing     

6.5                        Summary                                                                                

 APPENDICES

A            CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAMMING CONVENTIONS             

B            STOCK-AND-FLOW DIAGRAMMING CONVENTIONS       

C            INFLUENCE DIAGRAMMING CONVENTIONS                   

D            INFLUENCE DIAGRAMS AND STOCK-AND-FLOW DIAGRAMS  

E            GENERIC MODULE DEFINED                                                  

F            MODULES                                                                               

GLOSSARY                                                                                

REFERENCES                                                                                 

INDEX                                                                                       

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