Using Architecture Models to Design Adaptive Socio-Technical Systems

An architecture framework is used to capture the overall design and structure of a complex system. The Human Viewpoint was developed to augment existing architectural frameworks with additional information relevant to the human component in the system. The Human View models collect and organize social parameters in order to understand the way that humans interact with other elements of the system; the Human View models define the socio-technological boundaries of the system. Analyses performed with the architectural data provide information regarding the congruence, or fit of the human and the system. For example, different key thread analyses identify problematic paths involving human level activities and their intersection with technology. Additionally, node analyses are performed to ensure the flexibility of the human system by evaluating the alignment of roles, tasks, and the impact of constraints. This results in a transition graph for the human system providing paths for adaptation, i.e., the lattice can be used to re-align roles and tasks to maintain overall process performance due to changes in available technology or personnel. By leveraging the architectural models, the human system is designed to be adaptable to its anticipated operating environment. © 2013 The Authors