Flexibility model
The flexibility model describes the property of systems (people, components, objects, machines or plants) to have flexibility. Flexibility is the ability to adapt systems to changing or changed conditions promptly and with little effort on the basis of internally available alternatives.
classification
This flexibility model is a core model for the system description.
concept
Flexibility presupposes internally available and usable alternatives and normally requires a decision of one's own or abandonment with regard to the settings, means and tasks that can lead to a new alternative state in a timely and inexpensive manner as soon as the change in the conditions is detected. The available alternatives must be able to be taken reversibly by the system or at least be in the area of intended use or - for people and groups of people - in the intended area of use.
scope of application
Flexibility can occur in the case of components , objects, buildings , facilities , machines and apparatus , plants , animals , people, groups of people, organisms and organizations , plants and other systems of all kinds. However, flexibility is mainly used for more complex systems such as buildings and facilities , Machines and apparatus and installations as well as in relation to persons and groups of persons or organizations. The importance of flexibility can be specific or figurative.
Flexible adjustments should be made promptly and with little effort. The less the time and effort required to adapt the system when the external conditions change, the greater the flexibility. The impact of an adjustment on performance, costs and operations should be small. An increase in flexibility must always be weighed against the effort required to achieve the same goal (see also adaptability ).
The simplest case of flexibility is the ability to adapt spontaneously, e.g. B. the elasticity of an elastic plant or an elastic component as the ability to reversibly change shape (bending, torsion, etc.) under changing loads (wind load, earthquake, etc.). No explicit decision is required for such spontaneous adjustments. The next simple case is the adjustability of a device via parameter settings, since no structural adjustments are required here.
In the case of buildings and other complex systems, flexibility requires changeable settings or structures (changeability), otherwise there would be rigidity. With a flexible living space design, the change in the living space, e.g. B. as adaptation to changed life situations (a changed family size, the changed age of the residents, etc.) may require some time and effort, but the time required and effort must be small compared to a real renovation measure.
In the case of machines or apparatus, in addition to the changes to the settings, it must be possible to change tools and other changes in structure and equipment promptly and without any special effort. In the case of systems, corresponding conversions and changes to the procedure should only require changes to the parameter settings if possible.
In the production economy, flexibility refers to the applicability and use of objects, devices, machines, and apparatus up to more complex production facilities. Flexibility also means creating or increasing the flexibility of people and organizations with regard to work processes up to retirement, usually in connection with a reduction in rules, contractual conditions, structures and protective measures (see also flexibilisation and flexibility (business administration) ) .
There is path or path flexibility, for example, in traffic or with robots.
In the energy industry , flexibility relates on the one hand to the variable use of energy or energy supply based on different energy sources and the variable use of different transport routes, and on the other hand to the ability to react flexibly (start-up or shutdown) of a power plant , a power plant or a power plant or power plant network to changing needs.
In the financial sector , we speak of a flexible exchange rate relationship when the exchange rate between two currencies can change freely according to market conditions.
A strategy is referred to as flexibility when different tactical measures can be used and are used in order to still achieve the goal once set in the event of changing opportunities, obstacles, difficulties, obstacles, disruptions or other challenges.
A person, group of people or organization is said to be rigid or inflexible if they cling to their attitudes or rigid behavioral patterns and do not want or cannot adapt to, for example, economic or social changes. With regard to the latter, however, it should be noted that flexibility is usually seen as a positive quality; In the case of people and organizations, especially in the hierarchical or political area, however, it can also be meant negatively if this person or the organization moves too easily away from previously assumed basic positions - especially if this happens for opportunistic reasons or weaknesses ("his flag after the wind rotate").
In security policy, flexibility is used if, in the event of a change in the degree of danger or in the event of a change in the nature of the external threats leading to an attack, alternative reactions (expansion or dismantling of protection, different - not predetermined - defensive measures) are possible, to maintain or achieve the degree of security or feeling of security deemed necessary.
An extension of flexibility are
- in mathematics flexibility as a property of links (flexibility law) flexible algebra ,
- Adaptivity as the intelligence of the (possibly higher-level) adaptive system under consideration, which can use the existing flexibility of the (possibly subordinate) system under changing environmental conditions via an adaptation system with adaptation functionality (s) (see figure "Adaptive System").
One must distinguish from flexibility
- the robustness of a system against external or internal disturbances or against corrosion, wear, etc.,
since neither decision nor secondary structural adjustments are required here.
Does not fall under flexibility
- the possibility of exchanging one system for another system; the flexible alternatives must be created within the system under consideration,
- the change in the internal state of a system as part of the direct fulfillment of the purpose.
General specification
Flexibility requires ingestible and available internal alternatives ,
- regarding the settings
- Shape, shape, structure,
- Positions or postures
- Paths, processes or procedures,
- Parameters or setpoints,
- Relationships or shortcuts or
- Characteristics, own evaluations or behavior or other material or ideal characteristics or reaction patterns,
- regarding the means
- Equipping and availability of people, objects, functionalities, components, extensions, interfaces or upstream or downstream systems, of money, materials or energies, information, ideas or concepts or
- with regard to the task or task such as use, order or recipe
or regarding other ingestible or available alternatives.
The alternatives can be adopted (set, carried out) by the flexible system or can be specified externally. Limited functionality or missing functionalities or even total failure are not among the internal alternatives.
The changes in conditions to which a flexible system can adapt or to which it can be adapted can be
- Changes in system-independent external conditions or external circumstances (temperature, pressure, weather and other physical or chemical boundary conditions, exchange rates, material costs, electricity costs, competitive situations, new or eliminated obstacles or difficulties, external disturbances or hazards, legal and other rules or regulations, etc.),
- Changes to the preconditions such as the number of orders for an item or other requirements or expectations on the part of the customer, etc.,
- Changes to the possible (applicable, required, required, expected, desired) settings,
- Changes in possible means,
- Changes to the tasks and other objectives (tasks) or
- other restrictions or extensions of the available alternative states
Changes in attitudes, means and tasks usually follow changes in external circumstances or preconditions. They can be self-determined, i.e. generated within the viewed person, the viewed object, system or process themselves, or they can follow from higher-level strategy changes or other new immaterial boundary conditions and be given to the viewed person, the viewed object, system or process.
If changes in the conditions are found, flexibility usually requires a decision of its own or a predetermined one . The greater the autonomy that can be expected from a system, the more it is expected that this system will itself make the necessary changes in attitudes and generate changes in the means or the task in order to be able to be considered flexible after changes in conditions. Autonomous systems must be able to react to all occurring events.
A rigid or inflexible system has no or sees no alternatives and shows no reactions to changes in conditions that have occurred and does not make a choice of an alternative that is necessary per se.
Formal specification
The figure on the right shows how a system moves from an initial state, which is determined by initial conditions, to a new state after a change in these conditions through a decision and subsequent timely and inexpensive change in settings, resources or tasks. This new state was already possible as a possible alternative parallel to the initial state. That the previous resources, attitudes and tasks are retained even if the conditions change, i.e. H. the initial state remains unchanged (dashed in the figure on the right) only occurs in exceptional cases, as this is usually a sign of a rigid or inflexible posture or structure.
Model elements
Specification : The path imposed or imposed by the system on an entity or the behavior transmitted by the system to an entity (parameter definition, target value specification, equipment, task).
Goal : Expected (given or desired) end point of a path.
Path : Temporal sequence of the state points of an object, a person, a process or a procedure, in the context of leadership as a result of a structural definition or structural definitions.
System : a set of interrelated elements that, in a certain context, are seen as a whole and are considered to be separated from their surroundings
Decision : A decision is a choice between alternatives or between several different variants by one or more decision-makers in connection with immediate or later implementation. A decision can be made spontaneously or emotionally, randomly or rationally (see decision ).
Alternatives : One of several possible (available) and adoptable states of a system
Conditions : External circumstances, requirements, expectations or specifications that lead to restrictions or extensions of the states assumed by a system.
Task or task : use, order or recipe for a system; a task can be given or set by yourself.
regulate
- Flexibility requires alternatives that can be taken.
- Flexibility can be used when a response to changed conditions appears necessary.
- It must be possible to switch to an alternative promptly and with little effort. What "promptly" and "effortlessly" means is determined by the application.
- The decision to change settings, means or tasks to adapt the state can be made internally through adaptation functions or as a specification from outside.