Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
Systems
I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's.
—William Blake
For a profession that deals with systems, it is a matter of some perplexity
that little attention is paid to
Systems Science
by those who build software
systems.
That practitioners tend to ignore theoretical underpinnings of their
professions is not unexpected. Good actors do not necessarily attend
acting schools. Many managers are successful without being students of
management science. Good software has come from people without a
formal background in computer science. It is also possible that in the
case of systems science, which has existed for many years, the concepts
are being used by people without them being aware of using such
concepts.
Software has become a profession for millions of people around the
world, a majority of whom learn on the job. Careers often begin with
programming, later evolving into systems design, architecture, or project
management. Some in the field get formal training; others do not. Many
still believe, and not without some validity, that design, architecture, or
software management requires skills that are “more art than science.” If
two different designers were designing a school admission system, it is
quite likely that the software system that would be delivered would be
different in terms of its screens, its design, interfaces, data model, and its
workflows, although both automate the same business process.
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