Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017 - 18
by Maria Pia Fanti and Walter Ukovich
Decision Support
Systems
and Integrated
Platforms
New Approaches for Managing Systems of Systems
C
urrently, in different contexts of strategic
relevance, there is the increasing need of
integrating and coordinating previously
autonomous elements and systems to reach a
common goal that is otherwise not achievable. Such a challenge requires competencies from many
heterogeneous domains, leading to very complex and often
ineffective management processes. The need to formalize
a structured and unifying framework to support decision
makers leads to the introduction of the systems of systems
(SoS), that is, "large-scale integrated systems that are heterogeneous and independently operable on their own, but
are networked together for a common goal" [1].
The main peculiarities of SoS are heterogeneity, emergent
and unpredictable behavior, and large-scale dimensions.
◆ Hetereogenity, because SoS are composed of different
elements, technologies, and implementation approaches.
◆ Emergent and unpredictable behavior, as, due to their
architectural complexity, the interaction of the SoS
components inevitably results in behaviors that are not
predictable in advance.
◆ Large-scale dimensions, because SoS are constituted
by a large number of elements or subsystems. This
characteristic can be interpreted as both logical and
structural large scale-the SoS can be dislocated in a
large geographical area but also in a virtual dimension.
To deal with such aspects of SoS, novel modeling, simulation, analysis, and management techniques are necessary [2]:
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MSMC.2016.2623868
Date of publication: 17 January 2017
18
IEEE SyStEmS, man, & CybErnEtICS magazInE Janu ar y 2017
◆ effective methodologies to allow communication
among complex systems
◆ distributed resource management approaches
◆ new designing architectures, including interoperability
and cooperation
◆ big data management
◆ formal modeling and simulation frameworks.
The emerging strategies to face such SoS aspects are
based on
◆ network theory
◆ agent-based modeling and control
◆ probabilistic modeling and designing approaches
◆ object-oriented simulation and programming
◆ multiobjective optimization
◆ consensus-based decision strategies
◆ distributed and decentralized control approaches.
In particular, the problem of modeling and managing SoS
with different purposes can be efficiently based on the concepts of decision support systems (DSSs) and integrated
platforms (IP). IP is a generalized term for digital platforms
that perform various business functions and services for different actors. In addition, a DSS is an interactive computerbased system, which helps decision makers (DMs) to utilize
data and models to solve unstructured problems.
Different peculiar features of SoS make them particularly suitable for the application of DSS and IP approaches:
1) the possible dynamic reconfiguration of the system
derived from the managerial independence of the components; 2) the continuous system evolution during its operation; 3) the possibility of emergent behavior, that is, the
overall system nonpredictable behavior derived from the
2333-942X/17©2017IEEE
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017
Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017 - Cover1
Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017 - Cover2
Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017 - 1
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Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017 - Cover3
Systems, Man & Cybernetics - January 2017 - Cover4
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