The Role of IT Systems in Tackling Human Complexity

Introduction

Our civilization faces challenges that are unprecedented in scale, complexity, and urgency. From climate change to social inequality, our problems are intricate and deeply interconnected.

The future of civilization lies in our ability to understand and strategically act upon these challenges. Information Technology (IT) systems offer a powerful arsenal to improve the state of things by enhancing our ability to navigate the complexities that often overwhelm human capabilities.

This article delves into how IT can help us build more robust better-informed future-proof organizations that choose always the next best action possible

Key Problems Faced by Organizations and Civilizations

1. Decisiveness: The ability to make firm decisions quickly and efficiently, even in the face of complexity or ambiguity.

2. Action Readiness: The capacity to move from insight and decision to effective and timely action.

3. Depth of Insight: Beyond data, understanding the implications and underpinnings of information is crucial. This means not just knowing the ‘what’ but understanding the ‘why.’

4. Relevance: The challenge of discerning what information and actions are most pertinent to the current problems and goals.

5. Adaptability: The capability to change course or strategy in response to unforeseen circumstances or new information.

6. Scalability: The ability to expand or contract operations efficiently in response to changing conditions and needs.

7. Interoperability: The need for diverse systems, organizations, and even countries to work together smoothly and effectively.

8. Sustainability: Meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

9. Innovation: The constant need to improve, evolve, and come up with new solutions to emerging problems.

10. Stakeholder Alignment: Aligning the objectives and expectations of investors, employees, customers, and suppliers

11. Change Management: The process of transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations to a desired future state.

12. Talent Management: Identifying, attracting, and retaining individuals who can navigate the complexities of modern organizations and societies.

13. Compliance and Ethics: The challenge of not just doing things right, but doing the right thing, especially in an evolving regulatory and ethical landscape.

Tasks where Cognitive AI can help

Humans struggle with several challenges that are fundamentally complex:

1. Decision Making: The competence to select the best course of action among several alternatives.

2. Goal-setting: The ability to create a complex set of objectives that cover all key aspects a modern organization needs to consider.

3. Prioritizing: The ability to focus on what matters most.

4. Strategizing: The capacity to formulate effective ways to achieve specific objectives.

5. Analyzing: Collecting all inputs that need to be put together in order to formulate best possible decision.

6. Planning: The ability to anticipate future scenarios and prepare for them.

7. Resource Allocation: The complex task of distributing limited resources — be it time, money, or manpower — in the most effective manner.

8. Budgeting: The skill to allocate resources efficiently.

The typical challenges to overcome

When tackling these challenges, humans often operate with:

1. Incomplete Information: Data gaps can lead to poor decisions. Real-time data gathering and analytics can help bridge these gaps, providing a more complete picture for effective decision-making.

2. Incomplete Understanding: Humans often lack a full grasp of complex systems, including social dynamics, economic forces, and technical components. Simulation and modeling tools can help to better understand these systems, enabling more educated decisions.

3. Incomplete Set of Goals to Optimize Against: Advanced modeling techniques can simulate the impact of various goals, helping to prioritize them more systematically. Multi-objective optimization algorithms can help balance competing objectives.

4. Incomplete Criteria: Artificial intelligence (AI) can help establish a more comprehensive set of evaluation metrics based on historical and real-time data. This results in a more balanced and informed decision-making process.

5. Incomplete List of Options: Machine learning algorithms can analyze vast numbers of possibilities that humans can’t easily process, presenting a more complete list of actionable options.

6. Incomplete Toolset: Emerging technologies like blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and quantum computing can be integrated into existing architectures for more holistic solutions. These technologies provide new avenues for solving old problems.

7. Incomplete Feedback Loop: Without timely and accurate feedback, it’s difficult to adjust actions or strategies effectively. Real-time monitoring and analytics can provide this essential feedback.

8. Incomplete Stakeholder Involvement: Decisions made without input from all relevant stakeholders may lack crucial perspectives. Collaborative platforms can facilitate better communication and input from diverse parties.

9. Incomplete Risk Assessment: A narrow focus on obvious risks can leave organizations vulnerable to overlooked threats. Comprehensive risk management software can help identify and quantify these hidden risks.

10. Incomplete Historical Context: Lack of historical data can make it difficult to see trends and anticipate future issues. Big Data analytics can integrate historical data to provide a richer context for decision-making.

11. Incomplete Adaptability: A rigid system or strategy cannot efficiently adjust to changing conditions. Adaptive algorithms and agile methodologies can provide the flexibility needed to navigate volatility.

12. Incomplete Transparency: The absence of a clear and open process can lead to distrust among team members or stakeholders. Blockchain and secure logging can ensure transparency in transactions and decision-making.

13. Incomplete Compliance Checks: Ignoring or being unaware of regulatory and compliance aspects can result in costly penalties. Compliance management systems can automate checks to ensure that all activities meet legal standards.

14. Incomplete Skill Set: No individual has expertise in all areas. Learning management systems (LMS) and expert systems can help fill knowledge gaps.

15. Incomplete Resource Allocation: Failure to optimally allocate resources can lead to inefficiencies. Resource management software can provide real-time tracking and optimization of various resources.

Key functions of IT systems

Writing

1. Evidence: Collecting and storing information for purposes of keeping the state of things.

2. Logging: Keeping a record of events or transactions for audit or troubleshooting purposes.

Watching

1. Tracking: Keeping tabs on various metrics, objectives, or resources over time.

2. Monitoring: Continuously observing system performance or trends to ensure optimal functioning and to detect any anomalies.

Collecting

1. Aggregating: Compiling data from various sources into a unified view.

2. Integrating: Combining various types of data and systems into a coherent, interoperable whole.

3. Querying: Enabling users to ask specific questions and retrieve relevant data from large databases.

4. Filtering: Removing irrelevant or less important data so that users can focus on what matters most.

Providing

1. Informing: Providing timely and accurate data or information to the right individuals or systems.

2. Enarming (Empowering + Arming): Equipping users with the tools and information they need to make effective decisions.

3. Alerting: Sending out warnings or notifications based on certain triggers or thresholds.

Transforming

1. Summarizing: Condensing large volumes of data into digestible reports, graphs, or insights for easy comprehension.

2. Visualizing: Converting complex data sets into graphical representations for easier understanding.

3. Analyzing: Digging deep into the data to extract meaningful patterns or trends.

4. Segmenting: Dividing large data sets into smaller, more manageable or meaningful groups for targeted analysis or action.

5. Profiling: Analyzing and grouping users based on behavior, preferences, or other attributes for targeted services or insights.

6. Classifying: Sorting data into predetermined categories based on specific attributes.

7. Normalizing: Transforming data into a common format or scale to enable more accurate comparisons and analysis.

8. Translating: Converting data or interface elements into different languages or formats.

Organizing

1. Optimizing: Adjusting variables within a system to achieve the best possible outcome based on certain criteria.

2. Synchronizing: Aligning data and processes across multiple platforms, departments, or organizations.

3. Facilitating: Making it easier for humans to perform tasks by automating routine aspects or providing an interface for complex actions.

4. Streamlining: Automating or simplifying complex processes to improve efficiency and reduce errors.

5. Routing: Directing data or user requests to the appropriate destination within a network.

Focusing

1. Recommending: Suggesting specific courses of action or remedies based on analyzed data and pre-set criteria.

2. Highlighting: Pointing out significant events, changes, or data points that require attention.

3. Prioritizing: Ranking tasks, issues, or data points based on predetermined criteria to guide decision-making.

Personalizing

1. Customizing: Allowing users to tailor the system according to their specific needs or preferences.

2. Notifications: Proactively updating users about system status, task completion, or other important events.

Predicting

1. Forecasting: Predicting future events or trends based on current and past data.

Generating

1. Formulating: Assisting in the creation of strategies, plans, or policies based on the information gathered.

2. Collaborating: Providing platforms or tools that facilitate better communication and teamwork.

Checking

1. Validating: Confirming the reliability and accuracy of data or decisions.

2. Auditing: Periodically reviewing and inspecting records and activities for compliance and effectiveness.

3. Securing: Protecting data and system integrity from unauthorized access or tampering.

4. Benchmarking: Comparing performance against industry standards or best practices to identify areas for improvement.

5. Quality Assurance: Regularly testing and monitoring the system to ensure it meets predefined quality standards.

Conclusion

Our arsenal of strategic and tactical options how to improve resilience of our civilization against the upcoming threats is vast and powerful. Its effective use requires overcoming the complexities that typically bog down human capabilities. IT systems can extend our ability to see, understand, and act upon the world in a way that is analytical, optimized, and deeply insightful. The synergy between human intelligence and computational power is the cornerstone upon which we can build a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable civilization.