The systems are characterized by the following concepts:
Elements
The elements are the components of each system. The system elements may in turn be systems in their own right, that is, subsystems. The system elements can be inanimate (non-living), or endowed with life (living). Most of the systems we deal with are aggregates of both. The elements that enter the system are called inputs and those that leave it are called outputs or results.
Conversion process
Organized systems are endowed with a conversion process by which the elements of the system can change state. The conversion process changes input elements into output elements. In an organized system, conversion processes generally add value and utility to inputs by becoming outputs. If the conversion process reduces the value or utility in the system, it imposes costs and impediments.
Tickets and resources
The difference between inputs and resources is minimal, and depends only on the point of view and circumstance. In the conversion process, inputs are generally the elements on which resources are applied. For example, students entering the education system are inputs, while teachers are one of the resources used in the process. From a broader context, students, students with an education become resources, when they become the active element of the community or society. In general, human potential (teachers, non-academic personnel, academic personnel, administrative personnel), talent, knowing how and information can all be considered interchangeable as inputs or resources used in the education system.
When identifying system inputs and resources, it is important to specify whether or not they are under the control of the system designer, that is, whether they can be considered part of the system or part of the media. When evaluating a system's effectiveness in achieving its objectives, inputs and resources are generally considered costs.
Outputs or results
Outputs are the results of the system conversion process and are counted as results, successes or benefits.
The middle
Deciding on the limits of systems is necessary when studying open (living) systems, systems that interact with other systems. The definition of system boundaries determines which systems are considered to be under the control of decision makers, and which should be left outside their jurisdiction (known as known or given). Despite where the limits of the system are established, interactions with the environment cannot be ignored, unless the solutions adopted are meaningless.
Purpose and function
Inanimate systems are devoid of obvious purpose. These acquire a specific purpose or function, when they enter into relation with other subsystems in the context of a larger system, therefore the connections between subsystems, and between subsystems and the total system, are of considerable importance in the study of systems.
Attributes
Systems, subsystems, and their elements are endowed with attributes or properties. Attributes can be quantitative or qualitative. This differentiation determines the approach to be used to measure them. Qualitative attributes offer greater difficulty in definition and measurement than their counterparts, quantitative attributes. Attributes are sometimes used as synonyms for measures of effectiveness, although the attribute and its measurement must be differentiated.
Goals and objectives
The identification of goals and objectives is of utmost importance for the design of systems. As the degree of abstraction is decreased, the statements of purpose will be better defined and more operational. Efficiency measurements regulate the degree to which systems objectives are met. These represent the value of system attributes.
Components, programs and missions
In goal-oriented systems, the conversion process is organized around the concept of components, programs, or missions, which consists of compatible elements brought together to work toward a defined goal. In most cases, the limits of the components do not coincide with the limits of the organizational structure, a rather significant issue for the systems approach.
Administration, agents and decision makers
The actions and decisions that take place in the system are attributed or assigned to administrators, agents and decision makers whose responsibility is to guide the system towards achieving its objectives. We are primarily interested in the study of goal-oriented organizations or organized systems, that is, those that have a definable purpose or function, and strive toward one or more observable and measurable goals or outcomes.
Structure
The notion of structure is related to the form of the relations that maintain the elements of the set. The structure can be simple or complex, depending on the number and type of interrelationships between the parts of the system. Complex systems involve hierarchies that are ordered levels, parts, or elements of subsystems. Systems work over the long term, and the effectiveness with which they are implemented depends on the type and form of interrelationships between the components of the system.
States and flows
It is usual to distinguish between states and system flows. The state of a system is defined by the properties that its elements show at a point in time. The condition of a system is given by the value of the attributes that characterize it. Changes from one state to another through which the elements of the system pass give rise to flows, which are defined in terms of rates of change in the value of system attributes. Behavior can be interpreted as changes in system states over time.
