Mismanagement of societal aging is an important threat to health care systems, social security systems, and the economy of many nations. A System Dynamics simulation model related to societal aging in the Netherlands and its implications for the Dutch welfare system is used here as a scenario generator for Exploratory System Dynamics Modeling and Analysis - a System Dynamics-based approach for exploring and analysing deeply uncertain dynamically complex issues and testing policy robustness many plausible futures. Key concerns derived from this exploratory research are (i) the existence of plausible futures with severe labour scarcity, especially in health care, (ii) unsustainable evolutions of health care costs, and (iii) insufficient labour productivity, especially in health care. Our analysis shows that labour productivity may be cause of and cure for many of the undesirable evolutions. We conclude that (i) sufficient increases in labour productivity in health care as well as labour productivity in general without pinching the necessary workers in care are needed, and (ii) sufficiently raising the retirement age only helps if both the willingness to work longer and the willingness to keep older employees increase. These conclusions are derived from systematic data analysis which is fully documented in the appendix.
Supply chain collaboration is the key to success in business. A major challenge in such collaborations is the dilemma between locally optimized quick solutions and the more systemic, long-term but slow-acting approaches. Such dilemma in business collaborations has been contemplated in supply chain management research, illustrating their respective benefits and disadvantages. In light of the findings from literature, this study investigates the dynamics of this dilemma using an integrated perspective, utilizing both theories and case studies in supply chain relationships and collaborations. The archetypical dynamics and behavior of relationships over time are modeled, proposing an ever-evolving framework of supply chain collaborations. Along with the model, a prototype of a supply chain collaboration simulation model is also presented, as a customizable environment for policy testing and demonstration of different supply chain collaboration approaches. This model may also be used for training purposes as Microworlds.
The productivity of services has recently become the subject of intensive research. While most contributions here have focused on developing measurement concepts, so far little is known about the dynamics of productivity in service companies. Because productivity tends to increase if the service delivery process is enhanced and improved, there seems to be a link between incremental service innovations and the productivity of services. Therefore, this article analyzes the interaction of innovations and productivity over time in knowledge-intensive business services (kibs). A simple system dynamics model was constructed to examine these dynamics and interactions over the life cycle of an exemplary knowledge-intensive business service offer. First the system structure is developed using literature analysis. Second, several simulation runs and experiments are conducted, to obtain a deeper understanding of the interactions of service innovations and productivity. The paper closes with findings and conclusions.
We report the results of a collaborative decision making exercise using a simulated stability operations task. The exercise allowed Canadian Forces personnel to experience first-hand the benefits and challenges of taking an integrative decision making approach (i.e., with information and resource sharing) compared to a stovepipe approach (no communication and partial view of the whole system). While teams generally achieved greater mission success in the integrated condition, they could only partially cope with the complexity of such an endeavor. A training session on systems thinking and collaborative design generally improved integrated planning effectiveness. We designed a decision support tool capable of suggesting an effective integrated course of action based on qualitative information about system structure and effects. The tool essentially relies on an innovative 'action-oriented' cross-impact matrix and decision matrix that jointly allow deriving a viable resource allocation given a range of intervention options. The prototype tool aims to be simple and generic for use in real-life applications. The system's inputs are based on simple user judgements (i.e., mental models). We show that the tool provides solutions superior to most human teams. Future research will test the generalization of the approach and assess human ability to refine the tools' solutions.
Coastal communities dependent upon groundwater resources for drinking water and irrigation are vulnerable to salinization of the groundwater reserve. The increasing uncertainty associated with changing climatic conditions, population and economic development, and technological advances poses significant challenges for freshwater management. The research reported in this paper offers an approach for investigating and addressing the challenges to freshwater management using innovative exploratory modeling techniques. We present a generic system dynamics model of a low lying coastal region that depends on its groundwater resources. This systems model covers population, agriculture, industry, and the groundwater reserve. The system model in turn is coupled to a powerful scenario generator, which is capable of producing a comprehensive range of plausible future scenarios. Each scenario describes a unique future pathway of the evolution of population, the economy, agricultural and water purification technologies. We explore the behavior of the systems model across a wide range of scenarios and analyze the implications of these scenarios for freshwater management in the coastal region. In particular, the results are summarized in a decision tree that provides insights into the expected outcomes given the various uncertainties, thus supporting the development of effective policies for managing the coastal aquifer.
Rockström et al. (2009) introduced the concept of a safe operating space for humanity that will not push the planet out of the Holocene state. Establishing the limits of this operating space is ongoing for various earth bound systems. Estimates of these limits are plagued by uncertainty. In case of the limits to the world water system, these uncertainties arise out of conflicting models, regional variations, limitation of expansion of water use through financial and institutional capacity, uncertainty about the realization and efficiency of trans-boundary water transfers, and interdependency between the water system and other earth systems. This paper aims at investigating the limits to global freshwater use. To this end, the behavior of a System Dynamic model of the world water balance is explored across a wide variety of uncertainties. Active non-linear testing is used to identify the best case and worst case for water stress and world population. We find counter intuitive results related to the occurrence of maximum water stress, conclude that global limits can be investigated with a spatially aggregated model and are strengthened in our hypotheses that exploratory modeling adds to the understanding of complex and uncertain issues in a way that predictive approaches cannot.