After 2,5 years of silence it is time to get back to blogging. A lot has happened. I had the pleasure to apply the Viable System Model at BOSCH Mobility, moved part-time to Gerlingen and I published a new book about Weak Signals. But now it is time to share my latest insights and potential use cases for the VSM.

VSMGPT – the virtual Viable System Model assistant

The last two blog posts (Number 1 und Number 2) dealt already with the development of AI in 2022. In terms of the exponential growth of the model capabilities they were actually infants compared to todays possibilities. Nowadays the web and especially LinkedIn are flooded with content about AI – and the exponential growth of self-entitled AI experts is just amazing (BTW: I would love to know where all the crypto, blockchain and web3 experts are gone?).

Anyways, I will again connect to the topic of AI (or GenAI to be precise) in this post and build the bridge towards the Viable System Model by offering VSMGPT!

VSMGPT can be helpful for newbies and experienced users when learning or applying the VSM, i.e., when diagnosing or designing an organization. After having used my first own version of VSMGPT (thanks to the initiative of Murray Vanwyk) about a year ago I learned that many folks still struggle on how to get valuable output from a LLM. That is why I will provided some ideas for learners, for the diagnostic, and the design phase.

I hope you enjoy it!

Prompts for learners

The VSM is full of new terms like Transducer, Homeostat, Algedonic Signal – besides the challenge to understand the meaning and function of the different systems of the model. Therefore, just ask it everything you want to know! And use the power of a LLM by asking it for metaphors and such.

Various Examples

“Explain the function of a transducer to me as if I am a child.“

“What is the difference between S2 and S3?“

“Why is the acronym POSIWID so important?“

“What are the challenges when introducing the VSM? How can I overcome them?“

“Explain to me the VSM along the systems of the model by associating it with an ant colony.“

Prompts for the diagnostic phase

VSMGPT offers for me two use cases when diagnosing a system. Either it is the analysis of a written report or visualizations of an organization.

Example No 1:

“I need your expertise. Analyse the following report about a company called “MechTech Industries” and tell me along the systems of the Viable System Model on how to solve the problems. Use all output tokens and include tables and lists in the analysis. Make sure you answer only if your confidence is about 95%

MechTech Industries, a privately owned company in the machine building sector, is currently facing several operational challenges. The decision-making process within the organization is notably unclear, especially when it comes to sorting out operational priorities. This lack of clarity leads to confusion among departments, causing delays in project execution and inefficient use of resources. Employees often find themselves uncertain about which tasks require immediate attention, resulting in a misalignment of efforts and objectives.

Additionally, MechTech Industries has been slow to respond to technological changes in the environment. While competitors adopt new technologies to enhance productivity and innovation, MechTech lags behind, relying on outdated systems and processes. This hesitation to embrace technological advancements hinders the company’s ability to compete effectively in a rapidly evolving market. The reluctance to invest in modern machinery and software not only affects product quality but also impacts customer satisfaction and retention.

Furthermore, the company is burdened by high cost structures and an inefficient bureaucracy. The organizational hierarchy is excessively layered, leading to prolonged decision-making cycles and increased administrative overhead. Inefficient bureaucratic procedures complicate routine operations, making it difficult for employees to perform their duties effectively. This complexity inflates operational costs and reduces overall profitability, straining the company’s financial health.“

Example No 2:

You can upload illustrations of the hierarchy or processes diagrams and let VSMGPT analyze them for you. Here are two exemplary prompts to inspire you:

a) “The following graphic represents the hierarchical structure of an organization. Analyse it and tell me which of the elements of the structure are an operational unit (S1). Explain your reasoning – and let me know if you have any further observations to share when looking at the graphic and thinking about the Viable System Model. Do you find any potential dysfunctions or pathologies?“

b) “The following graphic represents a sales process of an organization. Analyse it and tell me through the lens of the VSM where to find possibilities to optimize this process.“

Prompts for the design phase

When designing a system one encounters typical challenges like the blank page phenomena – you just do not know where to begin. This applies for instance to step 3 of the “7 step methodology” where you want to determine the success critical tasks of the system-in-focus. To give you a head start you can ask the model something like this (as you might notice I have the tendency to over-prompt – it is all about providing context for the model).

Example No 1:

“I am designing an organization with the 7 step methodology and now I need your help for step 3 which is about the success critical tasks of my system in focus. It is about a NGO that is running 10 projects in the city. Fundraising is the major revenue stream. Give me 30 success critical tasks. I need the name of the task and a short description.“

Afterwards you can ask that model to assign tasks to the systems of the VSM (step 5).

“Assign these success critical tasks to the systems of the VSM. Make sure you use only the ones that have been generated before. If you can’t map a task, then this is ok, but tell it to me.“

Example No 2:

Another use case could be the creation of a comprehensive mapping of typical organizational aspects. You could ask the model:

“Create along the systems of the VSM a mapping of the following organizational aspects for an engineering unit: success critical tasks, meetings, metrics, and processes.“

I hope VSMGPT turns out to be useful. Looking forward to your feedback!