Base120 · Systems
Systems-of-Systems Coordination
Manage interactions between independent systems with emergent behaviors
When to use
"Use when multiple independent systems must coordinate and their interaction produces emergent behavior. Manage the interactions, not just the individual systems. The system-of-systems has properties none of the component systems have."
Example
"A smart city is a system of systems — transportation, energy, healthcare, emergency response. Each system is independently managed, but their interactions produce emergent behavior (a traffic jam affects emergency response, which affects healthcare capacity). Managing the system-of-systems requires managing the interactions."
Common misuse
"Managing each system independently and assuming the system-of-systems will take care of itself. The emergent behavior arises from interactions; managing components without managing interactions leaves the emergent behavior unmanaged."