chapter 5
SYSTEM HIERARCHY
Every system consists of other systems. And every system is a part of a bigger system.

Climb one level higher and look at your system as a part of something bigger. Which system is it integrated in? What position does your system take in the bigger one? What position do you want it to take? What systems influence your system? What systems does your system influence? Which part of your customer's life is affected by your system?

There are only seven types of system elements:

- input
- output
- processing
- control
- feedback
- environment
- boundaries & interfaces.

Look at the bigger system for which your system is only a part. What kind of element is your system in the bigger system? What task does your system have? Why can't it be thrown away?

All problems are always solved at a higher level than they exist. If you can't see the bigger system, you can't see the problem's reasons.


Quiz
SYSTEM HIERARCHY
Each of the tasks describes two systems, you need to define hierarchy: whether one surely is a part of the other or they may have a different type of connection.
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System 1: a cup of tea
System 2: a table in a cafe with a cup of tea
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System 1: a cup of tea
System 2: a random cafe
The correct answer is "Other". This random cafe may have a cup of tea as a subsystem or not. It may have a different cup of tea as a subsystem. We haven't enough information.
The correct answer is "Other". This random cafe may have a cup of tea as a subsystem or not. It may have a different cup of tea as a subsystem. We haven't enough information.
This random cafe may have a cup of tea as a subsystem or not. It may have a different cup of tea as a subsystem. We haven't enough information.
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System 1: Your account in the social media network
System 2: The entire social media network
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System 1: Your account in the social media network
System 2: Your competitor's account in the same social media network
The correct answer is "Other". These systems may be connected but they definitely aren't a part of each other.
The correct answer is "Other". These systems may be connected but they definitely aren't a part of each other.
These systems may be connected but they definitely aren't a part of each other.
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System 1: Your account in the social media network
System 2: You
The correct answer is "Other". You are part of your account if we consider you as an actor in the whole marketing process and you create something for making your account better. Your account is a part of you (as a system) if we consider an account like a component of your whole life and a tool for something you need. You and your account are not a part of each other if we consider them as separate parts of a bigger system that are connected but not nested.
The correct answer is "Other". You are part of your account if we consider you as an actor in the whole marketing process and you create something for making your account better. Your account is a part of you (as a system) if we consider an account like a component of your whole life and a tool for something you need. You and your account are not a part of each other if we consider them as separate parts of a bigger system that are connected but not nested.
You are part of your account if we consider you as an actor in the whole marketing process and you create something for making your account better. Your account is a part of you (as a system) if we consider an account like a component of your whole life and a tool for something you need. You and your account are not a part of each other if we consider them as separate parts of a bigger system that are connected but not nested.
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You got more "no" answers
You don't know what you want to get in detail. First you need to form a vision of the result specifically. The questions above and chapters of this course will help you. Only after this you can analyze something and make the right conclusions.
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You got more "yes" answers than "no" answers
You already know what you want to get in detail. You can analyze some parts of the marketing process, and you have enough information to make the right conclusions.
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