Complex engineering systems, such as transportation and energy systems, have shaped our modern society. If we are to prevent failures in these systems, we need to have a clear view on the different elements – technical as well as social – that determine their functioning. Any method of prevention or problem-solving, however, is strongly shaped by the way these socio-technical systems are perceived. In other words, the conceptualization of a socio-technical problem determines which routes are explored.
“Refreshing solutions require novel ways of looking at things,” says PhD researcher Maarten Ottens. “Anyone working on a certain problem inevitably has a certain idea in his mind of what the problem is and how it can be solved. These premises determine one’s starting point, but they aren’t necessarily true. This limits the person’s understanding of reality and the possible solutions to the problem.”
Ottens and his colleagues take a different approach. Rather than taking the problem as a given factor and searching for solutions from there, they try to look at the problem itself from different angles. “It is truly a philosophical exercise,” laughs Ottens. “It makes you realise that a problem is mostly defined by the way you look at it, and only in part by the situation itself.”
As an example, Ottens names traffic regulation in cities. “Traffic engineers traditionally assume that people are unpredictable and vulnerable creatures that constantly need protection. Hence the many speed bumps, traffic lights and signs. However, if you conceptualize humans as intelligent beings, able to reflect upon their own and other people’s actions, and with the ability to assess complex situations, you can give them more autonomy.” Pilot experiments based on this conceptualization, as Ottens points out, have shown to be successful, decreasing the amount of accidents significantly. Ottens studies the engineering practice in three different sectors: intelligent transportation systems, electricity power systems, and systems of ownership of real estate.
“In fact, I use stories to help understand the various processes,” Ottens concludes. “My conceptual representations will help to understand the possibilities and limitations of system-theoretical approaches in different disciplines.”
