19.1 Sociotechnical systems
The term system is universally used. We talk about computer systems, operating systems, payment systems, the education system, the system of government, and so on. These are all obviously quite different uses of the word “system,” although they share the essential characteristic that, somehow, the system is more than simply the sum of its parts.
Abstract systems, such as the system of government, are outside the scope of this book. I focus here on systems that include computers and software and that have some specific purpose such as to enable communication, support navigation, or maintain medical records. A useful working definition of these types of system is as follows:
A system is a purposeful collection of interrelated ...
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