Business Systems - Boundaries

System boundaries - departmental or functional - are artifical in that someone defines the boundary of study or action. In organisational problem solving definition of inputs, outputs, relationships between the sub-systems and their boundary considerations serves to open up a problem. When we understand it it can then be closed down so it becomes managable - with realistic solutions being found. The danger for the manager whose perspective in organisational decision-making is too narrow is that important organisational states and boundary conditions that have a bearing on decisions to be made become neglected.