Soft Systems Methodology

As we have mentioned, there is no one agreed approach to conducting business analysis. Therefore, most of the discussion in this chapter draws upon the work of Peter Checkland and his associates at the University of Lancaster. Over the last couple of decades Checkland has been developing the framework of an approach known as soft systems methodology (SSM) (Checkland, 1987). This method has been adapted to the needs of government departments and renamed Business Analysis Technique (CCTA, 1990). Avison and Wood-Harper (1990) have demonstrated also how the techniques of soft systems methodology can lead into conventional ‘hard’ systems analysis.