Towards a Metamodel to Support the Joint Optimization of Socio Technical Systems

• DOI: 10.3390/systems2030273
• Publication Date: 2014-06-26T06:28:30Z
• Authors: Paola Di Maio
• Keywords: metamodel; TA168; socio technical system; joint optimization; metamodel; joint optimization; 0502 economics and business; 05 social sciences; T1-995; socio technical system; Technology (General); Systems engineering

Designing and implementing functional Socio Technical Systems (STS) is becoming increasingly important, as technologies become more pervasive and critical to everyday life. Socio technical systems are said to be efficient and useful when they are “jointly optimized” yet few system designers understand what joint optimization is, and how to achieve it. The paper explains the core tenets of Joint Optimization and identifies the need for artifacts to support the built in design of joint optimization in socio technical systems from the early stages of development. JOM (Joint Optimization Metamodel) is proposed, as a cognitive artifact to help conceptualize and model joint optimization, and five types of JO are identified resulting from conceptual evaluation of the metamodel.