ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the sustainable system-of-systems (SSoS) model for human factors and ergonomics can be used as a framework to identify the necessary adaptations to existing systems analysis tools and intervention strategies in order to facilitate sustainable solutions. Five application points of the SSoS model are considered in the chapter. First we look at ways of identifying the relevant interacting systems to consider in the analysis of the system-of-systems. Next, we look at where we might place each relevant interacting system in the hierarchy of systems. Third, we consider the critical factors that should be taken into account when collecting data about how the various systems interact. These issues include the problems of identifying relevant stakeholders and dealing with conflicting stakeholder input. Fourth, we examine how to identify the different intervention points and how these can be used to leverage sustainable change. The obvious intervention points are with the target system itself, top-down interventions with parent systems, bottom-up interventions with child systems, and horizontal interventions with sibling systems. Finally, we reflect on what the SSoS model can tell us about the need to iterate our designs and what the SSoS model can tell us about the required rate of iteration.
