The systems archetype tools are essential in improving the performance of systems and organizations. The application of the tools can help to detect the patterns that occur, which leads to knowledge of the problems in the operations. The knowledge can be used to form resolutions to the identified challenges. The ICUPhone case can be best understood using the success to the successful archetype, which explains the potential dangers of neglecting some components of systems during a successful period of the business.
The success to the successful archetype describes a system with an initial breakthrough that allows the company to acquire more resources and advantages. These can then further expand the company’s success levels (H. & Lannon, 1997). However, when the system is not careful, it may ignore some important aspects, leading to its failure. ICUPhone Company’s situation can be well understood using this archetype. The system can be described as ICUPhone Company, which succeeded much with the first phone model, improving consumer perception and brand image and leading to higher sales. Research and development is one of the subsystems. The relationship is that research and development led to high-quality products. The second subsystem is customer support. The relationship existed because good customer support addressed customer questions and problems in the company. The company’s initial success, according to the tool, is the first phone model of the company that led to positive customer feedback and sales, leading to more revenue for ICUPhone.
According to the case, the first reinforcing loop exists between sales and R&D investment. The company’s initial success led to this loop’s creation (Kim & Anderson, 1998). As the sales grew from the sale of the phone product, there was more revenue that could be used to do more research and development of new phones. At the same time, the relationship between customer support and capacity can be seen as the balancing loop of the system. The increased customer base of the company would lead to more consumer issues and queries. The growth of customer queries and questions expanded, eventually overwhelming the staff.
Figure 1 representation of the ICUPhone company system.
According to the case, the changes led to unintended problems, mainly the reduced quality of services to the customer due to overwhelmed staff. The changes in the system include the company’s initial success, which led to increased research and development, reduced quality of customer service, and reduced sales.
ICUPhone significant challenges include the overburdening of the staff with customer support problems, reducing their operational efficiency. At the same time, there is the challenge of reducing the quality of the company’s services. The less efficient staff and overburdened customer support eventually could not provide quality services to their customers. There was also the challenge of reduced productivity due to the fall. The company’s poor customer service reduced satisfaction, which reduced customer purchases and sales. Finally, there needed to be more research and development. The reduced sales led to a lack of revenue to back the research, which reduced the company’s competitiveness.
The company can address these challenges by increasing customer support to cope with growing customer challenges. The company can invest in training and staff to meet customers’ needs. At the same time, it can innovate a robust customer relationship management system that will be more effective in handling customer needs. These will guarantee continued sales and research, and development for the firm.
In conclusion, the ICUPhone company case can be best understood using the success to the successful archetype. The company has prior success that led to a reinforcing loop, which led to further success. The increased customer problems that affected capacity became the balancing loop leading to problems of quality services, reduced sales, and reduced R&D. Addressing the challenge requires investment in a better customer support system that will keep up with the growing needs.
References
Kim, D. H., & Anderson, V. (1998). Systems archetype basics. Waltham, Mass, Pegasus Communications Inc.https://thesystemsthinker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Systems-Archetypes-Basics-WB002E.pdf
H., & Lannon, C. (1997). Applying systems archetypes. Waltham: Pegasus Communications. https://thesystemsthinker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Applying-Systems-Archetypes-IMS002Epk.pdf
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