2021 the double challenge of requisite agility

The double challenge of
requisite agility
Philip Boxer BSc MBA PhD
December 7th 2021
1
Needing to
• Collaborate effectively across enterprise boundaries
• Develop requisite agility in relation to dynamic forms of demand at the
level of the enterprise
Commons Copyright © Philip Boxer 2021 – Attribution-ShareAlike

The limitation of software definitions of
interoperability
• A software definition of interoperability is specific to the required use of a
system within the context of a system of systems (SoS)
2
• It does not address the mechanisms whereby the SoS is governed in relation to
its users and desired operational effects
The operation to
capture
Osama bin Laden
The ongoing care of a
chronic condition
through-its-life
Keeping the right
roads clear through
winter ice and storms
… entering into the user’s
world and focusing on
utility to the user

What is meant by ‘governance’…
Governance: the means by which an enterprise secures the availability of
capabilities for its use how, when and where it needs them.
3
e.g. having to combine the services of several enterprises and
synchronizing them – difficult for the enterprise, even harder for its clients!
Alignment costs: the costs incurred by an enterprise and its clients in securing the
availability of its own and others’ capabilities how, when and where it needs them.
Economies of alignment: reducing the costs of alignment for both enterprise and
client through appropriate forms of organisation.
How are go-decisions being made along with the control,
communications, analysis, monitoring, goal-setting,
review of outcome effects etc?

… and what do ‘economies of alignment’ add
to our understanding of ‘governance’?
Governance is needed supply-side
• to direct how the bits, bytes and systems of a physical
view can get the right capabilities to the right places
at the right time and keep them there.
4
Governance also needs to relate to the demand-side
• to direct how physical and situational views can
support an effects-based view aimed at achieving
desired through-life operational effects.
The ongoing care of a
chronic condition
through-its-life
Keeping the right
roads clear through
winter ice and storms
• to direct how all the systems can work in concert to
provide the right information to the right people at
the right time in order to support a situational view.
The clinical team
determining an
episode of care
Dynamic stockpile
measurement using
automated drones
A hospital with all its
moving parts
Salt extraction, supply
and distribution

To do this, ‘governance’ has to work with a double ‘V’
Requirements Solutions
System components
Decomposition System
integration
The Programmatic and
Constructive deal with the
bottom engineering ‘Vs’
5
The ‘double V’ is needed when
demand tempo in the top  is faster
than the acquisition and integration
tempos in the bottom V.
Multiple forms of ‘operational
use’ at demand tempo means
addressing the variability of
these geometries-of-use
‘at demand
tempo’ means
in the user’s
real time
SoS orchestrations as geometries-of-use*
* Agile aircraft/musicians
have variable geometries-
of-use that vary in real
time i.e., requisite agility.
Operational Effects needed

So what is the double
challenge?
6

Three Levels of Governance…
• We can distinguish three levels of governance, each having to address all three
types of interoperability:
• At the level of a single task system (aka business unit)
• Within a single enterprise and its multiple task systems
• Between multiple enterprises and their multiple task systems
7
Governance
Framework
Single Task System
(aka business unit)
Single Enterprise
(containing multiple
task systems)
Multiple Enterprises
task systems)

… and Three Kinds of Relationship to Demand
8
I – Physical View
How do we get the platform with all the
relevant bits and crew in the right place at the
right time and keep it there?
Product/
driven
Product-
driven
Product-
driven
Datalink
Battle Management
Simulation
Surveillance
System
Management,
Journal
Sensors,
Platform Data
Crew
Interface
MSI Tracks
Surveillance, Sensor Controls
Communications Controls
Simulation
Reports
Sensor
Controls
Simulation Controls
Messages,
Guidance
Commands
Battle
Management
Controls &
Commands
Tactical Environment
Weapons, Resources,
Orders
Operator
Commands
& Controls
Integrated
Environment
Situation
Displays
Communications Plan
(via Library)
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
**In-Flt Replay,
SMM Status,
Time
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
SMM Status,
Time
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
**In-Flt Record,
SMM Status,
Time
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
SMM Status,
Time
Messages,
ATO+
Updates
SMM,
Record,
Replay
Controls
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
6
8
2
3
4
5
6
8
10
11
12
Receive
Link Data
Transmit
Link Data
10
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
7
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
8
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
6
7
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
14
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
7
1
Tell Tracks &
Observations
Mission
Replay
(via Library)
5
Exercise
Environment
(via Library)
4
SMM
Status
SMM
Controls
5
9
11
8
Map,
Mission Set,
Library
Audio
Radio
DCS
Controls
Audio,
Radio,
MAP
Controls
Audio,
Radio,
MAP
Status
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
Observations,
MSI Tracks
Told-in
Tracks &
Observations
Simulation
Told-in
Tracks
9
10
DCS Ctls,
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
SMM Status,
Time
Maps
1
2
1
2
3
4
6
Live Data
Control & status
Status
Setup Data
8
13
Adaptation data
(via Mission Set)
MSI
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
SMM Status,
Time
Map,
Mission
Set,
Library
Controls
3
7
4
7
10
7
11
12
13
MDR Data
MDR Ctls
& Status
12 13
Ckpt/Rcvr,
Record,
SMM Status,
Time
5
** Observations, MSI Tracks
for In-flight Replay
How do we get all the systems working together
in such a way that the right pictures containing
the right information can be put in front of the
right decision-makers at the right time.
II – Situational View
Solution-driven
Solution-driven
Solution-driven
Experience-of-
’client’ driven
Experience-of-
’client’ driven
Experience-of-
’client’ driven
Different demands on force command being supported
1 air surveillance
2 air operations
2.1 close air support
2.2 reconnaissance
2.3 airlift
3 tactical missions
3.1 air-to-air control
3.2 air-to-ground control
3.3 airspace management
3.4 air policing
3.5 combat search and rescue
3.6 force marshalling
3.7 threat warning
III – Effects-based View
How do we draw upon the other two views in
support of generating desired operational effects.
The
trend
treatments
through-life
care
Relating ‘at
demand tempo’
means working
within the user’s
real time

… giving us a 3x3 space presenting three
different kinds of governance dilemma
Nature of Response
to Demand
Physical
(product-
driven)
Situat’nal
(solution-
driven)
Effects-based
(experience-
driven)
Governance
Framework
Single Task System
(aka business unit)
Single Enterprise
task systems)
task systems)
9
The focus of the ‘bottom-V’ and
the ‘comfort zone’ of traditional
systems engineering
Governance
dilemma: ‘top-down’
vs ‘bottom-up’
Disruption due to the
planned-for challenges
to governance arising
from the larger
operational context
(the top ‘’)
Governance
dilemma:
‘espoused
theory’ vs
‘theories-in-
use’
Disruption due to demands
arising in real time from
dynamic contexts-of-use at
demand tempo (and
therefore requiring variable
geometries-of-use)
Governance dilemma:
‘corporate affiliation’ vs
‘alliance around effects
needed within the
client’s context-of-use’
… can this be left to
individuals or task
forces, or must it be
at the level of the
enterprise?

Requisite agility means being able
to address the whole 3x3 space…
structure-
functioning and
data flows
Governance
Framework
Nature of Response
to Demand
Physical
(product-
driven)
Situat’nal
(solution-
driven)
Effects-based
(experience-
driven)
Single Task System
(aka business unit)
Single Enterprise
task systems)
task systems)
10
Accountability
hierarchies
Orchestration &
Synchronisation
The organisation
of asymmetric
forms of demand

… which means distinguishing between
different forms of agility…
Type I Agility: within an
enterprise in relation to
anticipated forms of demand
Governance
Framework
Nature of Response
to Demand
Physical
(product-
driven)
Situat’nal
(solution-
driven)
Effects-based
(experience-
driven)
Requisite agility is
needed at the level of the
individual or task force
Type I+ Agility responding in real
time to crises through workarounds,
crisis funding, ‘heroic’ efforts etc
Single Task System
(aka business unit)
Single Enterprise
task systems)
task systems)
11
Governance
dilemma: ‘top-down’
vs ‘bottom-up’
Type II Agility: between
enterprises in relation to
anticipated forms of demand
Governance
dilemma:
‘espoused
theory’ vs
‘theories-in-
use’
Relating in real time
involves Type III Agility
aka requisite agility
that is needed at the
level of the enterprise
Governance dilemma:
‘corporate affiliation’ vs
‘alliance around effects
needed within the
client’s context-of-use’

… which presents a ‘double challenge’ to the
governance of an enterprise
Governance
Framework
Nature of Response
to Demand
Physical
(product-
driven)
Situat’nal
(solution-
driven)
Effects-based
(experience-
driven)
The second
challenge: how is the
requisite agility to be
made available at the
real-time tempo of an
(asymmetric) demand
environment at the
level of the enterprise?
The first challenge: what form of
governance framework is needed that
can include a collaborative relationship
across enterprises in relation to
anticipated forms of demand?
Single Task System
(aka business unit)
Single Enterprise
task systems)
task systems)
12

… now, thinking about ‘Monday
morning
Where is the enterprise missing opportunities to capture
value through developing requisite agility in its value
propositions?
13

What does it take to meet
this double challenge?
It takes a leadership approach that can balance four dimensions:
14
• An edge-driven approach to demand
• Collaborative relationships in support of clients aimed at delivering indirect
effects within clients’ contexts-of-use.
• Horizontal transparency with an open source approach to developing know-how
• Making collaborations in the interests of individual members in pursuit of creating
chosen outcomes within demand environments.
• An approach that creates collective alignment while taking power-to-the-edge
• Creating common cause around relationships to demand environments in which as
much as possible is done for clients without jeopardising sustainability.
• Infrastructures committed to providing the requisite agility
• Capabilities with a granularity able to generate the required variety of
geometries-of-use supported by platform architectures.
creating common cause
platform architectures
delivering
indirect
effects
making collaborations
in the interests of
individual members
Balancing all four is
necessary to success

Why the need to balance all four dimensions?
It is necessary for holding all three governance dilemmas
• East-West dominance, able to make effective use of requisite agility
• The learning and adaptation emerging from the E-W dimensions have to form an
ongoing part of governance concerns
• This approach adds the ability to include the third dilemma:
‘corporate affiliation’ vs ‘alliance around the effects needed
within the client’s context-of-use’
… enabling a focus to be sustained on effects – both direct and indirect
15
• North-South dominance
• The learning and adaptation emerging from the E-W dimensions is not of ongoing
concern to governance
… in effect, a Faustian pact is formed with the individuals working E-W:
they are expected to give governance what it wants, for the rest leaving it up to
them to do what they will with their learning.
• The approach is effective at holding the first two governance dilemmas:
‘top-down’ vs ‘bottom-up’ & ‘espoused theory’ vs ‘theories-in-use’
… sustaining focus on task and outcome
requisite agility
left at the level
of individuals or
task forces
requisite agility
has to be at the
level of the
enterprise

2021 the double challenge of requisite agility

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