Interaction Dictionary

A worksystem is a system in which human participants and/or machines dwell, live, work and interact using information, technology, and other resources to produce and exchange products and/or services.

Typical business organizations contain work systems that procure materials from suppliers, produce products, deliver products to customers, find customers, create financial reports, hire employees, coordinate work across departments, and perform many other functions.

The Lifecycle focus operations and maintenance of the worksystem comprise its day-to-day and quarter-to-quarter repetitive activities as the worksystem performs its function. The environment is the source of inputs and the sink (market) for the outputs.

The motives to sustain a worksystem are related to its capability to create value, including life-support services for its owner and other stakeholders.

Two processes are part of this Life cycle phase:

The Primary Process of the worksystem comprise its day-to-day and quarter-to-quarter repetitive activities as the worksystem performs its function. The environment is the source of inputs and the sink (market) for the outputs.

The motives to sustain a worksystem or habitat are related to its capability to create value for its stakeholders during a period of time.

The Primary Process deals with the execution of the main transformation function of the worksystem or life supporting functions of the habitat. Often this function will employ the bulk of the workforce, utilize the bulk of the physical assets and engage the bulk of the financial resources.

The objectives of Maintenance are (Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer, 1992):

• to enable product or service quality and customer satisfaction to be achieved through correctly adjusted, serviced and operated equipment.
• to maximize the useful life of the equipment.
• to keep the equipment safe and prevent the development of safety hazards.
• to minize the total production or operating costs directly attributable to equipment service and repair.
• to minimize the frequency and severity of interruptions to operating processes.
• to maximize production/operation capacity from the given equipment resources.

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