OPMS

See also Oxford Pro Musica Singers.

The practical 'One Page Management System' (OPMS) has evolved to enable 'people-at-large' and experts design and implement effective systems of all kinds.

GS Chandy invented ‘One Page Management System’ (OPMS) sometime in 1981-82, based on the seminal contributions to systems science by the late John John N. Warfield - and has been developing it every since.

OPMS springs naturally from Interactive Management (IM), the powerful system methodologies that derive from Professor John N. Warfield’s “structural approach to system design”.

The application of the method also has been carried forward and codified by other entrepreneurial practitioners in worldwide applications, and an illustration of the scope of penetration of the method has recently been summarized ^[1] by Alexander Christakis, a long-standing collaborator of Dr. John N. Warfield.

Interactive Management consists of tools to:

• Help users 'generate ideas' – through systematically developed methods of brainstorming;
• ‘Structure’ (or organize) ideas generated as needed for effective resolution of problems identified.

OPMS now enables all of the above to be done by 'people-at-large' as well as by experts to create and implement truly usable systems of all kinds - individual, organisational or societal.

In brief, OPMS enables individual and group users to:

1. Choose an appropriate 'Mission' depending on problem-situation confronted;

2. Identify the issue or problem confronted – this naturally provides a simple 'Mission statement';

3. *Integrate* all the good ideas available to tackle the problem or issue at hand – with a view to enable accomplishment of the chosen Mission. (Integrating 'good ideas' includes getting rid of the bad ideas that are always cluttering up the 'mindspace' – think about it and this will be obvious to you).

That's it!

And that's what the OPMS all about!

Just 'integrating' your available good ideas (AND getting rid of your bad ideas)!!

[Of course, it often is quite a job to decide which are the 'good' ideas and which are the 'bad' ideas – but OPMS helps users arrive at sound decisions, via effective debate between stakeholders to the chosen issue/Mission].

The structuring tools of OPMS have developed from the powerful 'systems modeling' tools invented by Warfield in a three-decade long study of “complexity in systems and how to enable people to cope with it” - made easy to use for the 'people-at-large'.

These tools are:

• Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM); and
• Field Representation & Profiling Method (FRP).

(Now rendered understandable by any high-school student within a couple of hours, and practically applicable by him/her/them to issues of practical concern within a couple of weeks [at most]).

More information about the OPMS can be sent if desired as attachments to an email message if you'll send an inquiry to gs_chandy_AT_yahoo.com - this information will include:

-- brief description of the OPMS; -- 'provenance'; -- 'Missions' to which OPMS has been successfully employed (and also some Missions where OPMS has not been successful yet; -- a sizable listing of possible Missions); -- an illustration of the kind of a systems model (and Interpretive Structural Model [ISM]), which can readily be developed into Action Planning along with all needed subsystems to help accomplish any chosen Mission.

(Limited) guidance can also be provided to help interested users initiate Action Planning on any chosen Mission - and copies of the prototype OPMS software would be freely provided - no fees or charges of any kind whatsoever.

References

^[2]