The article participated in the 4th edition of the “Piórem logistyka” competition.
Introduction
Problems related to the systemic approach to logistics versus general systems theory and various specialized systems theories significantly shape and define the intellectual and scientific climate of our times. The rapid development of technical thought and the dynamically developing market economy have become the stimulus for developing systems research in many countries around the world. Solving increasingly complex tasks – from various scopes and fields – requires designers and users to use an arsenal of means. Increasingly, these are becoming the tools of systems theory.
Contemporary systems research has proven to be so multifaceted that it has transformed into separate scientific disciplines, e.g., general systems theory, mathematical systems theory, etc. They often represent a separate direction in other sciences, e.g., the systemic approach in biology, linguistics, psychology, sociology, logistics, etc. They thus allow for conducting research and the possibility of considering the problem being solved from various points of view.
As systems research developed in the 20th century, the image of systems sciences became increasingly shaped. Systems and systemicity are perceived everywhere today, including in logistics activities. Systemic activity has become a daily activity for people of many professions. Systems engineering is implemented in practice not only by engineers, but also by managers at various levels of management, organizers and planners of complex systems, as well as teachers, lawyers, architects, economists, business activists, managers, journalists, and politicians. Researchers, designers, implementers, and operators of various systems benefit from systemic activity. Theoretically, every object can be a system, and every science, field of knowledge, or direction can be characterized by systemicity.
Systems theory is the foundation of systems sciences, which today can include: economics, organization theory, cybernetics, praxeology, and others. It was created over many decades as a consequence of the perceived complexity of reality – the nature of objects created by humans. The systemic approach focuses on the interactions between the elements of a system. It is based on a general, holistic view and leads to goal-oriented action. Thus, it leads to the definition of rules of action, the goal of which is to change a given system or create a new one. This is particularly important in logistics activities, where we deal with a series of phenomena concerning the control of flows in the logistics chain.
Modern logistics, treated as a science, requires the full application of systemic solutions. Talking about logistics without a systemic approach to its functioning in the structures of an enterprise is a misunderstanding, and at the same time, only a systemic approach to logistics allows for success in the market. [7, p. 27]
Systems theory and logistics
Systems sciences are subject to continuous development. Their approach is classified from various points of view; the scopes and criteria for distinction differ. Participants in systemic activity try to overcome the existing barrier to socio-economic progress in various ways. To do this, they must be armed with the appropriate philosophy, methodology, and theory of systemic action. Systems sciences can provide them with such knowledge.
The beginnings of general systems theory date back to the early 1950s and are associated with the name of Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1950). He defined systems theory as an interdisciplinary science that could be applied in the analysis of phenomena studied by traditional fields of scientific activity. Its sphere of interest is not limited solely to material systems, but to any whole composed of interacting components. A similar position, albeit from a more technical point of view, is taken by his successors: L. Zadeh (1969), H. Quastler (1965), K. Boulding (1956), R. Ashby (1958), R. L. Ackoff (1963), Mesarović (1964), some of whom are inclined to accept the point of view that systems theory is a simple collection of various logical and mathematical tools used for system analysis, and others that systems theory is an independent scientific discipline whose task is to develop a general abstract basis and a uniform conceptual framework for conducting research on the behavior of systems of various types and classes.
Soviet authors, including W. Sadowski, 1960; W. Lektorski, 1960; W. Kremianski, 1969, and many others, expressed the view that general systems theory should not be interpreted as a complete generalization of all theories. In their opinion, it should be treated as a supplement to existing knowledge. Hence, they developed degrees, types, and characters of generalization, influencing the methodological apparatus used in the field of biological, technical sciences, or in pure systems theory, based on the most abstract branches of mathematics. [6]
In Poland, the rapid development of systems research took place in the 1970s. The theory itself found application in many fields of knowledge, as evidenced by the organized schools of systems engineering foundations and conferences. In Poland, leading creators of systems theory include: W. Bojarski, W. Findeisen, W. Gasparski, J. Konieczny, W. Kieżun, M. Mazur, S. Piasecki, S. Ziemba, and others.
Contemporary systems thought today encompasses both the issues of technical systems and the issues of biological and social systems. In the 1950s, the Society for General Systems Research was established in the USA, bringing together the most prominent experts in this field. In the reports of the Club of Rome, we find a new approach to modeling the great system of action that is the globe. Since 1972, the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) has existed in Vienna, which solves selected problems of the global system. In leading universities of the world, there are institutes, departments, or chairs that have the term “system” or “systems engineering” in their name, where complex problems are solved. In Poland, this role in terms of solving the country’s problems is fulfilled by the Systems Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and a number of scientific units of universities. Methods and concepts developed by systems theories have found practical application in solving technical, economic, military, and even political problems.