PROCEEDINGS
OF THE TOMSK POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
AWARDED THE ORDER OF THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION AND THE ORDER OF THE RED BANNER OF LABOR
named after S. M. Kirov

Volume 294　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1976

ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF METHODS FOR STUDYING INFORMATION FLOWS IN ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

G. F. MAZUREK

In the domestic and foreign literature there is a sufficiently large number of materials devoted to the exposition of methods for studying flows in management systems. However, these materials are scattered. Exceptions are the works [1] and [2]. In [1], methods for studying information flows are briefly described, but their classification, areas of application, the goals achieved by each method, and their advantages and disadvantages are presented without reference to specific types of controlled objects. The latter does not allow developers of automated control systems, when choosing a method for studying information flows in the system being automated, to be guided by [1]. In [2], on the contrary, a more precise assessment is given of existing methods for studying information flows; however, a narrow range of methods is considered, with a rather peculiar classification of them: all methods are divided into graphical and formalized, those and others for describing the organization and for designing automated control systems. It is difficult to agree with such a classification, since it does not cover a large part of the existing methods for studying information flows and does not reflect their specific essence. This paper attempts to systematize the existing methods for studying information flows in management systems.

For an unambiguous understanding of the terms used below, let us introduce several definitions. By information flows, following [3], we shall understand the totality of messages distributed in a given information system for carrying out management processes. In studying any information system at a real object, the following elements may be distinguished [2]: material-energy converters (people, machines), objects of labor, information converters (human consumers, human operators, machines), elements of the informational representation of the object, functions (tasks), and management bodies. These elements are connected by a system of relations. Identification of the indicated elements and their relations is the study of information flows. In studying information flows, the following elements are most often singled out: functions, tasks, documents, elements of documents, and operators. A function is understood as work-duty directed toward solving assigned tasks in order to achieve a conceivable result of activity, i.e., a goal [4]. A task is understood as the simplest information system that has independent significance in the management system being studied and provides for the input of initial information, its processing, and the output of a result [5]. By

A document is understood as recorded information, presented in a regulated form, reflecting the state of the controlled object and intended for its transmission and use. An element of a document is understood as a component of a document that has independent semantic significance (an element of a document may be a message, an indicator, a component). An operator is understood as a consumer of information who uses it for management or for computation, transcription, and registration. The multifunctionality of a document considerably complicates the study of existing information flows, requires the functional structure of the system to be identified, and the composition of the information to be determined. In this connection, the study of information flows may be considered in three aspects: syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic [6]. The syntactic aspect of consideration presupposes the study of information from the point of view of the possible combination, compatibility, and distribution of language signs, which entails a certain abstraction from the meaning and usefulness of messages and, for this reason, does not make it possible to form a complete picture of the distribution of information in the system. The semantic aspect of consideration presupposes the study of information from the point of view of assigning to each language sign the meaning corresponding to it; this, in particular, presupposes a conceptual classification of objects, clarification of the semantic variants of each of the signs in different contexts, observation of modifications of these meanings as the system develops, and fixation of the assignment of signs to different functional systems. The pragmatic aspect of consideration of information requires the precise fixation of each message to a specific operator and a specific task solved by this operator. The pragmatic approach presupposes an assessment of the significance of each of the language signs as applied to the tasks solved in the system, an assessment of the cost of obtaining information; and taking into account data on the place where messages arise and are processed, on the labor intensity of obtaining them, and on the routes followed by messages.

Usually, the study of information flows in management systems is carried out with the aim of:

1) improving (rationalizing) the management system;
2) designing an automated management system.

To achieve both the first and the second goal, it is necessary first to study the existing information flows in the management system to a depth corresponding to the stated goal. In terms of the depth of study, a macrolevel and a microlevel of study of information flows are distinguished. The study of information flows at the microlevel makes it possible to understand the general scheme of functioning of the management system. Processing the survey results at this level makes it possible to solve a number of tasks related to improving the document-flow system. The study of information flows at the microlevel makes it possible to identify the elements of the informational representation of the object—messages, the relations between them, their structure and dynamics in accordance with the adopted aspect of considering information in its study (syntactic, semantic, pragmatic). The study of information flows at the microlevel is the basis for designing an automated management system. At the same time, it must be taken into account that the depth of the study of information flows at the microlevel depends on the class of the automated management system being designed and on its functional purpose.

It is advisable to carry out the study of information systems in two stages [7]:

1) survey of the existing information flows;
2) processing of the survey results.

The first stage is a set of solutions to three main problems:

1) choosing the method (methods) for studying the information system;
2) collecting data on information flows;
3) describing information flows.

Let us briefly discuss the content of each stage. The choice of a method for studying information flows depends on the functional purpose of the information system, the aim of the study, and the developers’ material and technical resources.

An examination of an information system may be complete or selective [8]. A complete examination means the collection of all information circulating in the information system over the course of a year. In a selective examination, the most characteristic part of the information system is studied, from which the entire system as a whole can be judged. Naturally, in a selective examination the time and resources spent on collecting information are reduced, but part of the information about the system is lost. In both complete and selective examinations, information is collected by the following methods:

1) interviews;
2) completion of specially prepared survey sheets, questionnaires, cards, and tables;
3) compilation of albums of document forms;
4) revision of documents.

Interviews are conducted with employees in order to determine the functions performed by them, by subdivisions, or by the entire system as a whole. At the same time, the features of the system, its intended purpose, and the requirements for the ACS are ascertained. The interview results are entered on specially developed forms [9]. The composition and content of survey sheets, questionnaires, cards, and tables drawn up to identify the information structure of flows and their characteristics are determined by the method of study adopted, the choice of the unit of observation, and certain other factors. Production and economic information, as a rule, is contained in documents. Therefore, document analysis is the most reliable source for studying information flows. During collection, all documents are assembled into albums [10]. In an album, documents may be grouped depending on the route of movement and the nature of their use (incoming, outgoing, transit, internal, etc.). A similar classification of documents according to various criteria is set forth in [11].

The materials collected as a result of examining the information system must be presented in a form convenient for further analysis. Two methods of describing the flows of an information system are distinguished [2]: graphical and formalized.

The graphical method of description is convenient from the point of view of simplicity and clarity, but it is suitable for describing flows of small size when analyzing a system at the macro level. When the size of information flows increases, or when moving to analysis at the micro level, this method of description loses all its advantages over the others. A graphical description of information flows is carried out in the form of:

1) graphs;
2) information diagrams;
3) matrices.

The formalized method of description is used in the study of flows of large size and in their analysis at the micro level. Its chief advantage lies in the possibility of mechanizing the analysis of information flows. A formalized representation of information flows may be carried out in the form of tables and in the form of algorith-

…description. When information flows are described by tables, the latter contain both the structural connection of the flows and their characteristic part. The tables are filled in according to a specially developed code in a definite order, punched, and processed by computer programs. The algorithmic description is made in an algorithmic language. A complete algorithmic description of information includes an indication of the identifiers and full names of the units of information, a display of the structure of information aggregates, including a description of the hierarchical subordination of information units and the sequence of their arrangement, a formulation of the logical interconnection of the data, an indication of the type of information, its kind, etc. From the theoretical point of view, the method of describing management in information systems in algorithmic languages is very promising; however, in practice it is not yet applicable, since it is associated with the enormous labor-intensiveness of a sufficiently precise description of the operations performed in the information system and requires highly qualified specialists for this work.

The method of processing survey materials is determined mainly by the method used to describe information flows. Processing of survey materials may be carried out either manually or with the aid of a computer, i.e., by a machine method. Survey materials presented graphically are processed manually. A formalized description of survey materials entails a machine method of processing. Processing of survey materials may be carried out at the level of substantive analysis and at the level of analysis with subsequent optimization of information flows according to one of the accepted criteria. Substantive analysis is carried out on the basis of speculative considerations for rationalizing the flow scheme. In this case, the rationalized scheme includes the information flows of the existing system of management organization without substantially changing it. Substantive analysis includes:

1) identifying information arriving from outside and the characteristics of its tracking;

2) identifying the stored part of the information and the frequency of its use, its volume, storage periods, frequency of updating, etc.;

3) identifying the informational overlap of documents for the purpose of their unification;

4) identifying duplicate documents and records in documents, and duplicate links between documents of the flow, for the purpose of reducing them;

5) identifying semantic units, i.e., establishing a thesaurus for use in the processes of carrying out the system’s functions.

Analysis with subsequent optimization of information flows is carried out on the basis of an analysis of the structure of the organization of the information system, followed by its optimization according to the accepted criteria. Criteria for optimizing the structure of an information system may include the minimum intensity of information movement in flows, the minimum number of information-processing nodes in the system, the minimum number of communication channels between information-processing nodes, minimum costs for maintaining the management apparatus, minimum production losses caused by the promptness of management, etc. Analysis of an information system with optimization of its structure may be found in works [12—16].

In their formalized form, methods for studying information flows in management systems overlap one another to a considerable extent. This creates difficulty in selecting the features that determine the independence of each method. For a real delineation of the independence of a method, the classification must proceed from the specificity…

approach to the study of information systems and, at the same time, should show the place of this method among the others. In accordance with what has been said, all methods for studying information systems may be classified according to the following characteristics.

I. By the specificity of the approach to study

1. Basic methods:
   a) the method of sequential analysis of indicators;
   b) the method of functional-operational analysis;
   c) the method of analyzing management processes using a network model;
   d) the method of sequential analysis of management tasks;
   e) the method of analyzing generated information;
   f) the method of matrix modeling and analysis;
   g) the grapho-analytical method;
   h) graphical methods (analysis of construction management, developed from the work of F. W. Gilbreth and L. M. Gilbreth, diagrams of information links, planning calculations, construction of an automated system).

2. Auxiliary methods:
   a) the “Module” method;
   b) the method of studying the language of management;
   c) the method of semantic analysis;
   d) the method of analyzing norms for decision-making.

II. By the functional purpose of the information system under study

1. Methods for studying the information systems of higher planning bodies.

2. Methods for studying the information systems of industries.

3. Methods for studying the information systems of enterprises—of discrete and continuous production.

III. By the objectives of the study

1. Methods for improving management systems.

2. Methods for designing ACS:
   a) information systems of management;
   b) information-management systems;
   c) control systems.

IV. By the level of study of the language in an information system

1. Methods of the syntactic level.

2. Methods of the semantic level.

3. Methods of the pragmatic level.

V. By the level of observation of the element of the informational representation of the object

1. Methods of study at the macrolevel.

2. Methods of study at the microlevel.

VI. By the method of presenting the results of the examination of an information system

1. Methods of graphical description.

2. Methods of formalized description.

VII. By the method of processing the results of the examination of an information system

1. Methods of manual processing.

2. Methods of machine processing.

VIII. By the level of analysis of the results of the examination of an information system

1. Methods of substantive analysis.

1. Methods of analysis with optimization of information flows in the system according to certain criteria.

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