What Makes a Good System Element Interaction?

General
A good System Element Interaction process can significantly add to the systemic qualities of the overall solution. Its purpose is the systematic review of possibilities for relationship among all the elements of the system. In some cases, this will make explicit the ways in which System Elements are used together (possible features). In others, the deliberate focus on two elements will bring to light new ways in which the two can be made to work together, changing properties of one or both to enhance the system relationship and create new features.

The process should be considered to be both review and conceptual development aid. Best undertaken after Ends/Means Synthesis has established the System Elements, and the System Element description process is under way, it should be considered a last invention process, and should be expected to produce additional ideas that will add to the System Element descriptions.

Using the form
All cells should show consideration. If relationships can be described, they should be written in; if there are no relationships, either because none can be determined or the cells don't stand for possible comparisons, a check mark should be made in the none box to show that the consideration has been made.

For numbers of System Elements that are not multiples of four, there will be forms with extra cells (1, 2 or 3) in one or both dimensions that extend beyond the last number. These should receive the none check. For forms with System Element comparisons that include the diagonal of the matrix (for example, 1 to 4 compared with 1 to 4), there will be cells that compare the System Elements against themselves. These should not automatically be assumed to have no relationships. It may be that the System Element has or could have a reflexive relationship with itself-or could have special relationships with multiples of itself (for example, tranceivers or radios working together).

Style
Entries in the cells need to identify System Elements individually if one does something in response to the other. In this case, a skeletonized sentence format is good: <System Element A> <verb phrase> <System Element B>. An example might be: "Electronic Guide receives specialized program through mediation by Interpretation Dock". To save space, the skeletonized sentence format leaves out the articles. If both System Elements work together without need to distinguish individual contributions, the statement can be simpler: "One allows personal communication with the other".

More is more in this process. A thoughtfully done study will usually have more than one relationship in most of the cells.