Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Complex Systems: New Findings and Approaches

This book presents an internationally comprehensive perspective into the field of complex systems.  It explores the challenges of and approaches to complexity from a broad range of disciplines, including big data, health care, medicine, mathematics, mechanical and systems engineering, air traffic control and finance.  The book’s interdisciplinary character allows readers to identify transferable and mutually exclusive lessons learned among these disciplines and beyond.  As such, it is well suited to the transfer of applications and methodologies between ostensibly incompatible disciplines.  This book provides fresh perspectives on comparable issues of complexity from the top minds on systems thinking.     

Franz-Josef Kahlen founded his company Kahlen Global Professional Solutions in 2015, focusing on complexity management and competency development.  His main research interests are in the areas of Manufacturing and Operational Excellence, Lean and Systems Engineering, Project Management, Competency Development, and the evolution of Engineering Professional Practice.  Before returning to private industry, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.  He has extensive industry experience in printing, disk drive, biomedical, optics, healthcare service delivery, telecom and several other industries with a customer base in Asia, Europe, US, and Australia.  He is author/co-author of ca. 60 publications, and is asked regularly to present keynotes and invited presentations at conferences.

Shannon Flumerfelt is a tenured Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA. She is also an Endowed Professor of Lean and the Director of Lean Thinking for Schools at The Pawley Lean Institute at Oakland University and holds a PhD in leadership. She has pioneered the CX Framework, a transformative tool that promotes lean and systems thinking applications in organizations. Dr. Flumerfelt is the founder of a lean consultancy, training/coaching and analytics firm and she has worked widely in government service and education organizations.  She has published numerous scholarly and practitioner publications, including books such as, Lean Essentials for School Leaders and Lean Essentials: Transforming the Way We Do Business. She speaks and trains widely on the topics of lean, organizational development, management practices and leadership development.

Anabela C. Alves is a tenured Assistant Professor at the Department of Production and Systems/School of Engineering/University of Minho. She holds a PhD in Productionand Systems Engineering, being affiliated with the Centre ALGORITMI. Her main research interests are in the areas of Production Systems Design and Operation, Lean Manufacturing, Production Planning and Control, Project Management and Engineering Education, with particular interest in active learning methodologies such as Project/Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Lean Education. She is author/coauthor of more than 100 publications in international journals, conferences publications or communications, including the editions of conference proceedings, book chapters and books..