Genopersistation

from the Perspective of Competitive Advantage

by
Edwin B. Dean

This concept was introduced by Dean (1993a) to the facilitate the analysis and synthesis of systems. It is a powerful recursive concept, based upon a structure introduced by Dean and Unal (1992), which extends techniques used by this author for many years for designing and estimating the cost of large systems. The verb "genopersist" was derived by combining the words "genesis" and "persist." In general, to genopersist an object means to bring forth, sustain, and retire that object. Genopersistation is, thus, an action upon an object. The double {action upon, object} is a function. The triple {action upon, object, attribute} is a functional measure or feature. The quintuple {action upon, object, attribute, relation, instantiation} is either a requirement (constraint) or a target, depending on the relation. Genepersistation, thus, has both mathematical and systemic meaning.

To genopersist a product is:

to conceptualize,
to evaluate,
to market,
to design,
to prototype,
to test,
to produce,
to deploy,
to operate,
to support,
to evolve,
to retire, and
to manage the product.

Emphasize the "and." Genopersistation is the function equivalent of the life cycle. A new name has been provided to remove the temporal and various other perceptual aspects of the life cycle of a product. Genopersistation is an operation, not a temporal phase. To genopersist is to act upon.

The functional nature of genopersistation brings to light a virtually unperceived natural recursion. A product is genopersistated. The genopersistation of the product is genopersistated. The genopersistation of the genopersistation of the product is genopersistated, and so on to infinity. After just a few levels, this recursion loses practical meaning. However, the first few levels are meaningful and are important for competitive advantage. Dean (1993g) uses these levels to analyze cost.

In systems for NASA and the Department of Defense, the genopersistation of the product is totally within those organizations. This situation will be used for simplicity of explanation.

Let the product be level 0 of the recursion. Let the genopersistation of the product be level 1 of the recursion. Let the genopersistation of the genopersistation of the product be level 2 of the recursion. Let the genopersistation of the genopersistation of the genopersistation of the product be level 3 of the recursion. Level 1 is the project acting upon the product. This is what Deming often refered to as "the system." The project conceptualizes the product, evaluates the product, markets the product, designs the product, ... , retires the project, and manages the product. The enterprise conceptualizes the project to genopersistate the product, evaluates the project to genopersistate the product, markets the project to genopersistate the product, designs the project to genopersistate the product, ... , retires the project to genopersistate the product, and manages the project to genopersistate the product. The entreprenuer or the competitive science researcher conceptualizes the effort to genopersistate the genopersistation of the product, evaluates the effort to genopersistate the genopersistation of the product, markets the effort to genopersistate the genopersistation of the product, designs the effort to genopersistate the genopersistation of the product, ... , retires the effort to genopersistate the genopersistation of the product, and manages the effort to genopersistate the genopersistation of the product.

The quality of the performance of these functions at levels 1, 2, and 3 determine the competitiveness of the product. Note that level 3 places constraints on level 2 through the creation of structure. Similarly, level 2 places constraints on level 1 through the creation of structure. Since cost is generated by constraints, and since constraints are generated by the creation of structure from the level above, cost is largely determined by the structure of the entreprenual thought, the structure imposed by the management of the enterprise, and the the structure imposed by the management of the project. Thus, the actions of management largely determine the cost. The same arguments may be applied for quality. Hence the actions of management largely determine the value, and hence the competitiveness, of the product. Since design defines the structure of the level below, design for competitive advantage is critical. Hence the existence of the design for competitive advantage complex which you are now visiting.

References

Dean, E. B. and R. Unal (1992). "Elements of Designing for Cost," presented at the AIAA 1992 Aerospace Design Conference, Irvine CA, 3-6 February, AIAA-92-1057.
Dean, E. B. (1993a). " Genopersistating the System," presented at the AIAA 1993 Aerospace Design Conference, Irvine CA, 16-19 February, AIAA-93-1031.
Dean, E. B. (1993g). "Why Does It Cost How Much," presented at the AIAA 1993 Aircraft Design, Systems, and Operations Conference, Monterey CA, 11-13 August, AIAA-93-3966.

Bibliographies

Genopersistation Bibliography

Table of Contents | System Technologies | Use