SystemsThinkingKUD

20142015

Know Understand Do
Thebasicelementsofasystemare
stocks,flows,andconverters.
(STK1)

Stocksaretheaccumulationof
materialorinformationinasystem
thathasbuiltupovertime(STK2)

Flowsarethemovementofmaterial
orinformationintooroutofastock
(STK3)

Convertersaffecttherateofflows
and/ortheaccumulationofstocks.
(STK4)

Negative(balancing)feedbackloops
maintainasystematequilibrium
(STK5)

Positive(reinforcing)feedbackloops
bringasystemawayfromequilibrium
(STK6)

Systemscanoccuronmultiple
scalesandsmallersystemcanbe
nestedwithinlargersystems.
(STK7)
Everysystemiscomposed
ofelements,
interconnections,anda
function/purpose.(STU1)

Thesizeofastockis
influencedbytherateofthe
inflowcomparedtothe
outflow.Sometimesinflows
andoutflowsareoutof
balance.(STU2)

Thefunctionorpurpose,
whichisoftentheleast
obvious,isoftenthemost
crucialdeterminantofa
systemsbehavior.(STU3)

Analyzestockand
flowdiagramsby
identifyinganddefining
componentsofa
system(elements,
interconnectionsand
function/purpose).
(STD1)

Createastockand
flowdiagramofa
system.(STD2)