Analogous to a riverbed channelling water, one can entrench some systemic praxis in organisations through facilitating the design of systemic structures. This includes systemic structures for each organisational function (i.e. systemic process and supply chain design) as well as the coordination of the organisation as a whole through a three-dimensional organisational matrix structure, reinforced by according planning forums, knowledge management structures and governance.
However, a riverbed could channel clear or dirty water in the same manner. Likewise, the information within systemically conceived structures could be processed systemically (i.e. synergistically) or conventionally. Put differently, planning and decision-making could involve systemic methodologies to yield synergistic outcomes or not, even if the structures are systemic.
Thus, both structures and praxis need to be systemic, in order to create a systemic learning organisation. As pointed out above, different systems approaches deal with structures and processes somewhat differently and therefore benchmarking can be misleading.
Derived from the Biomatrix meta-systems theory, the Biomatrix Organisational Development Programme is designed to create systemic structures, practices and organisational culture that cohere with each other and are systemic. Organisations applying the programme in its entirety could be subjected to benchmarking. However, since establishing a systemically structured learning organisation can take a couple of years (depending on its size) and different organisations take a different path to get there (due to a modular design depending on the specific needs and realities of the organisation), benchmarking them may also be challenging.
