With a little help from our friends: How system dynamics and soft Operational Research OR can learn from each other

At its inception, the paradigm of system dynamics was deliverately made distinct from that of Operational Research OR. Yet developments in soft Operational Research OR now have much in common with current system dynamics modeling practice. This article briefly traces the parallel development of system dynamics and soft OR, and argues that a dialogue between the two would be mutually rewarding. To support this claim, examples of soft Operational Research OR tools are described along with some of the field’s philosophical grounding and current issues. Potential benefits resulting from a dialogue are explored, with particular emphasis on the methodological framework of system dynamics and the need for a complementarist approach. The article closes with some suggestions on how to begin learning from the links between the two fields.