Improving the probability of effective organizational change in the Coast Guard through the combined use of System Dynamics and Enterprise Value Stream Mapping & Analysis

Abstract

Most major organizational changes never reap the benefits the original planners envisioned, they often take longer to implement than expected and in a dynamic environment that can spell disaster for a large enterprise. The Coast Guard is in the midst of several major organizational changes while planning several more. This thesis will use two powerful analysis tools to make policy recommendations that may lead to greater success in the implementation of change. The two tools are Enterprise Value Stream Mapping Analysis (EVSMA) and System Dynamics (SD). Chapter 1 is a more detailed introduction into the motivation behind this thesis. Chapter 2 will review a brief history of some of the major changes within the Coast Guard. Chapter 3 recapitulates some studies conducted in the business sector, with respect to organizational change. This chapter also explains some basic System Dynamics concepts to better contextualize the business cases mentioned. Chapter 4 describes the Enterprise Value Stream Mapping Analysis of the Coast Guard First District. Chapter 5 develops causal loops that attempt to model the dynamics of change within the Coast Guard. Chapter 6 describes some policy recommendations based on the lean enterprise evaluation and the system dynamics model we developed. Chapter 7 summarizes some lessons learned and then proposes further studies.