Intelligent computing in a system of systems environment: A case of tourism industrial analysis and policy making

Abstract

As computer and information technologies advance, intelligent computing begins to play more and more important role in industrial management. However, new phenomena continue to emerge in many industries' evolution processes, thereby limiting the effectiveness of conventional systems approaches as a basis for intelligent computing applications. Therefore, it becomes critical to recognize the nature and manifestation of a system of systems (SoS) environment, and to develop a corresponding pathway to holistic intelligent computing methodology. This paper discusses the intelligence computing process and suggests that the key application fields in challenging system of systems environment include SoS complexity, indistinction of component boundaries, hidden systems processes, holistic emergent behaviors, uncertainty and unpredictability. Furthermore, taking tourism as an example of typical complex industrial SoS, a technical system of systems engineering framework is presented as a basis for industrial analysis and policy making process. The framework focuses: 1) SoS virtualization through geographical intelligent computing; 2) SoS process simulation using network algorithms; 3) SoS evaluation though progressive analysis approach. This integrated methodology is to be tested in empirical study. Though SoS engineering remains full of challenges and opportunities, exploration of its role and its coupling with intelligent computing in complex task of managing industrial systems will have tremendous influence to management discipline.