Because a cause was taken to be sufficient for its effect, nothing was required to explain the effect other than the cause. Consequently, the quest f… - Russell L. Ackoff

Analysis of a system reveals its structure and how it works. It provides the knowledge required to make it work efficiently and to repair it when it stops working. Its product is know-how, knowledge, not understanding. To enable a system to perform effectively we must understand it—we must be able to explain its behavior—and this requires being aware of its functions in the larger systems of which it is a part.

The lower the rank of managers, the more they know about fewer things. The higher the rank of managers, the less they know about many things.

[Mistake 2:] Managers need all the information they want. Most MIS designers "determine" what information is needed by asking managers what information they would like to have. This is based on the assumption that managers know what information they need and want.