Modeling and Evaluation of Variable Structure Command and Control Organizations

Distributed decisionmaking organizations with variable structure are those in which the interactions between the members can change, or which can process the same task with different combinations of resources. Variable structure could be a possible design solution when no fixed structure organization can meet the requirements of the mission. A modeling methodology is introduced to represent variable structure organizations that is based on the theory of Predicate Transition Nets. Decisionmaking organizations are then viewed from a new perspective in which the types of interactions which can exist between the decisionmakers are first considered without taking into account the identity of the decisionmakers themselves. The latter are represented by individual tokens (instead of subnets of a Petri Net) moving from one interaction to the other, and as such, are treated in the same manner as any other resources needed for the processing of a task. Interactions, resources, and tasks are modeled independently, i.e., the representation of the interactions, resources, and tasks is done separately in separate modules, and modifications in one module can be made without affecting the others. The methodology is illustrated by an example of a three member decisionmaking organization carrying out an air defense task.