Sometimes big changes follow from small events, and sometimes these changes can happen very quickly (Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, 2000).
Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point echoes the key concepts of an emerging field called complexity science. Complexity science is "a new way of thinking about the collective behavior of many basic but interacting units" that are "endowed with the potential to evolve in time" (Coveney and Highfield, 1995). Unlike traditional models that analyze the parts in isolation, complexity science studies the system as a whole, using simple to more complex rules to explain these interactions.
Although the notion of complexity has been around for some time, particularly in the natural sciences, recent years have seen its influence spread to the social and business sciences. Complexity science is now used to explain a wide variety of complex phenomena, including the spread of disease, the swarming of bees, the rise and fall of pop icons and the power of grass roots marketing.
So, how can complexity research help your business? Complexity science can tap consumer insights that may elude traditional research approaches. Traditional research is limited in its ability to explain complex business phenomena, such as the impact of word of mouth interactions between consumers. It is not unusual for a seemingly minor event (say, a rumor posted on a blog) to generate large, directed changes in the market. Complexity science is well suited to examine these key interactions and the changes they bring.
At ThinkVine, we are working with our clients to leverage this new science to sharpen their understanding of complex business issues. To date, we have successfully applied agent based modeling and other complexity research methods to help our clients optimize store layout, model word of mouth effects, anticipate consumer behavior and improve pricing programs. In addition to agent based modeling, other tools that we use and develop to this end include neural networks, cellular automata, game theory, evolutionary programs and genetic methods.
Read more on Agent-based Modeling.
Download an Overview of Complexity Science and Simulation
Research & Development
ThinkVine invests heavily into our own R&D to develop the best approaches for our clients. We continually scan the scientific community for potentially valuable theories, methods and algorithms. This commitment assures that we can always bring to the table the best approach to solving the toughest problems.
