Every high level system can be broken down into sub-systems. Soon we will talk about distinguishing between what is a system and what is a process. I want to warn you now that the distinction is as much a part of what resolution you are looking at as anything else. This is to say that if you are looking at a system and its sub-systems, often times those sub-systems are referred to as processes. If you go to the next detail level, what was referred to as a process now looks is the ‘system’ and ITS sub-systems are now the ‘processes’.
My point here is to say do not get wrapped up in trying to label what is a system and what is a process. To some degree, they are the same thing.
We should also note that many peoples idea of a process is where something is being physically changed. For example, if I plate a part I am processing it. If I take a piece of metal plate and form it in a press I am processing it. This is a narrow interpretation of the word process. In English it is a verb: To process something.
The Organization as a System, Subsystems, and Processes
Every company is made up of systems / processes. These interact. And they extend beyond the company ‘walls’.
