The following techniques are used frequently by business and government managers. Some are used for planning projects, others for analyzing data. Most of these techniques are mathematical or have mathematical aspects to them. They all can be used during one or more of the steps of he General Approach, as just outlined. Systems Analysis Can be used by the business manager to study the inputs, processes, and outputs of the entire company, a division, or an office, depending on the nature of the problem.
Processes are the methods and organization which manager the conversion of inputs to outputs.
If a problem can be identified as belonging to a specific component of the system, it can be corrected. Benefit-Cost Analysis Is used to compare the pros and cons of various alternative solutions to a problem. It can be used to study problems in which the costs and benefits of alternative ways to achieve an objective can be assigned dollar values. Input-Output Analysis Charts the flow of a product from one industrial sector, company, department, or facility to another. It shows what inputs produce what outputs.