Project Cybersyn

A 3D render of the Operations Room (or Opsroom): a physical location where economic information was to be received, stored, and made available for speedy decision-making. It was designed in accordance with Gestalt principles to give users a platform that would enable them to absorb information in a simple but comprehensive way.^[1]

Project Cybersyn was a Chilean project from 1971 to 1973 during the presidency of Salvador Allende aimed at constructing a distributed decision support system to aid in the management of the national economy, and ended by the president’s removal and subsequent death by the US-backed Pinochet Coup. The project consisted of four modules: an economic simulator, custom software to check factory performance, an operations room, and a national network of telex machines that were linked to one mainframe computer.^[2]

Project Cybersyn was based on viable system model theory approach to organizational design, and featured innovative technology for its time. It included a network of telex machines ('Cybernet') in state-run enterprises that would transmit and receive information to and from the government in Santiago. Information from the field would be fed into statistical modeling software ('Cyberstride') that would monitor production indicators, such as raw material supplies or high rates of worker absenteeism, in "almost" real time, alerting the workers in the first case and, in abnormal situations, if those parameters fell outside acceptable ranges by a very large degree, also the central government. The information would also be input into economic simulation software ('CHECO', for CHilean ECOnomic simulator) that the government could use to forecast the possible outcome of economic decisions. Finally, a sophisticated operations room ('Opsroom') would provide a space where managers could see relevant economic data, formulate feasible responses to emergencies, and transmit advice and directives to enterprises and factories in alarm situations by using the telex network.

The principal architect of the system was British operations research scientist Stafford Beer, and the system embodied his notions of organisational cybernetics in industrial management. One of its main objectives was to devolve decision-making power within industrial enterprises to their workforce to develop self-regulation of factories.

As mentioned above, after the military coup on 1973-09-11, Cybersyn was abandoned, and the operations room was destroyed.^[3]

^ "Opsroom". Cybersyn Chile. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
^ "IU professor analyzes Chile's 'Project Cybersyn'". UI News Room. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
^ Beckett, Andy (September 8, 2003). "Santiago dreaming". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2021.

[1] "Opsroom". Cybersyn Chile. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.

[2] "IU professor analyzes Chile's 'Project Cybersyn'". UI News Room. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2013.

[:2-3] Beckett, Andy (September 8, 2003). "Santiago dreaming". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]