Black Box and White Box

There are two fundamentally different stances or orientations one can take with respect to a system (of any kind):  the function orientation and the construction orientation. 1. The Function Orientation Taking the function orientation means dealing with the functionality of the system and its manifestation in time, called the '(external) behavior' of the system.  The kind of model one naturally applies in the function orientation is the black-box model.  In this model it is sufficient to know the input and output variables and the relationships between them (the transfer function).  The focus here is on the 'outside' -- on how the system can be used, on how to 'turn the knobs' in order to achieve desired effects, etc. 2. The Construction Orientation Taking the construction orientation means dealing with the construction and the operation of a system, as well as with its manifestation in time, called the '(internal) process' of the system.  The kind of model that is most appropriate to understanding the business process is the white-box model.  Here the focus is on the 'inside' -- on how the components with their working principles together constitute the operation of the system and, in doing so, bring about its functionality and behavior.