In systems thinking, a flow is a quantity measured per unit of time, such as weekly income or annual carbon emissions. Flows are responsible for changing a stock by either increasing it (inflows) or decreasing it (outflows). For example, CO2 emissions function as an inflow that adds to the atmospheric stock of greenhouse gases.

Definition of Flow (Systems)

Relationships that link elements together. They are often associated with flows, reactions, processes, and communication of information within a system.  

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

More than the sum of its parts, it is interconnected elements that are organized to achieve some purpose or function. They can be dynamic, goal-seeking, adaptive, self-preserving and evolutionary.

Systems

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. chelsea green publishing.

Thinking in systems: A primer

A system composed of many distributed elements whose aggregate properties cannot be predicted by observing the behavior of an element. Furthermore, the observable manifestations or 'forms' of a complex system may only represent superficial aspects, with its true 'essence' or fundamental nature remaining hidden or less apparent beneath the surface.

Complex Systems

- Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows

References on Systems

Interconnections ( systems )

In systems thinking, a stock is any accumulation of a resource or quantity that is measured at a single point in time. It serves as the system's memory, representing the net effect of all past inflows and outflows. Because it is a snapshot, its units do not have a time dimension (e.g., the number of cars in a city, the amount of water in a reservoir, or the total CO2 in the atmosphere). Stocks change over time only through the actions of flows.

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