Granularity as a determinant of system architecture

The size of unit components in general systems is claimed to be the major determinant of architecture. Three generations of systems are characterized in terms of their component size. Architectural issues in information systems, production management, and organizational structure are identified and related to the size of their unit components. Historical debates on classification of information systems, production systems, and organizational structures are reviewed, analyzed, and explained in terms of three general architectural classes based on a selection of a unit component and the size of that unit component.