Information Systems for Complex Problems
When formal IT systems fail to meet real-world needs, people create their own solutions. We leverage Nudge Theory and Generative AI to help organizations understand, optimize, and guide these naturally emerging systems toward better outcomes.
Collaborate With UsFeral information systems emerge when formal IT fails. We help you work with them, not against them.
Feral information systems are unofficial solutions developed by individuals and groups to support their day-to-day work when formal IT systems fall short. Like wolves adapting to their environment, these systems emerge naturally to fill gaps in organizational technology.
We don't see feral systems as problems to eliminate—we see them as valuable insights into what your organization actually needs. Using behavioral science and AI, we help you understand, integrate, and optimize these naturally occurring solutions.
A sales team maintains a shared Excel file with "the real pipeline" because the CRM is too slow, missing fields, or doesn't match their actual workflow. This spreadsheet becomes the source of truth.
Engineers build custom Slack bots that pull data from APIs, automate deployments, or update tickets - because the official tools require too many clicks or lack automation.
Teams use email folders and subject line conventions as a makeshift database for tracking requests, approvals, or customer issues when the ticketing system is cumbersome.
Individual developers maintain private repositories of Python/Bash scripts that automate tasks the official tools don't support, sharing them informally with teammates.
Critical operational coordination happens in messaging apps because official communication channels are too formal, slow, or monitored.
Someone builds a Microsoft Access database on their local machine that becomes essential to operations, but no one else knows how it works or where the backups are.
Formal system doesn't meet a real business need. Friction builds.
📉 User frustration, workarounds beginOne person creates a quick solution - a spreadsheet, script, or manual process.
💡 Local innovation emergesSolution proves valuable. Colleagues ask for copies. It spreads informally.
📈 Viral adoption, no governanceThe workaround becomes essential. Business processes depend on it.
⚠️ Mission-critical but unofficialEither: System breaks causing major disruption, OR it's discovered and integrated/eliminated.
🔥 Decision point: formalize or failNot all feral systems are equal. Learn to identify, evaluate, and respond to different types of emergent information systems.
→ These should be formalized and scaled
→ Requires risk management and transition planning
→ Needs immediate intervention and replacement
Spreadsheets, Access databases, CSV files maintained outside official systems
Risk: Data inconsistency, loss, no audit trailScripts, macros, browser extensions that automate repetitive tasks
Risk: Key person dependency, no error handlingMessaging apps, shared mailboxes, personal clouds for collaboration
Risk: Information silos, compliance violationsCustom code that connects systems IT won't/can't integrate
Risk: Security vulnerabilities, breaks unexpectedlyUnofficial workflows that bypass formal approval/tracking systems
Risk: Compliance failures, invisible operationsCloud services purchased with personal/departmental credit cards
Risk: Data leakage, vendor sprawl, legal exposureResearch shows: 30-40% of enterprise IT spending goes to shadow IT solutions. In some organizations, feral systems handle more daily transactions than official systems.
Doctor-maintained Excel sheets tracking patient outcomes because EHR reporting is too slow. Nurse-built databases for shift handoffs. Personal apps for clinical calculations.
Trader spreadsheets with custom pricing models. Shadow databases for client relationships. Personal scripts for regulatory reporting that the official system can't generate.
Production floor WhatsApp groups for real-time coordination. Engineer-built Access databases tracking equipment maintenance. Excel-based inventory systems because ERP is too complex.
Teacher-created student tracking spreadsheets. Departmental Google Sheets for curriculum planning. Personal file shares for course materials because LMS is cumbersome.
Engineer-built internal tools that become product dependencies. Slack bots that automate deployments. Personal wikis that become team knowledge bases.
Department-specific databases because central systems are inflexible. Email-based approval workflows that bypass official procurement. Personal scripts for report generation.
Combining behavioral science with artificial intelligence to solve complex organizational challenges.
We apply behavioral economics principles to understand why people create workaround systems and how to guide them toward better choices without restricting their freedom.
By understanding cognitive biases, social influences, and decision-making patterns, we help organizations create environments where formal systems naturally align with user behavior.
We harness the power of AI to analyze complex system interactions, predict emergent behaviors, and generate innovative solutions for organizational challenges.
Our AI tools can simulate different organizational scenarios, generate policy recommendations, and create personalized nudges that guide users toward optimal system usage.
Designing decision environments that naturally guide organizations toward better inclusion and optimization of emergent systems.
Instead of forcing users to abandon their feral systems, we create default options that naturally incorporate them:
Leverage the social influence aspects of nudge theory:
Make inclusion easier than exclusion:
Change how decisions about feral systems are presented:
Strategic when and where choices are presented:
Based on individual differences and user types:
Make finding feral systems rewarding rather than punitive
Default assumption: feral systems solve real problems
Make integration the path of least resistance
Advancing the state of the art in emergent information systems through collaborative research and real-world application.
Collaborative research into user behavior patterns and system interactions using AI-powered tools. We partner with organizations to study how feral systems emerge and contribute findings to the academic community.
Joint exploration of choice architectures and behavioral interventions in information systems. We work together to develop and test new approaches that advance both theory and practice.
Collaborative development of generative AI solutions for system optimization. We partner to create novel approaches that push the boundaries of what's possible in emergent system management.
Research partnerships focused on developing new methodologies for integrating valuable feral systems into formal IT architecture using behavioral insights and AI-driven analysis.
Collaborative development of AI models that predict emergent system formation. We work together to advance the science of proactive intervention and system improvement.
Joint research into behavioral change programs and knowledge transfer. We collaborate to develop and share new insights that benefit the entire field of information systems.
Sharing insights on behavioral science applications in security, emergent information systems, and AI-driven organizational transformation at leading industry conferences.
Logan Browne is Senior Manager for Amazon Global Media and Entertainment Security, specializing in the intersection of behavioral science, information systems, and organizational transformation. With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, technical leadership, and protecting critical systems from sophisticated adversaries, he brings a unique perspective to understanding how emergent systems develop in complex organizations.
His work combines expertise in cyber security management, threat management fusion, security operations, and technical team leadership with practical experience building and scaling security engineering teams at Amazon, DXC Technology, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He holds an MBA from UC Davis with a concentration in Management of Organizations, a Bachelor's in Computer Science from Hiram College (Cum Laude with Departmental Honors), and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
Through research and consulting, Logan helps organizations understand why informal systems emerge and how to leverage behavioral science and AI to optimize rather than eliminate these valuable adaptations. His extensive background includes building multiple "two pizza teams" at Amazon, leading global incident response during major security events, and developing innovative security solutions that have protected intellectual property and systems for some of the world's largest technology companies.
Traditional security approaches often create friction between security teams and builders, increasing costs while reducing innovation. This presentation explores how nudge theory - a Nobel Prize-winning behavioral science framework - can transform security compliance at scale.
"Learn how subtle changes in choice architecture, default settings, and communication methods dramatically improve security outcomes while reducing engineering burden."
Through real-world case studies, discover how organizations achieve higher compliance rates and faster remediation without additional headcount, while fostering a positive security culture.
Security in Media & Entertainment: Protecting sensitive content, managing 3rd party supply chains, and securing customer data across global streaming platforms and digital content delivery systems.
Behavioral Security at Scale: Applying nudge theory and behavioral science to improve security compliance, reduce friction for developers, and build positive security cultures in large organizations.
Building High-Performance Security Teams: Creating and scaling "two pizza teams," managing global incident response, and developing technical leadership in complex enterprise environments.
Drawing from 20+ years protecting critical systems at Amazon, HPE, and DXC Technology, including experience with state-sponsored threats and major security incidents.
Available for keynotes, panels, and workshops on emergent information systems, behavioral science applications, and the future of AI in organizational contexts.
Contact us to discuss speaking opportunities at your next event or conference.
Join us in pioneering research on emergent information systems. Together, we can develop new methodologies and advance our understanding of how behavioral science and AI can transform complex organizational challenges.
research@ferasys.com
Interested in collaborative research on emergent systems? Let's advance the field together.
Join us in exploring how Nudge Theory and Generative AI can transform our understanding of emergent information systems through collaborative research.