This is the presentation I gave at the INFORMS conference in Rome. The stream was "Decision Processes in Practice" and the talk was about how to improve the number of options that you have before you even start to do any of the analytical work. More ideas and better ideas will mean you have a much better chance of hitting on the right ones. This talk described a few of the tools I use on a regular basis.

1. © 2013 Cogentus Consulting Ltd
Decision Processes in Practice
Getting to the right solution only much faster
Ian Seed

2.  Operational Research has lots of analytical
methods for helping to choose between options
 But how do you decide which options or
scenarios should be analysed?
 Typically, this is done by brainstorming: this
generates all the options for subsequent
analysis
Introduction
2

3. Brainstorming is a Random Method
3
Very Inefficient

4. Towards a more Systematic Method
4
Much more efficient

5. Typical Process
5

6. Improvement #1
Framing
6
Understand the
problem properly

7. Framing
5W’s + H
7

8.  Resources
 Materials, Energy,
Space, Time
 Stakeholders
 Who influence’s the
solution? Who is
impacted by the
solution?
 Ideality
 The ideal solution has
everything we want and
none of the things we
don’t want.
Framing
Nine Windows and other techniques
8

9. An Improved Approach
Look Elsewhere for Solutions
9
Triz (the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) based on analysing hundreds of
thousands of patents to look for generic solutions to generic problems.

10. Inventive Principles
Triz Approach – 40 principles
10
There are 40 categories of proven solutions to solve a contradiction

11. Contradictions
Technical and Physical
11
Technical Contradictions are when you improve one parameter another gets
worse. e.g. you want more strength but it doing so the product gets heavier
Physical Contradictions are when you want opposites e.g. hot AND cold

12. Patterns of Technological Development
8 different patterns
12
Patterns of technological development can be used to forecast what sort of solutions
are likely to happen next

13. Standard Solutions
76 solutions
13
If you don’t have a contradiction there are 76 standard solutions that are broken
down into five different categories (called classes)

14.  A Systematic Approach
 Significantly improves both quantity and quality of
options
 Speeds up the option generation stage massively
 Ensures that subsequent analysis is working on the
right choice of options
 There are challenges of course …..
Outcomes
14

15.  Psychological Inertia (you only know what you already know)
 Triz takes time to learn
 After all, what can you really learn in half a day!
 Addressing the Challenge
 Training
 Learn process and practice techniques – with neutral and
real-world examples
 Use Software
 Triz can be neatly packaged with 1,000’s of examples to help
unlock already known solutions to the problem e.g. Promax
Challenges for Implementation
15

16. Summary
Use a systematic approach: it is much better
than Brainstorming!
16
Understand the problem fully. Only then will
you have a chance to get the right solution.
Look for proven solutions elsewhere and
adapt for your problem. More ideas means
more chance of hitting the right one
Prioritise the ideas (options) in
a robust manner so it will
stand up to external scrutiny
Confirm the solution
implemented is effective in
solving the problem.

17. 17
For more information please contact Ian Seed
iseed@cogentus.co.uk
www.cogentus.co.uk
Promax software covers all the aspects discussed – plus more.
Questions?