Innovation Benefits Realization for Industrial Research (Part-2)

Technology Innovation Management
Framework for Industrial Research
Part-2
Dr. Iain Sanders

January 2005

THE STRATEGIC PLAN

Platform 1:
(Stages II, Part 3)

Integrating Technology Innovation with Business Function – Part I: Laying the Foundation

WHAT PROBLEMS CAN BE ADDRESSED?

Platform 1:
(Stages II, Part 4)


PLATFORM 1: II (4)

What Problems can be Addressed?

 Technology Problems
 Identify generic scientific and engineering parameters to
improve products and processes.

7

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Improving Products & Processes
39 Generic Engineering Parameters to Improve:
1. Weight of a mobile object 14. Strength 27. Reliability

2. Weight of a stationary object 15. Time of action of a moving object 28. Accuracy of measurement

3. Length of a mobile object 16. Time of action of a stationary object 29. Accuracy of manufacturing

4. Length of a stationary object 17. Temperature 30. Harmful factors acting on an object
from outside
5. Area of a mobile object 18. Brightness 31. Harmful factors developed by an
object
6. Area of a stationary object 19. Energy spent by a moving object 32. Manufacturability

7. Volume of a mobile object 20. Energy spent by a stationary object 33. Convenience of use

8. Volume of a stationary object 21. Power 34. Repairability

9. Speed 22. Loss of energy 35. Adaptability

10. Force 23. Loss of a substance 36. Complexity of a device

11. Tension / Pressure 24. Loss of an information 37. Complexity of control

12. Shape 25. Loss of time 38. Level of automation

13. Stability of composition 26. Amount of substance 39. Capacity / Productivity

8

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Miscellaneous Characteristics to
be Improved
 Technique-Independent  Common Physical
Parameters Parameters
 Safety  Electrical impedance
 Stability of parameters  Optical transparency
 Accuracy of operation  Viscosity
 Information  Corrosion resistance
 Tolerances  Noise
 Susceptibility  Transient processes in
 Ergonomics condensed matter
 Aesthetics
 Others

9

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Classification of Generic
Engineering Parameters
 Group1: Common Physical & Generic Parameters
(e.g. mass, size, energy etc.)
 Group2: Technique-Independent Negative
Parameters (e.g. waste of substance or time, loss
of information, harm, etc.)
 Group3: Technique-Independent Positive
Parameters (e.g. productivity, manufacturability,
etc.)

10

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Gp1: Common Physical & Geometric
Parameters (e.g. mass, size, energy)
 1&2: Weight
 The mass of the subsystem, element, or technique in a gravitational field. The force that the
body exerts on its support or suspension, or on the surface on which it rests
 3&4: Length
 A geometric characteristic described by the part of a line (straight or curved and not
necessarily the longest) that can be measured by any unit of linear dimension, such as
meter, inch, etc.
 5&6: Area
 A geometric characteristic described by the part of a plane enclosed by a finite continuous
line that can be measured in a square unit of dimension. The part of a surface occupied by
the subsystem
 7&8: Volume
 A geometric characteristic described by the part of a space that can be measured in a cubic
unit of dimension. The part of a space, either internal or external, occupied by the subsystem
 9: Speed
 The velocity of the subsystem. The rate of a process or action in time that can be measured
by any linear unit of length divided by a time unit

11

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Gp1: Common Physical & Geometric
Parameters (e.g. mass, size, energy)
 10: Force
 Any interaction that can change the subsystem's condition due to the interaction between
subsystems
 11: Stress or Pressure
 Tension on or inside the subsystem
 12: Shape
 The external contours, boundaries, that separate the subsystem from the environment or
other subsystems. The appearance of the subsystem in the space
 17: Temperature
 The thermal condition of the subsystem. Liberally includes other thermal parameters, such
as heat capacity, that affect the rate of temperature change
 18: Brightness
 Light flux per unit area. Also any other illumination characteristics of the subsystem, such as
light intensity, degree of illumination
 21: Power
 The time rate of energy usage due to which the subsystem's functions are performed
 Also 13-16 & 26: 13. Stability of composition, 14. Strength, 15. Time of action of a moving object,
16. Time of action of a stationary object, 26. Amount of substance
12

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Gp2: Technique-Independent Negative
Parameters (e.g. waste of substance or time,
loss of information, harm)
 15&16: Duration of action
 The time during which the subsystem can perform useful and / or neutral functions
(durability). It can be estimated as the average period between failures, the service life
 19&20: Energy spent by the subsystem
 The subsystem's requirement (such as electricity or rotation) to perform a particular function.
Often energy is provided by the technique or super-system
 22: Waste of energy
 Use of energy (such as heat) that does not contribute to the job being done (compare with 19
& 20). Reducing energy loss sometimes requires heuristics that are different from the
heuristics for improving energy usage. Consequently, energy waste is a separate Parameter
 23: Waste of substance
 Partial or complete, permanent or temporary loss of some of the subsystem's materials or
elements
 24: Loss of information
 Partial or complete, permanent or temporary loss of data or access to data in or by the
subsystem. Frequently includes sensory data such as aroma, texture, etc.

13

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Gp2: Technique-Independent Negative
Parameters (e.g. waste of substance or time,
loss of information, harm)
 25: Waste of time
 Time is the duration of an activity. Improving the loss of time means reducing the time taken
out of the activity. "Cycle time reduction" is a common term
 26: Amount of substance
 The number of the subsystem's materials or elements that might be changed fully or partially,
permanently or temporarily
 30: Harmful factors acting on subsystem
 Susceptibility of the subsystem to externally generated harmful effects
 31: Harmful side effects
 A harmful effect that is generated by the subsystem as part of its operation within the
technique, and that reduces the efficiency or quality of the functioning of the subsystem or
whole technique
 Also 14, 36, 37: 14. Strength, 36. Complexity of a device, 37. Complexity of control

14

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

Gp3: Technique-Independent Positive
Parameters (e.g. productivity, manufacturability)
 13: Stability of the subsystem
 The ability of the subsystem to keep its integrity (wholeness). Steadiness of the subsystem's
elements in time. Wear, chemical decomposition, disassembly, the growth of entropy are all
decreases in stability
 14: Strength
 The ability of the subsystem to resist a change in response to force. Resistance to breaking
 27: Reliability
 The subsystem's ability to perform its intended functions in predictable ways & conditions
 28: Accuracy of measurement
 The closeness of the measured value to the actual value of the subsystem parameter
 29: Accuracy of manufacturing
 The closeness of the actual characteristics of the subsystem to the specified or required
characteristics that can be achieved during the subsystem production. (Note that
manufacturing precision is often connected with quality of the subsystem)
 32: Manufacturability
 The degree of facility, comfort, ease, or effortlessness in manufacturing or fabricating of the
subsystem

15

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

 33: Convenience of use
 Simplicity & ease of operation. The technique is not convenient if it requires many steps to
operate or needs special tools, many highly skilled workers, etc. Often a convenient process
has high yield due to the possibility to do it right
 34: Repairability
 Quality characteristics such as convenience, comfort, simplicity, & time to repair faults,
failures, or defects in the subsystem
 35: Adaptability
 The ability of the subsystem to respond positively to external changes, and the versatility of
the subsystem that can be used in multiple ways under a variety of circumstances
 36: Complexity
 The number & diversity of elements & element interrelationships within the subsystem. The
user may be an element of the subsystem that increases the complexity. The difficulty of
mastering the subsystem is a measure of its complexity
 37: Complexity of control
 Measuring or monitoring the subsystems that are difficult, costly, & require much time &
labour to set up & use, that have fuzzy relationships between components, or that have
components that interfere with each other, demonstrating "difficult to detect & measure"

16

PLATFORM 1: II (4)

 38: Level of automation
 The ability of the subsystem to perform its functions without human interface. The lowest
level of automation is the use of a manually operated tool. For intermediate levels, humans
program the tool, observe its operation, & interrupt or reprogram as needed. For the highest
level, the machine senses the operation needed, programs itself, & monitors its own
operations
 39: Productivity
 The number of functions or operations performed by the subsystem or whole technique per
unit of time. The time for a unit function or operation. The output per unit time or the cost per
unit of output
 Also 19-21: 19. Energy spent by a moving object, 20. Energy spent by a stationary object,
21. Power

17

WHAT RESOURCES CAN HELP?

Platform 1:
(Stages II, Part 5)


PLATFORM 1: II (5)

What Solutions are Available?

 Technology Solutions
 Provide proven techniques for overcoming technological
constraints and functional limitations in systems.

19

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

What Resources can Help?

 Analytic and Knowledge-based Tools (Examples)
 Innovation Situation Questionnaire - ISQ (Analytic Tool)
 Problem Formulation (Analytic Tool)
 Technical Contradiction Analysis (Knowledge-based Tool)
 Ideal Design (Analytic Tool)
 Su-Field Analysis (Analytic Tool)
 Patterns of Evolution (Knowledge-based Tool)

20

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Our Model For Innovation:
Mowing The Lawn

Innovation by normal, random process
21

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Mowing The Lawn

Give it a “kick” to get “out of the box” innovation
22

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

BASICS OF TYPICAL INNOVATION TOOLS

 Psychology more than technology
 DeBono, Lateral Thinking/Six Hats™, CPS
 Can discuss integration if interested
 Randomness
 Brainstorming, picture, etc. stimulation
 Can review how to integrate if interested
 Highly dependent upon facilitation skills
 Fine for simple problems
 Can be easily learned
 Limited by knowledge in the room--TRIZ is the only innovation
tool which uses the patterns of invention OUTSIDE the room as
well

23

ANOTHER TOOL: TRIZ
PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT IS “TRIZ” ?

A Russian acronym:
Theoria Resheneyva Isobretatelskehuh Zadach

(Theory of Solving Problems Inventively)

24

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Mowing The Lawn

TRIZ is innovation by a rapid, systematic process

25

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

TRIZ IS…..

 The Russian acronym for the “Solving Problems
Inventively” (pronounced “trees” )
 Based on observable patterns found in patents and
literature of how people solve problems
 A system of:
 patterns of how people solve problems
 tools to define problems in ways that allow us to
utilize the patterns for solving new problems.

26

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT IS “TRIZ” ?

A set of problem solving and forecasting tools
based on the study of the world’s most inventive
patents and the inventive principles used in them

There are only so many and we keep reusing!

27

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT TO USE TRIZ FOR

 Level 2-4 problems
 1--straightforward engineering design
 2--simple contradictions
 3--difficult design and manufacturing contradictions
 4--extremely difficult system design problems
(“intestine problems”)
 5--invention of new science
 Level 4 can require looking at hundreds of thousands of
potential solutions and take many years of effort within an
organization

28

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

THE OUTPUT OF THE PROCESS

 Generates solution paths and concepts of
solution, NOT engineering drawings and detail
 A better, more clearly defined problem and project
 New and nearly exhaustive set of solution
concepts

29

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

THE HISTORY OF TRIZ
 A discovery of a talented patent examiner for the Russian
navy, Genrich Altshuller, 1950’s
 Originated from the study of several hundred thousand of the
world’s most inventive patents--now in the millions
 He recognized that the development of technological systems
follows predictable patterns that cut across ALL areas of
technology--the speed of technical evolution can be
accelerated
 Also recognized that problem solving principles are also
predictable and repeatable--anyone can invent!
 Established schools to teach after a Stalin 7 yr. prison term--
deceased in 1999 at age 71

30

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

BASIC CONCEPTS

 Systems evolve toward IDEALITY irreversibly
 Using RESOURCES within the system or easily
convertible
 Resolving CONTRADICTIONS as they evolve
 PATTERNS OF INVENTIONS/OPERATORS are
constantly recognized and used

31

THINKING OUTSIDE YOUR PARADIGM
PLATFORM 1: II (5)

SPACE
IMPOSSIBLE

POSSIBLE

TIME
EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES SHAPE OUR BELIEF SYSTEM!!!

32

THE SOLUTION SPACE
PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Mechanical
Effects &
Technology
P roblem
Chemical Effects Electrical &
& Technology Magnetic Effects
S olution & Technology

33

TAPPING OUR KNOWLEDGE
PLATFORM 1: II (5) Is
All Science
INDUSTRY
COMPANY

PERSONAL
1
2
3
4
5

NOTE: BRAINSTORMING, ETC. FOCUS ONLY ON USING
THE INNER AREA MORE EFFECTIVELY
34

PATTERNS OF INVENTION
PLATFORM 1: II (5)
I HAVE TO REMOVE CORES FROM A
MILLION GREEN PEPPERS….

Processing Sweet Peppers

35

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT IS THE OPERATOR?

“Slowly raise pressure and suddenly reduce it” OR
“accumulate energy and release it”
 A path to a solution
 An approach to solving a problem
 A direction towards an answer

36

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

• Removing stems from bell peppers
• Removing shells form sunflower seeds
• Cleaning filters
• Unpacking parts wrapped in protective
paper
• Splitting diamonds along micro-cracks
• Producing sugar powder from sugar
crystals
• Explosive depulping
37

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

• Removing stems from bell peppers
• Removing shells form sunflower seeds
• Cleaning filters
• Unpacking parts wrapped in protective paper
• Splitting diamonds along micro-cracks
(+27 years after pepper patent)
• Producing sugar powder from sugar crystals
• Explosive depulping

38

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Many Typical
Many Recommendations
Typical for
1 1 Solutions A large problemsof
number
Problems 2
typical are
2 (Knowledge base) available for
3 3 consideration
4 To
Prism
Corresponding
4 TRIZ help to marrow
of TRIZ - 5 the search to a
Analytical Solutions 5 manageable range of
tools
6 6 typical problems
7 7 For each typical
8 8 problem, there are one
9 or more potential
9 solutions

n n

39

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE
TO BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE PEPPER
TECHNOLOLGY TO INDUSTRIAL GRINDING
DIAMONDS?

40

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

“DEFALCATION”

“The purpose is to reduce/eliminate
defalcation when criminals use false ID to
impersonate real customers”

What is Defalcation?

41

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

GENERICIZING OUR LANGUAGE

 Defalcation
Fraud
Substitution of one thing for another
Useful in internal communication, but a
barrier to problem solving!

42

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

THE BOTTOM LINE...

MOST PROBLEMS THAT WE SOLVE AND MOST PATHS OF
EVOLUTION OF TECHNICAL SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY
KNOWN----THIS IS A MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIER

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO RECOGNIZE OTHERS’
PROBLEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GENERIC FORM (IN
DISGUISE?)

SOME PEOPLE MAKE A CAREER OUT OF MAKING THEIR
PROBLEM SEEM TRULY UNIQUE

43

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

TRIZ IS BOTH A MENTAL PROCESS AND A
SCIENCE, AS WELL AS A SELECTION OF
TOOLS IN A TOOL KIT

44

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

THE PROBLEM SOLVING
PROCESS (ALGORITHM)
 Envision and state ideality or the ideal final result
 What are the barriers and contradictions?
 What are the resources that can be used?
 Develop a model of achieving ideality

45

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

THE TOOLS IN THE TOOL KIT

 Ideal Final Result/Ideality (IFR)
 Resources
 Contradictions, contradiction table, and separation
principles
 Lines and patterns of evolution
 Reverse TRIZ
 ARIZ
 Software

46

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

AN OPERATOR

Operator Example

Specific problem Specialized solution
3x2+5x+2 = 0 x = ????

47

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

AN OPERATOR

Operator Example
3x2+5x+2 = 0 x= -1, -2/3

48

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT IS AN OPERATOR?
Operator Example in Math

Abstract problem Abstract solution
ax2+bx+c = 0 x=(-b+/-/b24ac)/2a

3x2+5x+2 = 0 x= -1, -2/3

Trial and error
THINK ABOUT THE REVERSE OF THIS!!

49

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

THINKING ANALOGICALLY
(WITHOUT AN EGO)

THE WORLD’S THE WORLD’S
PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

MY PROBLEM MY SOLUTION

50

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

WHAT IS AN OPERATOR?

“Slowly raise pressure and
suddenly reduce it”
 A path to a solution
 An approach to solving a problem
 A direction towards an answer
 A recommendation on how to change a system
 Derived from patterns of invention and patterns of product
evolution

51

PLATFORM 1: II (5)
• Altshuller recognized that the same fundamental
problem (contradiction) had been addressed by a
number of inventions in different areas of
technology
• He also observed that the same fundamental
solutions were used over and over again, often
separated by many years
• He reasoned that if the latter inventor had had
knowledge of the earlier solution, their task
would have been straightforward
• He sought to extract, compile, and organize such
information

52

TRIZ IS BASED ON PATTERNS IN
THE PATENT DATABASE
PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Patents *
(Worldwide) Key Findings
•Definition of inventive problems
•Levels of invention
•Patterns of evolution
•Patterns of invention

* Today over 2,000,000 patents
have been investigated.
53

Innovation Situation
Questionnaire – ISQ Tool
Platform 1:
(Stages II, Part 5)

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Innovation Situation Questionnaire - ISQ (Analytic Tool):
Design or inventive problems are not always clearly defined and
all relevant information is not known by the team members. The
ISQ makes explicit all the needed information for the individuals
working with innovative problems. The ISQ provides the much
needed structure for gathering information necessary to
reformulate a problem and then break it down into many smaller
problems.

55

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Innovation Situation
Questionnaire - ISQ
 May be broken down into a distinct number of
steps, for example:
1. Brief description of the problem
2. Information about the system
3. Information about the problem situation
4. Ideal vision of solution
5. Available resources
6. Allowable resources
7. Criteria for selecting solution concepts
8. Company business environment
9. Project data

56

Innovation Situation Questionnaire - ISQ
PLATFORM 1: II (5)

1. Brief Description of the Problem

 Try to describe your problem in a single, simple
phrase. Avoid using professional terminology –
instead, use the "everyday" language you would
use to speak to a high-school science student.
Although professional language is very useful for
communication between experts, it can hide the
more basic information required to solve tough
problems. By expressing your problem in non-
professional terms it becomes more "generalized,"
giving you the opportunity to apply more
approaches in your search for solutions.

57

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Try using these methods to reduce psychological
inertia:
 Change your point of view
 Play with the scale
 Play the game "Good-Bad"
 Use Problem Inversion
 Use the Method of Feature Transfer (MFT)

58

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Change your point of view:
 Try to explain your problem to a teenager. Use
general words rather than professional
terminology.
 Imagine how your problem would be presented
by:
 someone who knows nothing about your
system
 a barbarian
 a lunatic
 a Martian
59

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Play with the scale:
 How would your problem change if one or more system parameters
were increased or decreased by a factor of 2, 5, 10, 50, 500, or 10000?
What if a parameter had a negative value?
 As you think about this, consider changes to:
 dimension
 speed of action
 the cost of problem solving, for example:
– What could you do with one dollar?
– What could you do with one million dollars?
 Also consider the parameters associated with the main system
functions, such as temperature, power, efficiency, accuracy, etc.

60

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

 Play the game "Good-Bad":
 Write down the following sequence of statements:
 Having the main system drawback <describe> is BAD for the
following reason: <describe Reason 1>
 Having Reason 1 <describe> is GOOD for the following reason:
<describe Reason 2>
 Having Reason 2 <describe> is BAD for the following reason:
<describe Reason 3>
 Having Reason 3 <describe> is GOOD for the following reason:
<describe Reason 4>

 Try to create at least 4 or 5 statements. Don't be concerned if a
reason seems ridiculous or unacceptable – the purpose of this
exercise is to get you thinking "out of the box."
61

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Use Problem Inversion:
 Consider the following options:

 Replace an action with an opposing action – for example, instead
of heating, use cooling. In particular, consider replacing a
sequence of operations with the reverse sequence.
 Make movable parts immovable, making immovable parts
movable and change the nature of the movement from
reciprocating motion to rotary or oscillatory motion and vice
versa
 Turn the object, system or process inside-out or upside-down. In
particular, consider substituting an inside action for an outside
action, or vice-versa.

62

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Method of Feature Transfer (MFT):
 The Method of Feature Transfer (MFT) entails transferring the
features of randomly-picked objects to the system (usually a
product) that you are trying to improve. To do this, follow these
steps:
 Step 1. Identify the system to be improved
 Step 2. Select 3 to 5 objects at random – for example, open a book
or magazine and pick 3 - 5 different nouns
 Step 3. List the features for each object you selected
 Step 4. Transfer the features to the product you wish to improve.
In particular:
 Apply each feature of the selected object, one at a time, to the product
 Try to formulate problems for improving the product in the direction prompted
by the random feature
63

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

2. Information about the System
 Name the system in which the problem occurs.

 Describe the purpose of the system.

 Describe the structure and functioning of the
system.

 Describe the system environment

 Formulate your answers with as much detail as
possible – err on the side of providing too much,
rather than too little information.
64

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

3. Information about the Problem
Situation
 Describe the problem, the reasons for resolving it,
and the mechanism (s) responsible for its
occurrence.

65

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

4. Ideal Vision of Solution
 Describe the ideal solution using the following
templates:

 An element <name/description of element> that produces a
required useful effect <describe the useful effect> is no longer
necessary.

 An element <name/description of element> that causes a
harmful effect < describe the harmful effect> is removed from
the system.

 A harmful effect <name/description of element> withdraws
itself.

66

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

5. Available Resources
 Resources are substances, fields (energy), the properties of a substance/field,
functional characteristics, and other attributes existing in a system and its
surroundings, which can be utilized for system improvement.
 Readily-available resources are resources that can be used as they are. Consider the
following types of readily-available resources:
 Substance resources
 Field resources
 Space resources
 Time resources
 Informational resources
 Functional resources
 Derived resources are resources that can be used after undergoing some kind of
transformation. To utilize an available resource after transformation, consider the
appropriate recommendation for that type of resource:
 Derived substance resources
 Derived field resources
 Derived time resources
 Derived functional resources
 Derived resource accumulation
 Derived resource concentration 67

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

6. Allowable Changes to the System
 Describe the degree of allowable change to the system:
1. Completely changing the system is allowed.
2. Drastic changes to the system are allowed.
3. Small changes are allowed.
4. Only minimal changes are allowed.

 Describe the limitations for changing the system:
1. Indicate what cannot be changed in the system – i.e., which technical,
economic or other characteristics should:
 remain constant
 not decrease
 not increase
2. Explain the reasons for the imposed restrictions.
3. If possible, indicate the conditions under which these restrictions can be
removed.
4. If removing the restrictions causes new (secondary) problems, evaluate if it is
better to try to solve these problems rather than solve the original problem.
68

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

7. Criteria for Selecting Solution
Concepts
 Any process must have a measure for success. Some criteria are so obvious
that they are not even mentioned until they are violated by a developed
Concept. To avoid wasting time and effort developing useless Concepts, it is
better to document the “success" criteria beforehand. For this purpose, refer
to Typical criteria for success:
 Indicate the desired technical characteristics compared to the existing
characteristics.
 Indicate the desired economic characteristics compared to the existing
characteristics. In particular, specify an acceptable cost of each prospective
change, an acceptable amount of investment for implementing each change, etc.
 Indicate the desired timetables for each stage of work; i.e., concept development,
evaluation of potential solutions, and implementation of the solution(s).
 Indicate the expected degree of novelty of the solutions (i.e., is it desirable to
patent new concepts?).
 Consider additional criteria, such as:
– product appearance
– convenience and low cost of maintenance and service
– other
69

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

7. Criteria for Selecting Solution
Concepts
 While selecting your success criteria, make sure that the limitations are
reasonable. Also, try to avoid criteria that "push" the problem-solving
process in a particular direction (for example, declaring beforehand that the
solution must be hydraulic-based).

 Often, analyzing the success criteria produces critical changes in how the
problem is understood, which are in turn helpful toward finding a solution. To
analyze the criteria, consider the following questions:

 Are certain criteria too high or even excessive, and thus only hinder the
problem-solving effort?
 Are certain criteria unclear and therefore capable of hindering the search
for a solution?
 Are important criteria missing?
 Should certain criteria be stronger to satisfy long-term requirements?

70

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

8. Company Business Environment
 Describe the company's products, markets,
competition, clients, suppliers, facilities, process
systems, etc. Regard all of these things as
sources of different resources.

 Financial resources

 Human resources

 Technical resources

 Other business assets as resources
71

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

9. Project Data

 Document information about the project that
encompasses the solving of your problem:

 Project name
 Project objectives
 Project timeline
 Project team
 Contact information (phone, E-mail, etc.)

72

Problem Formulation Tool

Platform 1:
(Stages II, Part 5)

PLATFORM 1: II (5)


 Problem Formulation (Analytic Tool): A flow chart is made
linking everything in the system to the “Primary Useful Function”
and the “Primary Harmful Function”. Secondary functions are
included, going to the level of detail required by the particular
need that created the project. The links between nodes in the
flow chart represent causal relationships. The output is a
comprehensive set of problem statements defining the problem
space.

74

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Useful Function

Useful
Function

 Has useful output (although it may also have harmful output
as well)
 Is a useful result

75

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Harmful Function

Harmful
Function

 Leads to a harmful result. No useful results are produced.
 A harmful result because it hinders some useful function.

76

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Links
Links describe the relationship between functions.

Link
Function Function
A B

Produce Makes good happen

Produce Makes bad happen
Counteract Stops good from happening

Counteract Stops bad from happening

77

Link Examples:
Carpet Cleaning Service
PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Steam Clean Enjoy
extraction carpet home

System to
Fear of damage
to furniture
protect
furniture

78

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Basic Directions
Improving a Useful System

Useful Function Useful Function
A B

 Make it better
 Make it differently
 Make B without A

79

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Basic Directions
Improving a Harmful System

Harmful Harmful
Function Function
A B

 Stop the source
 Stop the action
 Reduce the consequences

80

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Directions - Harmful Functions

Stop the Stop the Reduce the
source action consequences

Stop the Pad the Make
collision components replacement
easy
81

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Refined Directions - Operators

 After selecting a basic direction to explore, we get
more detailed suggestions for solutions. We call
these suggestions operators.

82

PLATFORM 1: II (5)

Basic Directions
Improving a Useful System

Useful Function Useful Function
A B

 Make it better
 Make it differently
 Make B without A

83

Innovation Benefits Realization for Industrial Research (Part-2)

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