1) Kapro Industries has successfully utilized Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) for nine years to ensure continuous innovation. 2) Using SIT's "Function Follows Form" principle and "Multiplication" thinking tool, Kapro developed their innovative Top-Grade level by adding multiple, calibrated vials to a conventional level, creating a high-accuracy tool for sloping work. 3) SIT focuses on manipulating existing products to develop new forms and functions internally, requiring little investment and leveraging existing knowledge.

1. RUTH KANTOR STUDIO
A Case of Systematic
Innovation ‚
www.SITsite.com
‚

2. Paul Steiner
Managing Director
Kapro Industries
“...a competitor has not once
surprised us in the past 8
years. Every new innovation
introduced by a competitor
since we first began using SIT
was anticipated by us.”
For 30 years, Kapro Industries Ltd. has been a leading manufacturer
of levels, lasers, and layout, marking and measuring tools.
Kapro’s products are sold in 59 countries worldwide, and are
recognized above all for their innovative features.
Innovation has driven Kapro’s rapid and steady growth over the past
decade. Kapro have embraced Innovation as a growth strategy, A systematic
employing the Systematic Inventing Thinking methodology. methodology for
Kapro’s Innovation Team has been utilizing SIT for the past nine years,
for ensuring an ongoing innovation and development process. The
innovation, together with
team is responisble for some of the industry's most revolutionary a serious management
innovations, including the Plumb Site® Dual-View™ vial, Postrite®, approach, can help you
and Topgrade™. ensure that your business
*All quotes by Paul Steiner, MD, Kapro Industries, are taken from his Keynote
will be thriving in the
Speech at STAFDA, San Francisco, November, 2004. next decade.”

3. Function Follows Form
…[SIT] enables you to develop inventions in
your products or services that come from Listening to the Voice of your Product
within the existing product. The advantage Conventional product development begins
is that very often, great new inventions
require almost no investment. A pertinent with identifying target audiences' needs and
example of this is a gradient level developed only then designing the product. The SIT
at Kapro, known as Top-Grade®. By applying method, however, starts from an existing
one of the SIT Thinking tools, known as
"multiplication" we added a number of product applying a principle called Function
horizontal vials to a conventional level. By Follows Form (FFF): we create new product
calibrating them to varying gradients, we forms by manipulating the existing product,
created a tool that performs the leveling of and only then find uses and benefits (functions)
slopes for plumbing, drainage, etc. at very
high accuracy, and for very low cost. The for them.
product is of course patented, and no tooling
costs were involved in its development." Why is this beneficial?
Relying exclusively on clients for new ideas is
likely to lead to the same products as your
In the following pages you will find a step competitors’. The FFF approach encourages you
by step presentation of the SIT idea to expose latent consumer needs. The
generation process that led to Kapro's systematic approach yields series of ideas,
Top-Grade®. allowing for pipeline development, and
ongoing innovation. The new ideas are easy
to implement because they are based on
existing knowledge and technology.

4. Choose a product
‰
Choose a product
‰
and list the product’s components.
The key differentiator
between SIT and other
product development
techniques is that SIT
focuses on the product...
SIT enables you to
develop invention in your
products or services that
come from within the
existing product. The
advantage is that very
often, great new
inventions require almost
no investment.”

5. Multiplication
Choose a product Choose a component (at random). ‰
Apply a Thinking Tool-
Multiplication List the component's parameters or variables.
‰
Create one or more copies of the component,
making sure that it is different from the original
(by changing one or more of the parameters).
‰
Add the changed copy or copies to the product.

6. Visualize the resulting form,
Choose a product ‰
i.e. Virtual Product - use words or a sketch.
Apply a Thinking Tool-
Multiplication
Virtual Product
Rather than ask, what
problem exists in the
market that needs to be
solved? SIT asks, How can
this product evolve that
hasn’t been thought of?”

7. Identify benefits, advantages, values, and
Choose a product potential customers. ‰
Apply a Thinking Tool-
Multiplication
Customers are prepared
to pay for the extra value
Virtual Product you put in a product, if
they can see it, and
believe their customers
will be prepared to pay
for it, in turn.”
Can we sell it?
Identify possible challenges and ways of
overcoming them.
Can we make it? We now use the SIT
methodology in a more
focused way, once a
quarter. We deal with one
product at a time, and
the workshops are
completed within a single
day. These sessions
continue to yield startling
results.”

8. Top-Grade By calibrating the vials to
Choose a product varying gradients, we
created a tool that
performs the leveling of
Apply a Thinking Tool- slopes for plumbing,
drainage, etc. at very
Multiplication high accuracy, and for
very low cost.
The product is of course
Virtual Product patented, and no tooling
costs were involved in its
development.”
Should we do it?
Can we do it?
Adjust the new product The Top-Grade™ spirit level
You now have a
new product idea.