A classification of five levels of solutions has been developed to categorize the different current inventions, which includes from technological inventions, to non-technical ones and to those of all kinds, and where the difference between the different solutions is based on only three criteria rectors:
- Function: Any man-made system is developed to meet certain objectives and therefore has some main function of the system. For example, to fulfill the objective of medical research, a system is needed that provides the function of “seeing the human body”. The functions can be both generic or specific, and usually high-level inventions allow to have generic functions that make this invention applicable in wide ranges of problems and challenges.Principles: This is a scientific effect, a principle or phenomenon that allows the function to unfold. For example, the emission of X-rays creates the function of “seeing through the human body”. Market: Any man-made system fulfills its function within a certain context,the one that meets a market need. Just as an X-ray emission device is used in the medical market, it can also be used in the security systems market. That is, in a different market there may be a niche that benefits from the use of the function produced by the system. We prefer to call Market instead of Object or Context, since it describes it more clearly.
With solutions we understand not only a physical product but all kinds of artificial system and its modifications, that is, what solution is applicable to a new mousetrap, an improved tool for a manufacturing process, a change in organizational structure or a new model. business that has a set of components and transactions to be executed (it can be a non-technical system).
So when a new system is created or a change is made to an existing system to obtain an improvement, we define this new or modified system as a solution.
Each system is described as a combination of Function-Principle-Market but any system may contain a subsystem and this will become clear when specifically studied.
Of course, the same classification is valid for systems or subsystems.
The levels have been separated into the Technology Levels and the Business and Management Levels.
The five levels of Technology Solutions
Let's see examples of each level:
Level 5: Discovering a New Principle
This is the starting point of what can then be a disruptive innovation. Sometimes a discovery has little to do with Technology, but it expands the frontiers of science and gives access to new resources with the emergence of creative scientific knowledge.
Examples are X-rays, the Tesla coil, the photovoltaic effect, semiconductivity, the may effect, the Mobius strip, chemical catalysis, S-curve evolution, etc. that with a new principle obtain important Innovations.
Level 5 discoveries or so-called Scientific Solutions do not belong to any Function or Market and are scientific discoveries that serve as the basis for new technical systems.
Level 4: Creating a Radically New Function-Principle Combination
Level 4 Solutions result from creating radically new Functions based on Principles already seen from level 5.
It is irrelevant if the Principle was used before in any other Function but this Principle can be discovered for a specific Function in a Market area. This is how a New combination is created, for example:
• The first radio transmitter
- Function: Transmitting electromagnetic signals Principle: Generation of electromagnetic waves and their propagation
• The first X-ray imaging machine
- Function: See through objects Principle: X-ray emission
• The first semi conductor
- Function: Amplify an electronic signal Principle: Semiconductivity effect
• The first photo voltaic (solar) panel
- Function: Generate electricity Principle: Photo voltaic effect
• Site e bay.com
- Function: Public auctions and book sales Principle: Webcasts
Many Level 4 Solutions are pioneering and are based on recent scientific discoveries or unused knowledge for specific Functions. For example, the Principle of semiconductivity can amplify and switch a given signal.
Before semiconductors, there were electronic tubes with these functions, but with the cheaper arrival of semiconductors, two types of devices were created, amplifiers and signal alarms, but a new market was also created for portable devices, based on its small dimensions.
This level 4 resides within the Blue Ocean strategy, that is, we create something different with a new system and a new Market.
The TRIZ method is useful in this level development.
Level 3: Extending an already known Function-Principle Combination to a New Market
Level 3 Solutions result from having a known Function-Principle combination within a new Context providing a specific purpose.
What is the new Context?
Usually it is a new application area, a technological niche or a new market for this Function-Principle Combination.
But generally an adaptation or reengineering of the existing design is required to meet the new demand. For example:
- The function of "see through" based on the Principle of "Emission of X-rays" can be used not only for medical market purposes but in a number of applications, such as non-destructive testing, high security systems in airports, engineering forensics, etc. The function of "generating electricity" based on the photo voltaic effect, is used in solar panels of cars, watches, field battery accumulators, etc. and not only for emergency telephones on isolated highways. The "displace" function based on the thermal expansion effect but was used in microscope sample holders, in the magnetic head of tape recorders, in detectors of losses in high-voltage cables. power, etc.The function of "auctions and sales" based on web transactions was not only used to promote and sell physical objects but also to offer intellectual property. The introduction of "remote control" based on radio frequency signals was also applied in video players. MP3.
Solution 3 also usually resides within the Blue Ocean strategy, expanding the known to new Markets or resolving contradictions within the same Market through qualitative leaps or replacing a Function-Principle combination with a more efficient one within the same Market.
Systematic Inventive Thinking is very useful in the development of this level.
Level 2: Qualitative Improvement of an existing Market Function-Principle Combination
Level 2 solutions reside in qualitative changes and improvements of components or their configuration within the technical system that consists of a combination of function-market principle.
These modifications are relatively simple to an existing subsystem to improve the quality or performance of the system but without replacing the existing working principle for both the system and the subsystem.
Level 2 solutions are also obtained by mixing several existing technical systems while the new extra system is produced or by the resolution of a contradiction, where both effects lead to a higher level invention and with a reduction in price, space, performance, user convenience, etc.
- Improvement of the geometric profile of a tire to have more grip on roads Introduce an insulator to a container to reduce calorie losses Improve by corrugating a solar panel surface to concentrate solar rays and have better efficiency Mix a clock alarm with a CD -player Mixing a back-up light on a keychain Mixing a monitor in a microwave oven Emitting an X-ray to detect the movement of an object
Level 2 resides in a Red Ocean strategy because we do not create new functionality or new Markets, we just improve or combine existing Solutions.
Systematic Inventive Thinking is very useful in the development of this level.
Level 1: Quantitative improvement of a combination of the existing Market Principle-function
Solutions that only require a quantitative change in the value of a parameter or series of parameters within a technical system based on a combination of the existing Market Function-Principle are at level 1.
These Solutions are obtained by optimizing some component and morphological analysis is useful at this level. For example:
- Reinforce the armor of a building to make it taller and more stylized Increase the load capacity of a ship by installing continuous cranes and standardized containers Increase the stability of a camera with telezoom making it heavier and more comfortable to hand Improve the consumption of a car by improving the relationship between speed and consumption Increase the capacity of the X-ray pulse generator to test long objects
These Solutions do not require inventive thinking and are within a Red Ocean strategy, since only by modifying a parameter you get what you want.
| Five levels of Technology Solutions | ||
| level | Description | Example |
| 5 | Discover a new Principle | X-rays |
| 4 | Create a radically new function-principle combination | The X-ray emitter (principle) is used to "see through" (function) of the human body, and a new technology is created within the medical apparatus and market. |
| 3 | Extending a Function-Principle Combination to a New Market | X-ray technology is developed in other areas, for example equipment for non-destructive testing of materials, etc. |
| two | Qualitative improvement within an existing Market of a function-principle combination | Emitting an X-ray pulse to detect the movement of an object |
| one | Quantitative improvement with a modification of one or some optimization parameters | Increase the speed of the X-ray pulse generator to test objects of different dimensions |
The five levels of Solutions in business
The five-level classification is not only limited to Technology but is also applicable to any human activity that contains systems.
| Five Levels of Solutions in Business | ||
| level | Description | Example |
| 5 | Discover a New Beginning | Introduce the concept of Investment (instead of Loan) |
| 4 | Create a radically new combination of Function-Principle | Develop a company with investment funds |
| 3 | Extend the Function-Principle combination to a New Market | Place shares in the public instead of in an Investor group (Public company) |
| two | Qualitative improvement of a Function-Principle combination within the existing Market | Introduce different types of actions |
| one | Quantitative improvement by changing the value of a parameter or an Optimization | Issue extra shares |
Conclusions
This classification helps to better understand the Inventions. Innovative Solutions are within levels 2 to 4. But level 2 represents incremental inventions and level 3 represents radical inventions within a market and level 4 represents disruptive innovations.
The highest number of innovations is at level 1, which coincides with Altshuller's classification of the TRIZ method, which is a method that studies the patterns of Inventions, but that is another story.
So, the five levels of Solutions are in a pyramid from lowest to highest and connected to:
- Level 5 Principles 0.1% of the inventions Level 4 Functions 0.9% of the Inventions Level 3 Market 2% of the inventions Level 2 Qualitative Variation 12% of the inventions Level 1 Quantitative Variation 85% of the inventions
This explains the differences between the different levels of Solutions and helps to evaluate a specific Solution, since it judges the level of Innovation and what can be expected from it.
It offers you the different alternatives to a strategy to develop a Solution to a problem or product.
