Systematic inventive thinking is a tool with wide use in Advertising, Product Manufacturing and Marketing, although there are people who use it without knowing that it is recognized in many countries in Europe, the US and Asia.
As we know, our mind follows well-defined patterns to do many things automatically, such as cooking, driving a car, going up the elevators to our apartment, etc.
These patterns (pattern or templates in English) guide our thinking and sometimes do not allow us to fully develop creativity.
But they are not always negative. The development of SIT was to investigate these patterns and create for the case of SIT the two principles and the five tools that we use.
The investigation of these patterns shows that more than 70% of the products launched on the market follow systematic inventive thinking (Creativity in product Innovation, Goldenberg and Mazursky, Cambridge University Press, 2006) and if we add to this that only in the US, They launched more than 30,000 new products in 2006, we see the importance of having a working guide in the Innovation of products and services.
We must consider that 80% of these 30,000 products or services fail and only 20% are successful.
On these 6000 successful products, 70% monitoring is applied to SIT tools.
SIT is excellent for producing incremental or continuous improvements in industrial products or systems. The method developed by Roni Horowitz-Goldenberg-Mazursky is one of convergent logical thinking.
SIT, on the other hand, bases its analysis on the Product itself and what the Market demands.
This diffusion of a new Product in time always follows an S curve, typical of technological processes and the insertion of ideas in a new world.
In the first part of this curve it is impossible to know if this product based on new ideas is going to work or not. But, unfortunately, it is the only time we have to make an effort and go out and copy that new product.
When we are already in the second ascending part of the curve and the product has gained an important market segment, it is too late to go out and copy and we can only better copy the product and try to gain a lower market percentage with advertising.
In the last part of the S-curve, it no longer makes sense to go out and compete with the product, because a brand has been created, and unless we enter with very important secondary benefits, we will need a lot of resources and it is unlikely that it will be profitable to do so..
This dilemma is only solved by relying on the adaptation already so widespread by Darwin. In other words, a product works and evolves following the pressure of the environment on the needs and desires of the Market. If you do not meet these requirements, you fail.
As SIT tools incorporate the evolutionary codes of the products based on their internal attributes, then even with minimal market information, competitive products can be generated. This is important because all market information carries a lot of money at stake.
This allows us to operate in the first part of the S curve, which is when there is a greater possibility of success for our company in anticipating the needs of the market. This is when we must improve the product and induce user preferences within the attributes of our improved product.
Attributes and the Martian
Suppose for a moment that a Martian arrives on Earth and does not know anything about the market and of course does not know our attitudes and preferences. For something we say that he is a Martian.
But this Martian has intelligence to communicate and discovers that Earthlings use something called Silla.
Then observe that different chairs have the same height, that is, it is not an arbitrary parameter but it is due to the fact that humans want to be at a certain height in relation to the environment.
The Martian also notes that it has a backrest, armrests, central support to rotate, wheels to move, adjustable backrest in position for better rest, soft seat for comfort, central support adjustable in height, etc.
All are attributes of the chair and give measurable benefits in humans, so this was what the market required, and if we want to improve the Chair product we must consider them, and induce future user preferences within the attributes of our Improved Chair.
People or the market through the ages by natural selection and adaptation have reached the Present Chair.
The good ideas were incorporated and left their mark on the current product. Or to put it another way, the negotiations between the market and the Chair product are mapped or registered in the Actual Chair and in turn the chair has adapted its attributes and encoded this information.
The great variety of types in this product reflects the needs, tastes and desires of the market of all times past.
The attributes of tongue opening, heel counter, length size, width, laces, inner lining, orthopedic insole, appliqués, non-slip sole, stitched or glued, etc.
These attributes of the shoe and the chair will tell the Martian of our needs, desires, tastes and adaptation to the physical and economic environment. Any continuous improvement must improve the attributes of the past.
In short, the Martian based on the current chair and shoes knows that products have been innovative and accepted by the market. Know the current attributes of the Chair and Shoes.
Now it is not always clear if we should make a continuous innovation or a disruptive one to a product, since the market and its tastes are not always precise and evident.
If we know that our improvement has been tested and verified by a group of representative people and that it deserves that we go off to a disruptive innovation, we will have to do it, otherwise the competition will.
In addition, we must estimate the period of the second section of the S curve and verify that we can cover a wide area of the market in a timely manner.
Examples of Unification is assigning a new function to an existing component
- The self-service of the restaurants (uniting restaurant and customers) A case keeps covered with food that has a salt shaker and a sugar shaker incorporated into the case In the Iraq war they applied the Unification with the playing cards and the faces of the Iraqi chiefs to identify them. The “Walkman” that includes a radio and the microphone of the portable radio that serves as an antenna for the FM receiver. On the car radio the volume control that also serves to turn on and off. And the button of the transmitting station that also serves to incorporate it into the memory. The cap of a remedy that also serves to measure the amount of it or the amount of a detergent. A photocopier that is at the same time a printer, scanner and fax.the suitcases with wheels for their convenient transport the antifreeze filament of the car glasses The inclusion of the instructions for use of a product in its packaging
Examples of Multiplication is introducing a copy or slightly modified copy of an existing object to the system
- The various doubles of famous people (multiply your figure to disorient) the drink packs of six or more units lighting a fire downwind to escape a nearby fire, the use of vaccines that stimulate the immune system doubles homeopathic medicines that multiply their effect for risk scenes of actors The simultaneous and joint application of several ionizing rays on a tumor In SONY a new video game required a large CPU capacity for its testing and the way to obtain it was by placing all the PCs of The company On chicken farms it is common for an animal to be injured and bleed. The problem is that this blood attracts other chickens and roosters that attack the injured animal. The solution is to place red light that totally disguises the bleeding.In other words, we have a problem with the color red and we add more red light to solve it, the use of blue light so that the veins cannot be seen and drug addicts in the Netherlands do not use public toilets. They are pressured to go to hospitals for treatment. We have a problem with blue veins and we add blue light to solve it. In the US, car patents are owned by the User and they take them with them when they sell the car or install them when they buy it. And fines and infringements always haunt the patent owner. The manufacture of clone cells to have disease-free human organs as a reserve for genetic disorders is an example of this tool.The use of blue light so that veins cannot be seen and drug addicts in the Netherlands do not use public toilets. They are pressured to go to hospitals for treatment. We have a problem with blue veins and we add blue light to solve it. In the US, car patents are owned by the User and they take them with them when they sell the car or install them when they buy it. And fines and infringements always haunt the patent owner. The manufacture of clone cells to have disease-free human organs as a reserve for genetic disorders is an example of this tool.The use of blue light so that veins cannot be seen and drug addicts in the Netherlands do not use public toilets. They are pressured to go to hospitals for treatment. We have a problem with blue veins and we add blue light to solve it. In the US, car patents are owned by the User and they take them with them when they sell the car or install them when they buy it. And fines and infringements always haunt the patent owner. The manufacture of clone cells to have disease-free human organs as a reserve for genetic disorders is an example of this tool.In the US, car patents are the property of the User and they take them with them when they sell the car or install them when they buy it. And fines and infringements always haunt the patent owner. The manufacture of clone cells to have disease-free human organs as a reserve for genetic disorders is an example of this tool.In the US, car patents are the property of the User and they take them with them when they sell the car or install them when they buy it. And fines and infringements always haunt the patent owner. The manufacture of clone cells to have disease-free human organs as a reserve for genetic disorders is an example of this tool.
Examples of Division is to separate or divide an object and reconfigure its parts in its different dimensions, in time, in cost and in its other characteristics.
- A French company places stickers with the barcode separate from the 10-liter drums, so that by removing the sticker, the cashier at the market did not have to carry the heavy drum. (separate into more useful components) In refrigerators the separation between freezer and cold chamber Products that mix two components to make the mixture of glue Monitors with divided screens such as in alarm centers Cell phones with GPS that divide user data from others Split compressors with internal distributor and external compressor Payment in installments of a good or service Separation of cassette control from cars to prevent theft Separating the TV from its remote control for comfort Optical stylist James Sooy created eyeglasses that mount over the bridge of the nose, using a piercing,that is, I transfer part of the glasses to the customer's face. The cars have had several separate compartments for the trunk, cabin and engine.
Examples of Object Removal is removing an object from the system or surroundings
- In Europe some cities eliminated high-speed sensors by measuring the time it takes for the vehicle to go from one toll to another (remove one component and have another component take over) NASA unsuccessfully tested many materials to protect the shuttle at its entrance to the atmosphere, but only came to the solution when it was decided to install ceramic tiles that peel off with high temperature Frameless glasses that are lighter and more aesthetic A TV without a screen being only FM receiver suitable for the blind and vehicle drivers A radio cassette player portable that only plays and does not record music Baby chairs that rest on the table without having legs Bicycles without wheels for physical exercise Banks with built-in insurance without insurance agents Concentrated juices from soups, soft drinks, etc.without water The public auction with no given prices.
Examples of Breaking Symmetry is shifting to an asymmetric relationship between system components or neighborhoods.
- The new Intel chips that vary their energy consumption according to operational requirements In several schools in Korea, as students brought drinks to the classroom and dumped them on the keyboard, they have changed the position of the same to vertical for those who have drinks. the distance to the focus depends on the viewing angle of the eye successively In organic sunglasses where the darkening of the lens depends on the lighting from the outside Domino pizzas in the USA where the cost of pizza depends on the delivery time to the customer The different width of the shoes in certain brands of footwear The left mouse for non-right-handed people The 3-point basket in basketball where if the goal was made outside the arc the point is triple and inside it is double The preparation of English tea that places the milk first and then the hot water.
Exercises of Application of SIT tools.
1-problem: if I forget the charger, my laptop is unusable in a few hours.
Problem objects: charger, laptop, mouse, briefcase.
(Closed world condition: objects of the problem and of the environment)
Action required: prevent the charger from being forgotten.
Adverse factor: Rush (the more in a hurry I am, the more likely I am to forget the charger).
Qualitative Change: The solution will be creative if it makes the charger not forget me even though I am in a hurry (cancellation of the adverse factor) and, even more so, that the more in a hurry I am, the less I forget (turn the rush into a positive factor instead adverse).
Try to obtain half a dozen alternative solutions using your intuition, imagination or hidden powers. Then read on and see how quickly you get several alternatives using a systematic tool like SIT.
Divide the charger to prevent me from forgetting
Idea: Always disconnect the charger from the transformer and not from the laptop
Procedure: The charger has two cables. One that is attached to the transformer (the one that connects to the laptop) and another that can be separated from it (goes to the outlet). If I get used to it, I must always disconnect the transformer from the cable that goes to the outlet and store my laptop with the transformer "glued".
So the maximum risk that I run is that a cable is lost, which is easy to recover (and which is on the market). (Solution 4)
An object of the same type as the charger will do the job of preventing me from getting lost.
Obvious idea: Another charger.
Development: Copy the technical specifications of my transformer from now on and send it to the manufacturer to request. It doesn't cost that much and it's nice to have a spare. Meanwhile visit a business in case I find a similar one. (Solution 5)
"An object of the same type as the loader will do the job of preventing me from forgetting"
Idea: another loader (not obvious)
Development: The "other" charger will have a case instead of the transformer that will serve to cover it (as cell phone cases do). Permanently tie the charger to the laptop or briefcase. (Solution 6)
Remove the charger from the laptop
Idea: Always work with battery
Development: The charger will not be lost if I never take it out of the house. My battery can "endure" three hours of work. If I get used to never removing the charger, I will be forced to save power, use the laptop less in meetings and protect the equipment more. (Solution 7).
Relevant characteristics of the object (transformer): color, weight, temperature, dimensions, location.
Let's break the symmetry of the characteristic "location": "At different moments in time the location of the charger will be different."
Idea: When I am out of the office the charger will be in a position that prevents me from forgetting it.
Procedure: When I'm away I can place the charger (specifically the transformer) on my lap or next to the laptop, so that I can see it well and it is practically impossible for me to get up, pick up the laptop and put it away without taking the transformer (Solution 8).
Now it remains to make the list of eight solutions, see if you can combine some of them and check if the Condition of Qualitative Change is met: The more I hurry, the less I forget.
My solution:
- Attach the charger to the mouse cable + Use the charger inside the bag in which I keep the laptop + have a reserve charger and ensure more operating time without using line power.
2-problem: We must neutralize the damage of the potato parasite.
A few years ago a particularly aggressive nematode developed in potato fields in Balcarce.
This nematode was encysted in an airtight capsule so it was hardly damaged by pesticides and other conventional measures did little to destroy it.
INTA's biological investigations revealed a unique characteristic of the parasite: when potatoes are planted, the nematode can detect the odor, and it leaves the capsule, beginning to feed and destroying a high percentage of the crop, reaching values of 30% of the yield. from harvest.
Applying the different SIT tools let us see what developments and subsequent conclusions we can obtain.
a) Take a sample of the nematodes and proceed to implant sterile nematodes, which is equivalent to using Multiplication.
This is something that is very common in insect pests where the development of non-reproductive insects is encouraged.
b) The development of genetic antibodies in the plant, as a product of the selective attack on the genetic structure of the same through several generations.
With which it could be achieved in the case of potatoes, a more resistant tuber to the attack of said nematode, which is equivalent to using division and later unification.
This is sometimes a valid method but it requires a strong investment of money and the worst thing is that the parasites are mutating and reducing the defenses of the genetically modified potato.
c) If the defense of the nematode is its envelope, which makes it impregnable and only abandons this defense due to the smell of the potato.
What if we throw potato waste at it before planting? With which the nematode is exposed and defenseless to be eliminated and in addition to the added value of the fertilizer. This is equivalent to breaking symmetry through smell.
So we incorporate an odor that is not that of the planted potato but that of a placebo such as potato waste, which has an even stronger odor than that of the newly planted potato.
The solution that was really given is the latter, that is, the only thing that must be done once the nematode leaves its cocoon due to the smell of the placebo potato, is not to sow until a few days later and the parasite will starve.
