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

Getting the right solution faster

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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.

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Page 1: Getting the right solution faster

© 2013 Cogentus Consulting Ltd

Decision Processes in Practice

Getting to the right solution only much faster

Ian Seed

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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

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Brainstorming is a Random Method

Very Inefficient

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Towards a more Systematic Method

Much more efficient

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Typical Process

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Improvement #1Framing

Understand the problem properly

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Framing5W’s + H

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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.

FramingNine Windows and other techniques

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An Improved ApproachLook Elsewhere for Solutions

Triz (the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) based on analysing hundreds of thousands of patents to look for generic solutions to generic problems.

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Inventive PrinciplesTriz Approach – 40 principles

There are 40 categories of proven solutions to solve a contradiction

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ContradictionsTechnical and Physical

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

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Patterns of Technological Development8 different patterns

Patterns of technological development can be used to forecast what sort of solutions are likely to happen next

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Standard Solutions76 solutions

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

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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

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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

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SummaryUse a systematic approach: it is much better than Brainstorming!

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.

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For more information please contact Ian [email protected] software covers all the aspects discussed – plus more.

Questions?