Chapter 5 Morphological Analysis and other paradigm preserving techniques for “Idea Finding”

1. Chapter 5Morphological Analysisand other paradigm preserving techniques for “Idea Finding” Olympus combines products into a single product by using technique of morphological analysis

2. 2 in 1- 3 in 1 - … n in 1 • Recognizing Demand • W-10 • digital voice recorder • Pocket size, ease • Digital camera • Three hours’ audio material • 250 digital photographs • Integration with PC • State-of-the-art technology in 2003

3. The use of questions as spurs to ideation. The simplest set of questions comes from the six basic questions. Why is it necessary? Where should it be done? When should it be done? Who should do it? What should be done? How should it be done? Checklists

4. Example: ‘How to create a friendly atmosphere at work’ • Why?: to make it easier to communicate with colleagues and get work done. • Where? : especially in meeting where staff of all grades are present. • When?: prior to the meetings taking place. • Who? : the departmental manager. • What?: tell all staff how a meeting should be conducted and what is expected of them. • How?: a booklet or leaflet circulated to all staff for guidance purposes.

5. The following questions might also be usefully applied: Adapt? Modify? Substitute? Magnify/Maximise? Minimise/Eliminate? Rearrange? Reverse? Combine? Checklists …

6. Adapt?: make it convenient for different sizes of people. Modify?: make it portable. Substitute?: make it of metal instead of wood. Magnify/Maximise?: make the drawer space larger. Minimise / Eliminate? : get rid of protruding handles. Rearrange?: rearrange the location of the drawers and integrated trays. Reverse?: have a detachable/reversible glass/plastic top to the desk. Combine?: combine with chair into an integrated unit. Example: ‘A desk’

7. The following might also be applied: Add or subtract something Change colour Vary materials Rearrange parts Vary shape Change size Modify design or style Checklists … …

8. Add / subtract something - add a compass Change colour - have multicoloured cases Vary materials - make cases out of fibre-glass Rearrange the parts - have the hours running from 12 to 1 instead of 1 to twelve and make the watch hands move backwards Vary the shape - triangular, hexagon, octagon, square, round, etc Change the size - have many different sizes Modify design or style - have frequent updates on style and have designer type labels linked to well known fashion houses Example: ‘A Wrist-watch’

9. Identify problem Break problem into component parts List the attributes for each part Use in conjunction with other idea- generating techniques to examine all aspects of the problem Attribute Listing

10. Attribute Listing – ‘Improving a torch’

11. Competitive Repositioning of a Product • Differentiate it from competitive offerings • 1. Product features – such as the low calorie content of some foods. • 2. Product benefits – e.g. a particular model of car as ‘the most economical way to get to work by car’. • 3. Associating the product with a use or application – e.g. ‘rooh-afza you have for freshen up’. • 4. User category – associating the product with a user or class of users – e.g. ‘the car for the business executive’. • 5. With respect to competition – e.g. ‘an IBM-compatible microcomputer’.

12. Competitive Repositioning of a Product … • Product positioning- adjusting from time to time • a competitor’s new product or service has been positioned next to the brand and this is having an adverse effect on the product or service’s share of the market; • consumer preferences with respect to the product or service have changed; • new customer-preference clusters have been pin-pointed that suggest promising opportunities; • the original positioning was incorrect. Find a product and reposition in various dimensions using methods described before for idea generation

13. Morphological analysisSystematic way to consider different idea variations • Its emphasis on unrelated stimuli • Eliminates structured-thinking, analysis • Excellent free-association initial-stimulus • What was most helpful about this exercise? • What was most challenging? • What can we apply? • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue? • What did you learn? • What will we be able to use from this exercise? • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?

14. List the dimensions of the product or problem Generate a list of attributes under each of the dimensions Take combinations of attributes as stimuli for new ideas however unusual or impractical they may seem Evaluate promising ideas Heuristics No more than three dimensions relevant with logical interrelationship Morphological Analysis …

15. Morphological Analysis ‘Educational Toy for Toddlers’

16. Morphological Analysis • Group Process • experienced people! • each record their own ideas • A discussion then • First agree on dimensions • List attributes within dimension • More cre-activities • five most exciting ideas • five worst and trying to improve them

17. YAE • Find a combination!

18. YAE- new product idea • Find a combination!

19. YAE- encourage new readers to a newspaper by producing a supplement

20. Morphological Analysis – Related Techniques Force Fitting Triggers Heuristic Ideation Technique Component Detailing Sequence-Attribute Modification Matrix

21. Force-fitting Triggers • Use visual stimuli • Arbitrary or related? • force-fit combinations of attributes form unrelated object to the problem • Narrow down to solution

22. Force-fitting Example- improving interdepartmental communications

23. Force-fitting Example- improving interdepartmental communications • (1) Has horns + flies high + warm and friendly • Stress the powerful effect and importance of making sure that all organizational units communicate with one another in a warm and cordial manner. • (2) Steer + has a pilot and crew + lasting relationship • Need to provide written guidelines or training to enable employees to develop durable and lasting good-practice methods of interdepartmental communication.

25. Heuristic Ideation Technique • Breaks down the structure of existing products into lists of factors or attributes and match with another • An out-of-town holiday hotel is looking for ideas for augmenting its service to guests; a hospital is used as the other product: • Hotel factors • accommodation, entertainment, eating facilities, transportation • Hospital factors • nurses, doctors, diagnostic equipment, operating theatres, ambulances

26. Heuristic Ideation TechniqueExample 1 and 2 suggest a resident doctor and nurse. 3 suggests the installation of different kinds of non-medical diagnostic equipment 5 suggests a free daily transportation system into the town

27. Component Detailing • The major components of the problem are listed. • The attributes of each component are identified and listed. • 3 Different problem components are allocated to different group members for study. • The components and their attributes are studied detail. • A picture is drawn of each component • including as much detail as possible. • Drawings are collected and displayed where they are visible to all those involved in the exercise. • Displayed, paying attention to their logical ordering. • The collage is reviewed for possible ideas. Drawings that vary in size and drawing style---- Ideas!

28. Sequence-attribute Modification Matrix- Problems with a logical sequence • Enumerate the logical steps • Find ways in which the process can be altered • eliminate, substitute, rearrange, reverse, combine, increase, decrease, magnify … • Construct a two-dimensional • Steps vertically and modifications horizontally • Examine the matrix cells for promising change • Suggest ways of introducing the changes Attribute listing, checklists and morphological analysis, forced relationships to stimulate ideas

29. Sequence-attribute Modification Matrix- Problems with a logical sequence Example Problem: poor record of recruitment of sales office-staff. Staff turnover high and average length of stay less than three months. Personnel and the line manager recruit and appoint staff.

30. Steps followed in the process

31. Construct two-dimensional grid

32. Get Idea! • The way in which job descriptions are kept and the frequency with which they are updated might be improved. • More frequent updates and a review might be productive. • Combined with other job vacancies during advertisement • bigger display can be purchased in the press • more prospective employees • increase the number of outside media • advertise it internally • Increase the number of times an advertisement appears • Quality of the advertisements needs to be looked at. • Professional advice of an advertising agency

33. Get Idea! … • Information given out to prospective applicants • internal marketing operations • the job represents a really good opportunity! • How many candidates to interview needs to be reviewed. • Consider short-listing more applicants • A single interview lasting half an hour may not be adequate for this type of post. • Invited to meet staff in the office over coffee • Spend some time in the office in order to get some idea of the work • combined with the formal half-hour interview. • May not make an offer on the same day. • It might be better practice to ring the successful candidate on the day following.

34. Delta Engineering wants to use morphological analysis • Manufacture circuit boards for desktop personal computers • At present it supplies one standardized board • without any sub-assemblies or attachments • to a number of different producers of desktop computer • Looking to expand its product-market scope • recognizes that tailor-made circuit boards or other partly assembled boards may be possible avenues for exploration • circuit boards are used in many other products • differ in terms of specification for different market segments.

36. Assignment: HW-C5 due March 16 • Answer “SMS Texting and the Council” case in P 116 of the textbook

37. Assignment: GW-C5 due March 19 • Use morphological and related analysis to find improvement ideas of • Wedding • Cafeteria • Customer service level in a bank • Employment turnover • Make money on the stock exchange • Analyze using At least 3 techniques each • Incorporate all the techniques among different activities • Provide detailed/rough sketch ideas generation process on different techniques • Rank your ideas in three most important dimension • Freemind

38. Free Associations • To study unconsciousness, Freud developed the technique of free association • In free association, patients say everything that comes to mind without attempting to make meaningful statements • Patients aren’t supposed to edit their thoughts • Analyst would just sit and listen while the patient made their free associations.

39. Checklists • Attribute listing • Morphological analysis • Force fitting triggers • Heuristic ideation technique • Component detailing • Sequence-attribute modification matrix