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Prerequisite.Tutorial on Two Pluses. See Two Pluses
Many steps. The ideal final result, ideal engineering system, can be considered as a
new initial
system. A two story city has again its pluses and minuses.
Two story city eliminates the conflict between a car and a pedestrian, but maybe the building
of underground facilities, or a new floor above streets, will be very expensive? The problem of
building costs can be treated with the same two pluses approach. Most obvious solutions are
coordination and standardization. Underground vehicle storages, high parking buildings,
tunnels and bridges have been built tenths of years. If we not only increase the space for
cars, but connect underground storages with tunnels, or high buildings with bridges, we
can improve cost-effectiveness. This happens because of much room is freed for pedestrians,
shops, offices and dwellings. More sales and income from the same area compensate the
extra costs. Standardized parts and technologies will decrease costs further. Multi story
dwellings are cheaper than a set of small buildings for the same numer of inhabitants.
Two story city, or multi story city will be cheaper than conventional one.
"It is not possible to make so big changes in a city." Yes, it is not possible, and not needed.
Improvements can be introduced gradually. Important is that incremental changes will be
coordinated with each other. Why not to redesign first a small part of the city: a block, or
a section of a city.
"How to handle with hazardous emissions?" The two story city can function well only if the
another innovation is realized. Emission-free vehicles will be "must" in a new city. Here we
should combine the pluses of two alternative car designs: the car with a combustion engine
and an electric car. One solution, already existing, is a so called hybrid car. See
Examples.
We see that a new engineering system evolves as a result of successive combining of features.
Alternative systems are combined many times. Actually we are always dealing with the polysystem
of problems, solutions and technologies.
Psychological inertia. Successive combining of features means that we should
repeatedly
seek drawbacks in the idea we just have got. The drawbacks are new problems. When these new
problems are solved, the solutions should be criticized again. Again new problems will be found,
again new solutions. The cycle is repeated tenths of times.
To criticize own ideas, or to accept the arguments of others, is, however, not easy. We try
unconsciously to defend our opinion and to neglect all arguments, whether reasonable or not.
This purely psychological defence mechanism is called psychological inertia.
The psychological inertia prevents the inventor or innovator from seeing that the idea needs many
improvements. The same inertia prevents opponents from seeing that behind inevitable drawbacks
lies a bright idea. That´s why innovations usually are realized very slowly. A radial tire was
invented in 1914, but took the place of crossply tire only in 1970´s. In 1929 Alexander Fleming
observed that bacteria were not able to grow in the region surrounding a bit of mold
Penicillium. Only more than ten years later the importance of penicillin was realized,
the structure of the new antibiote determined and methods of manufacturing it in large
quantities developed.
Polysystem of problems. One striking result of the theory of inventive problem solving
is that
a set of many problems can be solved easier than one isolated problem. Let´s consider a list
of problems in a modern city:
- traffic congestion
- hazardous gases
- dust
- noise
A two story city solves the problem of congestion and helps substantially to solve dust and noise
problems. The problem of hazardous gases can be solved if the combustion engine and electric car
are considered as alternative systems. Every one of these problems is very difficult to solve
independently from the others. The recommendation: seek and list as many problems, related
to the engineering system, as prossible.
Polysystem of solutions. Listing the pluses and solutions we can get when the
features
of alternative systems are combined, is very useful too. Some pluses of a two story city with
hybrid cars:
- no congestion
- no hazardous gases
- less dust
- less noise due to better isolation
- more easy to keep a city clean
- decreasing energy consumpion
- more room for parks and gardens on the floor for pedestrians
- more easy to maintain "underground household", such as water piped, sewer systems and cables
Note that the list of benefits contains additional improvements which are not only removing the
drawbacks listed in the beginning.
Lessons of T-model. One argument may be: "We are already doing all this. In
polysystem
approach is nothing new." It´s easy to show that in conventional design "polysystem approach" is a
rare exception. Further, exceptions have been occasional successies, not results of conscious
"polysystem design". Maybe the most famous example is Henry Ford´s Model T. Features of
the Model T:
- fourcylinder gasoline engine mounted longitudinally in the front
- a driveshaft running in a torque tube to the rear wheels
- steering wheel on the left
- vanadium alloy steel
- new engine block and head design (cheaper to machine)
- continous production system: an assembly line
- the division of manufacturing skills and the routinization of complex work
None of these advances was striking by itself. The idea was to put all them together. Very important
was that the vehicle design was combined with advances in manufacturing systems.
The Model T has been described as an singular case. General conclusions has not been made,
neither the experience of Ford has been used in the design of new technologies, not even in
design of other automobiles. In 1959 Alec Issigonis envisioned a new mini car.
The production system, however, didn´t permit to produce the Mini cheaply enough
(compare Ford!). Only when other companies simplified
the design and introduced more rational manufacturing system, the concept become
profitable (Fiat 127 in 1971, Volkswagen Polo in 1974, Ford Fiesta 1976). "Polysystem
approach" was realized, but again occasinally, after many trials and errors, not consciously.
More of the ideal final result. In Two Pluses
we defined the ideal final result as the
system which combines good features of two alternative systems. Now we can add, that the ideal
final result incorporates best features of many systems.
The model of the ideal final result is a powerful tool in many ways. When we imagine how the
ideal system should look, and don´t yet think of how it can be realized, the initial problem
may disappear, partially or totally. Let´s imagine the two story city. All problems are solved,
and the city has becom an attractive place to live. When the need of cars can decrease.
Power of "polysystem design".
My friend and colleague Vladimir Gerasimov has gathered convincing experience demonstrating
the efficiency of "many pluses approach". For example, he conducted in one machine-building
company in the U.S. several "problem solving projects" 1995-96. One commercially very
successful project was carried out in less than 3 months, although more 40 solutions to the
problem had been generated.
Exercise 1. In the beginning we considered some weaknesses of the concept of
two story
city. Find more minuses and drawbacks!
Exercise 2. Continue exercise 2. Using Two Pluses Matrix and other solution tools
remove
the drawbacks. Try to find additional improvements.
Exercise 3. Consider some problem you are interested in. Try to build "polysystem"
of problems"
and "polysystem of solutions".
Trend mono-bi-poly. Inventions and innovations are most easily and clearly
learned
and understood when they are interpreted in terms of bi- and polysystem. Furthermore, we use
the concepts of monosystem, bisystem and polysystem in broader sense than formely. Problems,
solutions and ideas are systems as well as devices, products and processes. The terms monosystem,
bisystem and polysystem have been used already in 1980´s, but usually in more narrow sense.
So the TechOptimizer Pro software (Prediction) presents the development line
mono-bi-poly, but all examples are from "hard" technology: a pen, a propeller and the focus of a
camera.
Of computer support.
TechOptimizer Pro contains a module "Feature Transfer". Features are
transfered from many objects to the one object recommended for improvement.
So Feature Transfer supports the multisystem approach rather directly.
Modules Prediction, Princinples and Effects are selections of good standard ideas,
which are very useful for combining the polysystem of solutions.
Updated September 30, 1997
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