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Prediction, Principles, Effects,
Last updated November 1, 1997
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Silent revolution in design. We have heard many times, that problem statement is
at least 50 %,
maybe 80 % of the problem solving. An old English proverb says: "It is more important,
to do the right things, then to do only the things right." The instruction: "Do the right thing",
however, has little value. The point is: HOW to find the right thing. TechOptimizer just
tells in detail, how to select right tasks. Optimizer is the first software tool that works
with engineers to state their design problems correctly. New software means that careful
problem or product statement little by little, but irrevocably, become "must" for companies.
A silent revolution in design has begun. Far-sighted observers, of course, have fully understood
what is going on. TechOptimizer was published only in 1996. Already in March 1997 judges
from Manufacturing Systems, Fortune Magazine and Engineers Digest selected IM-TechOptimizer
as the best new product at National Manufacturing Weekī97 in Chicago, in the U.S.
See WWW site of
Invention Machine Corporation.
Comparison with Value Engineering. Some concepts, as function and cost,
are used
both in traditional value analysis and in TechOptimizer. The main difference is that TechOptimizer
gives as result problems with contradictions. The solution of contradictions allows to use the hidden
resources of an engineering system.
Value Analysis or Value Engineering contain, for example, following tools:
- Cost Function Matrix
- Value Analysis Matrix
- Function Analysis System Technique (FAST)
TechOptimizer contains the component evaluation mode. The user gives the function rank
(importance of function), problem rank and cost estimate. Optimizer then displays
recommendation for each component evaluated: to improve the component or to
trim it.
FAST diagram displays the function structure. Function Model in Techoptimizer displays
the components of system and functional links between the components. The model
gives much information which helps to simplify the system.
Generally, "traditional" Value Engineering shows what (which components) should
be improved. TechOptimizer defines the problems which should be solved to improve
the system. The problem statement is a bridge between the needs and inventive
A paste tube from 9 parts. I saw not long ago a striking example of the "problem
statement
problem". A usual tube for tooth paste consists of two parts. Now a one company has developed
for tooth paste a package with a pumping mechanism. The new package consists of 9 parts.
A number of parts increased from 2 to 9. Maybe the tube with a pump gives so many new
features and so much new value for user that a complex design becomes reasonable? I couldnīt
find any value added. On the contrary, a "modern" tube is worse than the old one. The pumping
mechanism gets easily broken.
The lesson is that before you begin design "a pump for tooth paste", give a question: do we
need the pump? Are we solving a right problem?
Do we need problem seekers? Many years ago was told that some Japanese
companies hired experts exclusively for problem seeking. The expert didnīt give any answers or
solutions. He/she only walked and sought new problems. I donīt know whether this story is true
or not, but I am convinced that companies all over the world should invest more time and human
resources to problem seeking. The first and maybe the most difficult thing in implementing of
TechOptimizer is to decide, that problem finding is important.
The value which Optimizer gives.One question asked is: "Why to use TechOptimizer? I can
draw components and links on a paper by a pen." Really, before TechOptimizer appeared
functional analysis and trimming were carried out by hand. And practically only professional
"trimming experts" used the tool. I myself sometimes tried to implement the traditional trimming
technique in my work, but found that it is too tiring to describe in detail components and links.
The computer makes possible to build easily complex functional models, and, most important,
to improve a model many times. Comparison of alternative systems and feature transfer, too,
require a computer as soon as we have not two but three systems and three features.
We select some relevant parameters:
- weight
- ease of use
- maneuvrability
- costs
We define relative importance of parameters:
| Parameter | Importance |
| Weight | 7 |
| Ease of use | 10 |
| Maneuvrability | 7 |
| Costs | 5 |
Values of parameters:
| System | Weight, points | Ease of use, points | Maneuvrability, points |
Costs, points |
| Upright bike | 4 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| Recumbent | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 |
| Upright hybrid | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
TechOptimizer gives the recommendation: Upright bike is the object for analysis and improvement.
Ease of use is the parameter which should be improved. - The recommendation depends on the
information a user gives. The software donīt select the problem instead of the user. TechOptimizer
helps understand better how parameters of different importance and value depend from each other.
Another example: future city
For example, we will compare three objects:
- street for cars only
- street for pedestrians only
- railway
Relevent parameters are, for example:
- carrying capacity
- flexibility (easiness to go at right time to right place)
- object-generated harmful factors (accidents, noise, hazardous gases)
- costs
Relative importance of parameters:
| Parameter | Importance |
| Capacity | 5 |
| Flexibility | 4 |
| Harmful factors | 6 |
| Costs | 10 |
Values of parameters:
| System | Capacity, points | Flexibility, points | Harmful factors, points |
Costs, points |
| Street for cars only | 8 | 50 | 9 | 30 |
| Street for pedestrians only | 2 | 50 | 2 | 20 |
| Railway | 80 | 10 | 1 | 10 |
TechOptimizer gives the recommendation: Railroad is the object for analysis and improvement.
Flexibility is the parameter which should be improved.
Object structure. The object, a transport system, consists, for example,
of following elements:
- Product: pedestrian
- Components: passangers and cargo, car on usual street, car on a highway, car in
a tunnel, highway for cars only, tunnel for cars only, usual street for cars and
pedestrians, road for pedestrians only, earth, buildings, air, sunlight.
A component model reveals parts and elements we have not thought of before. Building
the model is not listing of already known things. In our case different groups of cars are
defined, because a car on a highway or in a tunnel delivers not the same actions as a
car on a usual street. - Obviously, we can differentiate the group of cars yet further.
An important element is a car which moves on a highway and in a tunnel and on a
usual street.
Actions and links. We add useful and harmful actions to a model. There
are harmful
actions between car on usual street an pedestrian. Both are disturbing each other.
Car an a usual street deliveres an useful action, too: to move passangers and cargo.
All other actions and links are useful:
- car on a highway moves passangers and cargo
- car in a tunnel moves passangers and cargo
- highway supports car
- tunnel supports car
- etc.
Link analysis. The qualitative and quantitative study of links give
valuable
information. Useful actions can be normal, insufficient or excessive. The car on a usual street
has a useful function "to move passangers and cargo", but level of action is insufficient.
The carrying capacity is less than on a highway or in a tunnel.
Qualitative link analysis of harmful actions include the definition of parameters. Which
parameters describe the harmful action of a car to a pedestrian? Area required, noise, dust,
gases and so on.
Quantitative or advanced link analysis means that numerical values of parameters are
considered. Often is essential to know: how much? Which is carrying capacity?
Which level of noise? How much dust and gases?
Information available. Information collected by function analysis can be
found
using the Browser. The Browser contains five lists:
- Interaction Matrix
- Function Table
- Element List
- Function List
- Notes
The user can easily evaluate the information and make necessary corrections to the function
model.
Trimming of a city. Trimming means the simplifying of a system by
eliminating components.
Components can be dealt to four groups:
- A: High function rank, low costs, little problems. Component should not be trimmed.
- B: High function rank, high costs, much problems. Component should not be
trimmed, either, but improved.
- C: Low function rank, low costs, little problems. Component should be trimmed,
after components in groud D.
- D: Low function rank, high costs, much problems. Component shoud be trimmed first.
For trimming a component evaluation is carried out. The user gives for each component
the values of three parameters:
- Function rank
- Problem rank
- Cost evaluation
A component can be eliminated:
- if its action is performed by another component of supersystem element
- if action is performed by the component which receaves the action
- the component which receives the action is also eliminated
TechOptimizer makes then a recommendation on trimming. A car on a usual street
an a usual street should be trimmed, because of their functional rank is low, problem
rank high and costs high.
If functional rank, problem rank and cost estimate change, the recommendation
TechOptimizer gives changes, too. The program doesnīt make desicions, but
helps a user to understand better dependency between functions, problems and costs.
The result from the work with Optimizer is problems, not solutions. For example:
how to deliver the function of a trimmed element? If we trim a
usual street for cars and pedestrians,
- how a road for pedestrians can deliver the function of trimmed street?
- how a tunnel for cars can support pedestrians?
- how a building can support pedestrians?
- etc.
For seeking of a solution we can use the IMLab software, see IMLab
Editing pictures. Graphical pictures, in the first place the Function Model, are one of the most
fascinating features of the TechOptimizer. They are handy not only for the analysis of a system and
finding problems but also for editing and presenting results. I myself have found that the most
simple way to make pictures for the report is to copy first a screen to clipboard and then
from clipboard to the word processor, for example to MS-Word. Pictures can then be edited for
example with PaintBrush. One can print function diagrams directly, too. When you have the
Function Model displayed, select Print. I that case, however, is not possible to edit the picture.
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