Building an elegant solution Inspired by the book “The Elegant Solution” – by Matthew E May Gautam B Ramamurthy
Jul 18, 2015
Building an elegant solution
Inspired by the book “The Elegant Solution” – by Matthew E May
Gautam B Ramamurthy
Secrets of Success
Loyalty
Dedication
Positive Attitude
Goal setting
Leadership
Motivation
Relationships
Planning
Strength
Pride
Passion
Belief
KnowledgeSkills
Innovation
Define: EleganceCreativity
Simplicity
Intelligence
Subtlety
Economy
Qualityaha!- Elegance is the simplicity found on the far side of complexity
What is Innovation?
- Innovation is not about technology- Customer’s don’t want products and services,
they want solutions to problems
“Innovation is trying to figure out a way to do something better than its ever done before”
- David Neeleman (Founder of JetBlue)
The Pursuit of Perfection
• It’s the discipline of increments and just plain hard work• Optimal solutions result from a rigorous search – not magic• Its not just about choosing between taking small steps or big
leaps, but its how to achieve big leaps through small steps
The story of Toyota’s Lexus brand
The Rhythm of fit
What is a great innovation? • It’s the ability to serve the great needs of society with a valuable &
meaningful contribution• Great Innovation – fits the times; fits within a larger system; shapes
attitudes and behaviors of people; changes how people think & work; allows people to see in it their own opportunity for a new life
• Its like great leadership, aims to create change that matters
Ingenuity
Why? - The current business environment demands it
How? - Dig your own job!
“Observe…without preconceptions and with a blank mind. Repeat “Why?”
five times to every matter”- Taiichi Ohno
Chasing Ingenuity
Ingenuity -> Creativity + Application
Engagement
Exploration
“where to dig?” “how to dig?”
Ingenuity is all about asking the right questions
The story of Clear Rx – How can I make medicine bottles more safe and user friendly?
Business innovation & Evolution - 1
Henry Ford’s Assembly Line
Continuous flow Conveyor BeltsStandardized parts+ +
(mills & canning factories) (machine tooling) (meatpacking & breweries)
“I invented nothing new. I simply assembled into a car the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work” – Henry Ford
Business innovation & Evolution - 2Example of similar traits converging into one new organism
Most of the so-called revolutionary discoveries are in reality smaller ideas combined, synthesized and adapted to a new application
Getting to the chase- Pursuit of Perfection
Toyota Way – Start with an idea > work backwards > remove anything that stands in the way
“What’s blocking perfection?” “What can we improve?”
Lexus Story – They weren't building a car, they were redefining perfectionThe Perfect Plan:1. Assemble the A team (the best of creative minds within Toyota)2. Identify the target (Mercedes S class & BMW 7 series)3. Understand the customer (on-site research)4. Revolutionary design5. Build the perfect luxury car
Tools – IDEA loop
InvestigateWhat? Why?
DesignIdeas/Best solutions
ExecuteSolution pilot/Prototype
AdjustAccess & Improve
question
solve
test
reflect
genchi genbutsu- go and see
Problem: Solutions don’t work as imagined- There’s a gap between what’s offered and what the customer needs!
Cause: The facts aren’t clearly understood- We think we know what the customer wants. Telling isn’t showing
Solution: Learn to see- Live the customer’s life. Watch the problem in the context and environment within which it occurs
genchi genbutsu!
Work through creative tension- You can’t fail in the ‘attempt’, only in the ‘outcome’!
• We are obsessed with solutions, but not with the process of generating the optimal one
• Without thinking, there is no innovation. Thus, no elegant solution
Exercise: Turn this incorrect roman-numeral equation made up of ten sticks
into a correct one by moving as few sticks as possible
XI + I = X
Focus on asking the right question, not seeking the right answer
Kaizen – Continuous Improvement- Its all about idea submission and not acceptance
The 3 step process to achieve Continuous Improvement:• Create a Standard• Follow it• Find a better way
Repeat it!
Kaizen = Ingenuity + Perfection + Fit
Start thinking Lean- Doing more of what matters by eliminating what doesn’t
• Be-all, end-all, feature-rich solutions almost always miss the mark – because they are over scoped and too complex
• Complexity destroys Value, which is what matters most to customers
• Lean = Start with the ideal and little by little remove everything blocking the path to achieve it
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”
- Antonie de Saint-Exupery