As soon as an open innovation problem owner goes to the world with a problem like ‘find better ways to join component A and B together' it is theoretically possible to very quickly identify other ways of delivering the required function (Reference 2).
Figure 3.
Figure 3: Looking For Solutions In Domains That Are KnownAlthough unable to solve this out-of-domain-knowledge psychological inertia problem, one thing that can be done to help ease the transfer of solutions from one domain to another is not just arrange knowledge in functional terms, but also then to map solutions within each function in terms of how well a given solution performs certain key attributes. Figure 4: Attribute Mapping Of Different Join Methods
Even if incumbent designers and engineers can be convinced of the potential merits of a solution from another domain, the almost inevitable next problem is that the specific context of the originating domain is inherently different from the context of the domain looking for a new solution.
The coriander industry has traditionally solved the problem by using a rotating drum to mechanically fragment the shells. The coriander process engineers, however, understood rotating drums and were basically looking for a better mechanical system. Getting pistachios out of pistachio shells frequently uses the rapidly changing pressure solution to achieve its desired outcome. Given the importance of speed in any production process, this was obviously a problem for the coriander process engineers. According to TRIZ, someone somewhere will already have solved such problems (Reference 3). Figure 5: Mapping The Coriander Problem Onto The Contradiction MatrixIt is beyond the purpose and intention of this paper to discuss how those generic solutions were translated into actual solutions to the coriander problem (needless to say; they were).
Tacit Knowledge
To an extent, nearly all open innovation projects seek to resolve tacit knowledge problems by introducing a development and/or validation programme into the contractual relationship they form with a solution provider. Such validation programmes are designed to transfer the knowledge from technology owner to problem owner. The fourth reason that open innovation initiatives go wrong is that, by definition, tacit knowledge is knowledge that the domain experts are unable to formally communicate to third parties.
Open Innovation as a concept makes considerable sense.
Figure 6: (Systematic) Open Innovation Protocol
Open Innovation needs to open itself to the idea that someone, somewhere already solved the problems it currently faces.Contradiction Matrix‘, Creax Press, 2003.
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