Ideation

DFSS by definition (almost) demands out-of-the-box thinking. A longstanding tool to inspire creativity in the world of quality, in fact in all team activities, has been the use of the brainstorming technique. In the last couple years, however, a new twist on the brainstorming methodology has been used and it is called ideation.

The brainstorming activity focuses on the process. However, that focus sometimes created a problem in the creativity process. Ideation, on the other hand, focuses on the results and, as a consequence, eliminates the confusion of the process. Whereas brain-storming breaks down barriers and allows participation from all the involved participants, based on a ritualistic approach, ideation goes a step further in the sense that it comes up with ideas without worrying about the process. In fact, because ideation does not worry about the process, participants are more likely to push the development of ideas into concepts.

Ideation is very flexible, and uses fewer rubrics in deciding on a particular result. It is more efficient than brainstorming and thus may be used in a variety of activities. The actual application of ideation is the same as brainstorming, but without the rules. While brainstorming involves only a facilitator and the employees, in a typical ideation approach, outsiders may be involved. These outsiders may be from cross-functional and multidisciplined areas. Their function is to give their perspective and to break as many barriers as possible.

To have excellent results in any ideation process, the makeup of the participants should have at least the following profile characteristics:

• Those who envision. These people add direction, inspiration and momentum to the discussion. They focus on the end result and present a vision of what they want to create. They are very good for strategic planning activities, since they are capable of describing their vision of the ideal future and how to achieve it in 5 to 10 years.

• Those who modify. These people examine the components of problems and bring stability and thoroughness to the process. They prefer to take things one step at a time and build on what they already know.

• Those who experiment. These people like to test carefully and receive input to confirm ideas. They like to troubleshoot and answer questions on how to use products within their intended markets and how to find other possible uses.

• Those who explore. These people excel in taking a product and incorporating new ideas for improvement or enhancement of the product. They thrive on the unknown and have a sense of adventure.

A typical creative usage analysis using ideation may be the TRIZ (the theory for inventive problem-solving).