Session 4

Session 4
Out- of -The Box Thinking and Systems

Engineering in Research
Session Speaker:
Prof. Govind R. Kadambi
1
© Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
Session Objectives
At the end of the session, students will be able to :
• Explain Out of the Box Thinking and its relevance in Research
• Describe basic principles of Systems Engineering
• Discuss Usefulness of Systems Engineering Approach in Research
2
Session Topics
• Impossible Thinking
• Transformation to Impossible Thinking
• Roadmap to Impossible Thinking
• Convergent and Divergent Thinking
• Generation of Ideas
• Selection and Evaluation of Concepts
3
Resources from:
DINESH ANVEKAR
DECCAN HERALD, NOV 25,2010
4
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
UniversityofofApplied
AppliedSciences
Sciences
Possible and Impossible Actions
Possible Actions that we are
sure can be performed and
confident of ensuring the
expected results POSSIBLE
ACTIONS-
POSSIBLE
Impossible actions
Actions that are perceived
that can never be
initially impossible, but in
accomplished in
reality quite possible if taken
one’s life
with seriousness and
persistence
IMPOSSIBL IMPOSSIBL
Drives
EACTION - EACTION -
BUT Possible IMPOSSIBLE
5
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
The Problem
• Much of What we think is strongly influenced by the
perception of world represented within the mind
• What we perceive as “world outside” is in fact a model of

the world created inside our head
• What we think is what we see
• What we see directs our action
• Commensuration of results depends on actions which in

turn is dependent on “What is Seen”
6
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
Impossible Thinking
• Possible Actions that we are sure can be performed and
confident of ensuring the expected results
• Actions that are perceived initially impossible, but in

reality quite possible if taken with seriousness and
persistence
• Impossible actions that can never be accomplished in

one’s life no matter how hard they are tried
• Thinking Thoughts under second category are usually

termed impossible thinking
7
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
Roadmap for Impossible Thinking
• Knowledge of our mental models and understanding of
how it affects us will help to :
• Challenge “Our view of world”
• Shape our vision and actions
• Five steps for Implementation (DMAIC):

1. Define
2. Measure
3. Analyze
4. Improve
5. Control
8
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
• Define – What changes to be realised
• Measure – Assessment of Current mental models

- Potential Power and limitations of
current models
• Analyze – Analysis of current model against changing

environment
- Identification of changing requirement
9
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
• Improve- Generation of new models - most difficult step
- Quick action to transform the most “Concerned”
- Continuous assessment and improvement of
models
• Control- Continual monitoring of attempted changes and

ensuring the sustenance of the changes
- Need of repetition of these steps as often as desired
10
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
Process of Impossible Thinking
• Zooming in and zooming out of any situation in context
• Zooming in is a thinking mode wherein focus is more on;
- Details of the situation
- Rigorous Analysis
- Categorization and Prioritization
• Zooming out aims at :
- Bigger picture
- Recognition of the limits of our field of vision
- Stepping out of stream
- Avoidance of Cognitive fixation
- Better understanding of the context
- Multiple/Collaborative approaches
11
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
Final Thoughts-Impossible Thinking
• Imperative for research students to learn the process of
impossible thinking
• Applying it in different situations to potentially provide an

opportunity to achieve results beyond the field of view of
average individuals
• Enhancement of scope of conventional activities
• “The Power of Impossible Thinking”- By Wind and Crook,

Wharton School of Publishing
12
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
System Engineering and Thinking Process
13
Why Systems Engineering?
14
Balance of Research Efforts
15
Risk and Effort Throughput
Risk and Effort Throughput
16
Time Estimates
• Estimates become progressively

more accurate in the project life
cycle
• Most significant of all decisions

project is made in the
beginning
- whether or not to go
17
Opportunity Curve
18
Convergent Divergent Thinking
19
Convergent and Divergent Thinking
• Aim of design specification phase - wide range of
information and condensing it into essential and desirable
features
• Convergent thinking - Essential for preparing a concisely
defined problem with a comprehensive set of requirements
• Conceptual design –
- Generation of as many possible ways of solving the
defined design problem
- Choice of the most promising ideas that meet the
design
- Evaluation and Determination of the most appropriate
solution- Concept
20
Conceptual Design
• Convergent thinking during task clarification
• Divergent thinking during conceptual solution
• Again convergent during the formal selection and evaluation
of most promising conceptual design
• Conceptual Design involves both type of thinking
• Possible to steer the design towards a definite end point
within a short space
• Being innovative for the sake of innovation is risky and
unnecessary if there is a good existing solution to the a
problem
• Innovative solution can often lead to a winning design
21
Divergent Thinking
• Divergent Thinking- Broadening out to collect as many
ideas as possible
• Uses many different established techniques such as brain
storming, checklist and “morphology” charts
• Convergent Thinking- weeding out the weaker ideas and
homing in on those with the most promise
• Muddle- Mixing divergent and convergent thinking at the
same time
• Research team has to recognise this common difficulty
• Fragile new ideas must be protected from early obliteration
• Another challenge lies in calling when to end divergent
thinking
22
Generation of Ideas
• Mixture of complete and partial solutions may have to be
evaluated
• Efforts required to bring all the alternatives to about the
same level of development and detail before serious
evaluation takes place
-Abstract the problem: To understand the real issues,
broaden and make it more general
-Broaden the overall function to describe what is
supposed to be done
-Break down into sub functions-to describe the different
functions necessary for the thing to work
-Draw up a system flow diagram-to diagrammatically
summarize the different functions
23
Guidelines- Selection and Evaluation
• Evaluate concepts against technical criteria to verify
whether it meets the design specifications
• Evaluate concepts against economic criteria to verify
whether its cost is low enough for viability
• Check for weak spots to confirm the presence of detail
problems that make the concept intractable
• Select final concepts by using the available selection
techniques
• Compile time estimate by breaking the concept down into
individual components where possible and itemize
• Present final concepts for approval by preparing careful and
professional presentations
24
Guidelines for Selecting Alternatives
25 25
©M.©S.Ramaiah
RamaiahUniversity
AppliedSciences
Sciences
Session Summary
• Divergent and convergent thinking must be understood
• Approach the problem from its abstract to real issues
• Many ideas should be generated
• Available methods and techniques should be used for
systematic selection and evaluation
• Choice of right concept should be ensured
• Weak spots in the finally chosen solution should be searched
and its implications should be understood
26

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Out- of -The Box Thinking and Systems

At the end of the session, students will be able to :

• Explain Out of the Box Thinking and its relevance in Research

• Describe basic principles of Systems Engineering

• Discuss Usefulness of Systems Engineering Approach in Research

DECCAN HERALD, NOV 25,2010

• What we perceive as “world outside” is in fact a model of

• What we think is what we see

• What we see directs our action

• Commensuration of results depends on actions which in

• Actions that are perceived initially impossible, but in

• Impossible actions that can never be accomplished in

• Thinking Thoughts under second category are usually

• Five steps for Implementation (DMAIC):

• Define – What changes to be realised

• Measure – Assessment of Current mental models

• Analyze – Analysis of current model against changing

• Control- Continual monitoring of attempted changes and

• Applying it in different situations to potentially provide an

• Enhancement of scope of conventional activities

• “The Power of Impossible Thinking”- By Wind and Crook,

Risk and Effort Throughput

• Estimates become progressively

• Most significant of all decisions

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