Page 312 - Design for Six Sigma a Roadmap for Product Development

282 Chapter Nine

Level 1: Apparent or conventional solution
32 percent; solution by methods well know
within specialty
Inventions at level 1 represent 32 percent of the patent inventions and
employ obvious solutions drawn from only a few clear options. Actually
level 1 inventions are not real inventions but narrow extensions or
improvements of the existing systems, which are not substantially
changed according to the application of invention. Usually a particular
feature is enhanced or strengthened. Examples of level 1 invention
include increasing the thickness of walls to allow for greater insulation
in homes or increasing the distance between the front skis on a snow-
mobile for greater stability. These solutions may represent good engi-
neering, but contradictions are not identified and resolved.

Level 2: Small invention inside paradigm
45 percent; improvement of an existing
system, usually with some compromise
Inventions at level 2 offer small improvements to an existing system
by reducing a contradiction inherent in the system while still requir-
ing obvious compromises. These solutions represent 45 percent of the
inventions. A level 2 solution is usually found through a few hundred
trial-and-error attempts and requires knowledge of only a single field
of technology. The existing system is slightly changed and includes
new features that lead to definite improvements. The new suspension
system between the track drive and the frame of a snowmobile is a level
2 invention. The use of an adjustable steering column to increase the
range of body types that can comfortably drive an automobile is another
example at this level.

Level 3: Substantial invention inside
technology 18 percent; essential
improvement of an existing system
Inventions at level 3, which significantly improve the existing system,
represent 18 percent of the patents. At this level, an invention contra-
diction is resolved with the existing system, often through the introduc-
tion of some entirely new element. This type of solution may involve a
hundred ideas, tested by trial and error. Examples include replacing the
standard transmission of a car with an automatic transmission, or plac-
ing a clutch drive on an electric drill. These inventions usually involve
technology integral to other industries but not well known within the
industry in which the invention problem arose. The resulting solution
causes a paradigm shift within the industry. A level 3 invention is found
outside an industry’s range of accepted ideas and principles.