Aim for less
Aim for less
Less may be adequate
Put simply can we come up with a solution that will just do the job?
If we wish to dig a hole we buy a spade.
That spade has a sharp edge and the blade is made of steel with maybe an ash handle.
In the main that is all we need.
We don’t go out of our way to pay a lot more for a tungsten carbide edged blade made from high grade stainless steel.
We expect to make the spade from materials that will do the job and last a reasonable amount of time.
In other words we do not over engineer the solution.
If we could come up with a solution to a problem that was the very, very best and could be measured at 100% it is very likely that something at 80% would be perfectly adequate.
This might be more desirable with reduced costs and simpler to implement.
This is similar to the Pareto 80/20 Rule that suggests that we might solve 80% of the issue with only 20% of the effort or costs involved.
So, when you consider a problem think how you might achieve your aim with less.
Do you need all the bells and whistles?
Could you envisage a simpler process or model that would achieve the same desired result?
What would happen if you didn’t do anything to solve the problem?
Identify these outcomes and see if it is easier to get around these instead.
If you actually define a simpler problem to solve then its solution may give you a strong lead for a solution to the original problem.
This can be a very good way to involve people initially and get the thinking process underway.
One advantage of this method is that you may be able to move forward with a less than ideal solution when the full solution could be difficult to achieve.
In the latter case stagnation might ensue and everything grinds to a halt.