The following lines are from a forwarded mail by Mr Sandeep Prasoon, Sr Technical Support Officer, Microsoft. I wish to share these with readers as its a mere matter on how think different. The another motive behind to publish this topic is to shore up the great management theory “Great problems have only simple solutions”.
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million.
They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soapbox, which happened in one of Japan’s biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a Soapbox that was empty.
Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soapbox went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem.
The engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with High-resolution monitors manned by two to watch all the soapboxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a huge amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soapbox passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problems
Always Focus on solutions & not on problems
So at the end of the day the thing that really matters is HOW ONE LOOKS INTO THE PROBLEM, mere perceptions can solve the tough probs....
If you take your eyes off your goals, all you see is obstacles...
Thank you Prasoon and Bijith
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million.
They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soapbox, which happened in one of Japan’s biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a Soapbox that was empty.
Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soapbox went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem.
The engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with High-resolution monitors manned by two to watch all the soapboxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a huge amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soapbox passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problems
Always Focus on solutions & not on problems
So at the end of the day the thing that really matters is HOW ONE LOOKS INTO THE PROBLEM, mere perceptions can solve the tough probs....
If you take your eyes off your goals, all you see is obstacles...
Thank you Prasoon and Bijith
Awesome, Particularly i liked the empty soapbox solution, simple elegant and cost effective.
ReplyDeleteIncredible post shabu.
Hey this is a really great post...applies to investing in a big way...specially for analyst who try all complex models and valuation methods to select stcks and in the process forget the simple things which can be used to select great companies...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this...
Yes! Mr Faisal, You are absolutely right and thank you for the comment. I skipped those lines intentionally to connect with the market. But Its a proven tact that some simple logics works in a great way in market too..
ReplyDeleteregards
Sir, is there any reason why you removed this post?
ReplyDeleteDear Madan,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for the comment as well showing the mistake.
It was actually not removed, but accidentaly changed to low font size. Thank you very much once again for showing that mistake.
regards
Shabu