Many agree that problem-solving tools can speed up the innovation process—but when asked if they use them regularly, most say, “No, I don’t have time for tools.”
This contradiction highlights a major challenge: people don’t play chess without rules or perform surgery without training—but often try to solve complex problems without the right instruments.
That’s where the innovation platform comes in.
Let’s explore how structured systems operate—and how the same thinking applies to innovation.
Engineering System Structure
According to Genrikh Altshuller’s Law of System Completeness, any engineering system includes:
For simplicity, we can group the first three into the Execution Unit, which is managed by the Control Unit.
The Execution Unit “knows what to do.”
The Control Unit “knows how to do it.”
Together, they convert input into output, guided by rules, feedback, and adjustments—just like a robust problem-solving approach.
A car’s Execution Unit includes the engine, transmission, and body.
The Control Unit—sensors, algorithms, and navigation—ensures driving rules are followed.
Even though the driver plays a role, automation is shifting control toward embedded systems. Problem-solving here is embedded in the rules and reactions of the vehicle.
This system’s Execution Unit involves equipment and tools for production.
Its Control Unit enforces production rules—via sensors, specs, recipes, and checklists.
Here too, automation minimizes human involvement, and successful outcomes depend on well-structured control processes—mirroring how problem-solving tools guide results.
Innovation systems operate similarly.
Execution Unit: the Thinker (a person, team, or software)
Control Unit: creative thinking methods—problem-solving tools, frameworks, and structured processes
This is where the innovation platform shines: it provides the tools and environment that structure the creative process.
At PRIZ Guru, our strategic vision is to enable machine-assisted ideation through structured innovation tools.
The innovation platform acts as a Control Unit in the R&D and problem-solving process. It provides:
Trying to innovate without this platform is like driving without road rules—it’s risky, inefficient, and often leads to failure.
An innovation platform reduces key risks in creative work:
An innovation platform equipped with powerful problem-solving tools enables structured creativity, reduces risk, and delivers more reliable, high-impact innovation.
