Corn Production the Pugh Matrix & Design Thinking

Who doesn't like to geek out on an interesting chart? (Figure 1) I came across this one and it's fascinating! This chart represents corn production from 1930-2014 measured by yield per acre. Basically corn production has increased year over year since the 1930s. That’s 84 years of continuous growth. If a company or product had those results they would be on the cover of every magazine and business section. Which leads to the next question ….. How did they do it? According to Steve Butzen and Stephen Smith, the authors of the article, from it has to do with a hybrid approach to genetic improvements and crop management.

One of the tools in the Design Thinking tool box is to make inferences and connections with wildly different, seemingly unrelated areas such as; How a restaurant chain that delivered quality consistent meals throughout the country could help a hospital manage an operating room consistency by adopting check lists and playbooks for procedures. Or how a automotive quick oil change garage can learn from watching a pit crew on a racetrack.

Another tool in the Design Thinking toolbox is a “how might we statement.” If we ask a question starting with the words “how might we?”, we are setting the expectation for the solution. We are asking “how?”, meaning we don't know the answer; we are stating “might,” meaning whatever we come up may not be the answer and that's okay because this gives us room to make a wrong guess or come up with a hypothesis that can be tested later. The “we” represents the collaboration required for solutioning. If we combine the two Design Thinking tools, we come up with a prompt:

“How might we learn from the success of 84 years of corn production to help grow our business or product?”

We learn from the article that 70-75% of the yield production comes from creating hybrid seeds that have improved stress tolerance, a higher grain-to-stover ratio (stover is the non grain part of the corn plant left in the field after harvesting), better stalks and roots, smaller tassels, more upright leaves, better staygreen, and deeper roots than older hybrids. Basically, modifying the seed by combining the best part of each type of corn seeds into one hybrid seed. For the purposes of this article we will refrain from any moral or ethical judgment or political stand about whether this is a good idea.

This concept of taking the best genes of the seed from different varieties of corn seeds to create the best possible high performing corn plant could be a useful way of thinking about our ideation or creation process. What if we took the best features from a variety of concepts into one high performing solution?

A tool for rating and ranking ideas or features is the Pugh Matrix, also known as the decision matrix or selection matrix (Figure 2). This tool was developed by Stuart Pugh in the 1960s while working at Unilever Research Laboratory. This matrix is a defined way to compare multiple feature sets against a set criteria for desired results. The matrix also can be created to weigh the most desired feature on a higher scale.

The Pugh Matrix is an ideal tool for a Lean Six Sigma process improvement methodology because it can be used throughout the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) framework. If we look at the example in figure 3, the team defined the criteria and weighted it on importance. The team measured the characteristics against each other and the baseline, and upon analyzing the results determined which concept would improve the results and thus, what feature to prototype in the system and control test.

In Design Thinking we can take it a step further. We can use the Pugh Matrix as an ideation tool. By ranking feature sets of multiple ideas then combining those together. Combining the best parts of each concept, a new prototype can be made. The business model from idea 1, the customer experience and flexibility from idea 3, and the ease of use from idea 2 could create a concept that would certainly outperform the initial 3 concepts. The weighting and totals are irrelevant in this scenario because the purpose of the ranking is to rate the feature not the idea.

The Design Led Transformation model is in itself a hybrid. The use of a wide variety of tools, concepts and experiences can help us develop ideas and choose concepts and solutions that drive the change and transformation required .The process uses Human Centered Design, Design Thinking, Lean Six Sigma, Agile, Business Analytics, Change Management, and Applied Critical Thinking. The transformation model is agnostic to a methodology and is focused on results.

What are some of your favorite concepts and tools? How can you use them differently?

As always I would welcome your thoughts and comments.

Best, David