[9-HI™ Advanced Concepts] Powerset Guidance Systems
The development of a standardized powerset framework and process approach allows human and machine learning to be better organized and methods for capturing decisions and results in context can be formulated. When a comprehensive holistic framework and resulting processes executed from the framework are sufficiently designed, they can account for vastly different risks and mitigation or innovation opportunities. Such a framework can enable guidance for a multitude of technologies, for a multitude of applications and provide a standard method for interfacing with machine learning and AI to sharpen and accelerate delivery of intelligence for enhanced human decision-making
Powerset guidance systems are not novel. The most common powerset guidance system that is used today, for example, is the XYZ axis-based positioning system. Global positioning systems use similar positioning and guidance systems. While 9-HI has nothing to do with global positioning, it still uses a guidance system to coordinate its activities just like a positioning system can guide movement from one location to another. Guidance systems can be built for multiple needs. While the benefits of the use of a powerset guidance system should be clear to the reader, here are two examples of historical powerset guidance systems that have had dramatic effects on Commercial and Defense activities.
First, think of the comparison before and after satellite positioning guidance systems were introduced for automotive transportation. Before satellites, drivers used paper maps and would repeatedly get lost, miss exits, and have to start over again to find their way on a road trip. Now they simply use Waze or Google Maps to guide them every step of the way and update them in real time as to problems like road closures and traffic that can delay arrival.
Second, again, before satellite positioning guidance, our Air Force was relegated to “carpet bombing” targets, but once a reliable universal guidance system was in place, they could deploy missiles and smart bombs to accurately hit a target of choice, from a stand-off position with much greater accuracy and far less collateral damage and at far less total cost.
So, the introduction of an effective powerset guidance system for any particular complex or high-risk effort is of significant importance. By using a powerset guidance system, a team or organization can confidently manage projects for improvements and innovation with a higher likelihood of successful outcomes. With better standardized processes and objectively guided decisions comes greater results and success of technology investment and development activities.
The framework designed and referred to as 9-HITM has been intentionally constructed as a mathematical powerset to account for broad-ranging technology and application needs. The usage of a powerset guidance framework does not preclude but enhances the organization of many other techniques and methodologies that assist in selection and development of technologies. For example, there are great benefits from the use of DARPA’s Heilmeier Catechism2, and the Air Force and NASA systems for Technology Readiness Levels3 and Manufacturing Readiness Levels4. These techniques can all be utilized successfully when adapted and applied consistently to highly sought after new technologies and high priority application needs.
9-HI has been built with databases that result in the creation of actionable intelligence, actionable planning, and execution for more success with higher-risk efforts. Additional objectives of the powerset guidance framework are to:
- Quantify objective decision options
- Create a comprehensive technology readiness roadmap
- Provide a simple health assessment picture
- Link Risks to Success Factors and Evidence
- Establish a maturity model for the technology and organization providing the development activity
Powerset Construct Introduction:
A holistic risk assessment and mitigation framework has been established using a novel mathematical powerset guidance system. In mathematics, the powerset is the set of all possible subsets, therefore it is inclusive of all possible options that can exist. The 9-HITM powerset is novel due to its multi-tier nature and its application to complex technology, business, and market application problems. The novelty of the presented system has been confirmed by the United States Patent & Trade Office (USPTO) as it has reported that no prior art exists for this invention.
While a conventional powerset is represented as follows:
The 9-HITM powerset is configured in multiple tiers as follows:
The elements of the top tier are represented by:
X= Product Technology, Y= Team & Stakeholders, Z= Market Application.
The lower tier elements include:
X1= Appeal Y1= Personnel Z1= Size/Scope
X2= Value Y2=Planning & Processes Z2= Demand
X3= Reliability Y3= Finances Z3= Access/Delivery
Thus, each top tier element is further defined by another powerset represented by its subset elements as follows:
Product Technology(X) Team & Stakeholders(Y) Market Application(Z)
X1= Appeal Y1= Personnel Z1= Size/Scope
X2= Value Y2=Planning & Processes Z2= Demand
X3= Reliability Y3= Finances Z3= Access/Delivery
The 9 lower tier elements are referred to as nine “Fundamental Prime Metrics” (FPMs). The nine FPM categories therefore are inclusive of all possible Risks and the Success Factors that are designed to mitigate those Risks. This encompasses the guidance system elements required to successfully bring a product technology to a market application.
The designation of the three top tier and nine lower tier elements are designated as the structural matrix elements and do not get reconfigured from project to project. They have established a functional pathway for interactions that provide both human guidance and machine learning. They have been established with the following rationale and research.
Top Tier Elements: These three elements represent the activity of a Product Technology being developed with a Team and Stake-holders for specific Market Applications, Ie. “Taking a product to market”.
Lower Tier Elements: Since the Top tier alone does not provide sufficient granularity or clarity to identify and map out finer points of investigation or the analysis and execution of a development plan, we further defined each top tier element with its own supporting powerset. The objective was to identify the fewest number of elements that could encompass a true powerset of capabilities for each top tier element that would still yield a powerset for guidance of any technology or application. The resulting outcome was a minimum of three sub-elements for each top tier element. This structure results in nine “fundamental prime metrics” that are used for every assessment of developing a technology for an application(s). The identification and validation of these nine elements occurred from approximately 1988 through 2006 by collecting and aggregating Risks and Success Factors associated with product and technology development projects. Successful and failed projects and associated failure modes for aerospace, defense, materials, electronics, automotive, medical, pharmaceutical, consumer, and industrial projects were analyzed to validate that every failure mode encountered, as well as, their precursor Risk or resulting Success Factor could be captured within the nine FPMS of 9-HI.
The Integrated Solution:
The 9-HI powerset structure is the basis for the construction of a new software platform that is used to manage problems where Product Technologies are being developed or manufactured by the Team and Stakeholders for delivery to the Market Application. This construct has been and will continue to be used to evaluate and guide any technology for any application. This may be accomplished at the project level for a single discrete technology or product offering, or it may be used for modelling within an entire government or business organization.
Under Product Technology, we have the Appeal (what is wanted from the product technology), the Value (features or capabilities that are provided by the product technology) and Reliability (all experiences a tier the technology is delivered and use begins).
Under the Team & Stakeholders, we have the Personnel(skills and experience needed to successfully identify and overcome risks and generate evidence), the Planning and Processes (all coordinated plans and activities of the organization to meet objectives) and Finances(funds for implementing changes and KPIs related to costs, profitability, and sales revenue associated with the project).
Under the Market Application, we have the Size and Scope (of the market application for all applications targeted), the Demand(demand created within that market for the product technology), and the Access and Delivery (relates to the team, data, and products to/from the marketplace and customers).
By establishing a holistic powerset guidance system, we establish a framework that helps users to understand every priority aspect that needs to be considered by a business or government organization to pursue resolution of a risk at hand. Project templates have been modeled and built into the 9-HI software platform to support government and/or industry selection of products and technologies for investment. These modules are compatible with the acquisition cycle that the US government and large enterprises typically use to select a product or technology for investment. Likewise, a project module also exists for development or implementation of new products and technologies, or any innovation or risk reduction effort desired by the host organization.
Using the 9-HI two-tier Powerset system, we provide alignment between the features and capabilities of products and technologies under consideration and the application needs of the customers or organizations that they're serving. The Powerset also models the organization that will perform any development activities, and risk mitigation or implementation/integration of that technology for that new application.