CI024
Lock the core improved mechanism against unauthorised change while explicitly authorising controlled marginal experimentation to enable continued performance evolution.
CyberTRIZ analysis · Process contradiction CI024 · one of 8,235 worked contradictions published by CyberTRIZ.AI
Regulations
Higher Process Standardization Post-Improvement vs. Continued Experimentation
Business Context. Locking in a standardized process after a successful improvement protects the gain from erosion, but overly rigid standardization can prevent further experimentation that might yield additional gains.
Process TRIZ Resolution. Rather than freezing the process entirely after standardization, organizations should protect the core improved mechanism from unauthorized change while explicitly authorizing continued controlled experimentation at the margins of the standard.
Applicable TRIZ Principles
Principle 3 (Local Quality) protects the core improved mechanism while allowing experimentation at the margins.
Principle 15 (Dynamics) treats the standard as a stable but evolving baseline rather than a permanent fixture.
Principle 27 (Cheap Short-Living Objects) allows low-cost marginal experiments without disturbing the protected core.
Expected Outcome
Protected improvement gains
Continued incremental experimentation
Reduced risk of gain erosion
Ongoing performance evolution
Decision Indicators
Standardization has completely halted further experimentation.
No mechanism exists to test marginal changes without risking the core gain.
Performance has plateaued since the process was locked in as a standard.
Teams perceive standardization as the end of improvement rather than a milestone.
Competitors have continued improving while the standardized process remains static.
If several of these indicators are present, the contradiction is likely active and the Process TRIZ resolution above should be evaluated.