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A 9 Windows tool or technique is defined as a method for exploring issues and their potential impacts by examining the past, present, and future of a System and its Sub and Super systems. It is portrayed in the form of a 3*3 matrix and act as an idea creation tool. How does it work: As we saw in the definition, this explores the issues in the system and its associated Super or sub systems. So what each one means: a. System - The problem or the system in consideration b. Super System - The entity to which the system might be logically or physically connected to or can be correlated to c. Sub System - The constituents(components) of the system or things that could be part of (or associated with) the problem Purpose of the tool: This is akin to what we do in real life. Often we would be doing a self-retrospection after someone gave , say, a very good seminar on a particular topic. We might think "how i wish had done that well last week.This week it was ok and am confident of doing good in the future"... Same way what if something could have been done differently for an issue to get it addressed in the past and in the present and how to address that in the future.. This is what this tool will help you in achieving that Examples: Let us some examples attached here Example1: Nine Windows Matrix: Problem: Over the years, increased Cricket Bat dimensions (size) has given an undue advantage to batsmen Space/Time Past Present Future Super System Group(s) that decided the Cricket rules -Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Group(s) that influences the Cricket rules- Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the group that implements it - International Cricket Council(ICC) Group(s) that influences the Cricket rules - Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and International Cricket Council (ICC) – ICC Chief Executives committee , ICC Cricket Committee and Associates (Nations) representative committee System Cricket Bat’s impact in pre-80’s era . Batsmen by and large played with wood bats except for few Cricket Bat’s impact in Current Era since 1980s. Lot of batsmen used heavy bats than the stipulated guidelines Batsmen have to follow stringent guidelines as laid out by the Cricket rules Sub System Equipment –Wood usually (Willow wood, Kashmiri wood,…) but there was no specific restrictions (on the type of equipment to be used) till 1979 Bat Length - <=38 inches Bat Width <=4.25 inches Equipment – Willow wood usually and it should be made only in wood Bat Length - Can be bit higher than the usually designated length Bat Width - Can be bit higher than the usually designated length Bat Thickness - Can be bit higher than the usual thickness Equipment – Should be made only in wood Bat Length - <=38 inches Bat Width <=4.25 inches Bat Thickness <= 2.68 inches Bat Edge <= 1.6 inch Example2: Nine Windows Matrix: Problem: For office goers in big cities, precious time is lost due to Traffic snarls, on a daily basis Nine Windows Matrix: Space/Time Past Present Future Super System Limited Transportation Congested Transportation Robust Transportation System Less Vehicle population resulted in less traffic snarls Every day going to office takes time through own or company provided transport, due to heavy Traffic Seamless drive to office with minimal or no hassles. Sub System Less Vehicles Public Transport No special economic zones More Private Vehicles Rapid Urbanisation without adequate supporting infrastructure Clustered Special economic zones Encourage more public transport with good connectivity across places Provide good and sound infrastructure. Have Special Economic Zones in different parts of the city to de-congest traffic’ Encourage hi-fi innovative designs like Flying Car (make the infrastructure available for that) Benefits: 1. Transparency of the problem As we dissect the problem/issue across the systems and at various times using this exercise, we get a distinct representation of how a problem looks/looked like at any given point and what makes/made it to happen. 2. Inspection of the problem (RCA) As we get to know the issue on hand at the past, present and future, we try to see as why it happened, happens and think of how that (issue) can be prevented in the future. By getting to know the RCA or why the issue happened in the past or still happening in the present, we try to explore as what should be done to prevent it in the future. This exercise provides a systematic approach to resolve an issue which can be quite complex in nature and which is adaptive in nature(that which can vary over time) 3.Addressing (Attacking) the problem At each phase of time, we are putting the facts as what we had done, what we are doing and what will / should be we doing.. Based on the kind of solution that we are having at each phase of time(past, present,future), the solution for the subsequent phase gets shaped. The details of each phase might serve as a good input to the subsequent phase and can help (often it can act as a launching pad though not always necessarily) the solution providers to attack the problem with more vigour in the subsequent time phase 4. Continuous Improvement The result of #3 often means that you are improving your systems (with the implementation of those solutions) which is continuous. Thus, doing this exercise will more often than not, be, resulting in a continuous improvement of sorts. Conclusion: This is a wonderful tool/technique for idea generation and is often used in TRIZ, which itself is a powerful technique for problem solving. The technique uses a 3*3 matrix with the kind of systems involved in one axis and the time factor (past, present and future) in another axis and the objective is to see how an issue was/is/will be addressed. How these systems behave over a period of time is portrayed in this exercise, giving a good representation of that evolution References: https://asq.org/quality-resources/nine-windows . Nine Windows Matrix.doc