When we talk about creating smart solutions the first reaction is always to create something. A differen view on creating smarter solutions could be about removing something.. Lets call that something "complexity".

I like to take ideas from business and germinate them across technology projects to enable different thinking. In one of my recent readings "Blue Ocean Strategy" I encountered a well defined framework that enables creative thinking. Authors provide one of the key frameworks we have used in our teams few times to create smarter solutions. The framework is about using a four part thinking in how to

1. Eliminate 2. Reduce 3. Enhance 4. Create

Rather than just focusing our energies on always creating something, we can sometimes focus on the other areas of solution where we can simplify work for our end users by solutions we provide.

In a recent case study for one our projects, business goal was to increase the number of online users for a government tax filing application. The challenge we are faced with is to increase the number of filers by almost double from 25% of the customers to 50% of the customers. The goal as we see is challenging because the paper filing is super simple, gives users the sense of security and takes less than 2 minutes. Here is how we applied the 4 part framework in changing the thinking of our team

1. Eliminate - Eliminate the need for users to signup. This is an application that is used once every quarter so users should not have to sign up and try to remember passwords between 3 months of access. How about totally removing the requirement for a signup and verifying users on the filing time.

2. Reduce - Reduce the time to file to 30 seconds or less by removing distractions and navigate away kind of temptations. Make the online form easier than paper so to speak.

3. Enhance - Enhance users sense of security by providing affirming messages that the online application is still secure and actually more secure than paper in many ways.

4. Create - Create a simple and easy to use interface that provides good feedback, quick response time and puts the users in control.

So creating smarter solutions can sometime mean thinking smarter and making the execution easier. We await our users response to the solution as it rolls out in next few months..