1. Strathclyde Business School
Dept. of Management Science
Vincenz Klemt, 2012

2. Today‘s Objectives
After today‘s lecture you should...
•
•
•
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Understand the concept of Morphological Analysis
Have learnt how to approach MA
Understand the use of parameters in decision making
Understand the difference between MA and less structured
approaches
• Be able to apply a morphological analysis to a given scenario

3. Introduction
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“A method for identifying and investigating the total set of
possible relationships contained in any given, multi-dimensional
problem complex that can be parameterised”(swemorph.com)
Defined in 1942-43 by astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky
Invented to look for new military means of jet propulsion
Allows to find possible solutions to complex problems
characterized by several parameters
Areas of application:
 Scenario and strategy laboratories
 Organisational structure and development
 National and International security policy issues
 Negotiation and Stakeholder analysis
 Crisis management and crisis mitigation issues
 New product development, services, patents, value
management, ...

4. Assumptions
Group of methods sharing the same structure
 Breaks down a system, product or process into its
essential sub-concepts, each concept
representing a dimension in a multi-dimensional
matrix
 Every product is considered as a bundle of
attributes
 New ideas are found by searching the matrix for
new combination of attributes that do not yet exist
 Doesn’t provide any specific guidelines for
combining the parameters
 Tends to provide a large number of ideas

Source: Swedish Morphological Society (2012)

5. Pros & Cons
Compared to less structured approaches
Pros
 Helps discover new and less
evident configurations
 Encourages the identification
and investigation of boundary
conditions,
 Scientific communication and
group work
 Allows us to find possible
solutions to complex
problems characterised by
several parameters
 Richness of data (can provide
a multitude of combinations)
 Allows for a systematic
analysis of an industry’s
future structure and
identification of key gaps.
Cons
 Too structured at times; might
inhibit free, creative thinking
 May yield too many
possibilities
 Human judgement still
needed to direct the outcome
 No guidelines for making
combinations
 Human error

6. How it is used
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MA systematically arranges appropriate and
promising aspects
To identify new and suitable combinations
Objective: break down the problem into its
essential parameters/dimensions

7. Tackling Complex Problems with MA
Parameters:
X
Y
Z
...
Solution for each parameter:
a
b
c
...
Possible answers to the complex challenge:
aXbXcX...
...Limitless
Combinations.
“In battle, there are only the normal and the extraordinary forces, but their cobinations are limitless“ Sun Tzu

8. Approaching MA
Start
Problem formulation
and communication
Five iterative steps in MA:
1. Concisely formulate the problem to be solved
2. Localise and analyse important parameters; involves studying
the problem and present solutions to develop a framework
3. Construction of a multidimensional matrix (morphological
box) containing all potential solutions of the given problem
4. All solutions contained in the morphological box are closely
scrutinized and evaluated with respect to the purposes that
are to be achieved.
5. The optimally suitable solutions are selected and are
practically applied, provided the necessary means are
available. This reduction to practice requires in general a
supplemental morphological study.
 Steps 2 and 3: form the heart of morphological analysis
 Steps 1, 4, 5 are often involved in other forms of analysis
Selection and analysis
of corresponding
parameters
List variations
Research and evaluate
all possible solutions
Check and evaluate
solution for
practicability
Finish
Source: meport.net

9. Approaching MA
Once parameters are identified, a morphological box listing
parameters along one dimension can be constructed
 The second dimension is determined by the nature of the problem
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Multidimensional Matrix (morphological or Zwicky box)
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A ”Zwicky box” is constructed by setting the parameters against each other in an ndimensional matrix
Each cell of the n-dimensional box contains one particular ”value” or condition from
each of the parameters, thus marks out a particular state or configuration of the
problem complex.
Source: Swedish Morphological Society (2012)

10. Approaching MA
1.
Identification and definition of the problem complex parameters to be
investigated; assign a range of relevant values or conditions to each
parameter
 The point: to examine all of the configurations in the field
 To establish which of them are possible, viable, practical, interesting,
etc., and which are not
 Mark out in the field a ”solution space” consisting of the subset of
configurations which satisfy some criteria
2.
Analysis-synthesis process to examine internal relationships between
the field parameters
 Achieved by a process of cross-consistency assessment: all of the
parameter values in the morphological field are compared with one
another
Sources:
•Swedish Morphological Society (2012),
•meport.net

11. Software Solution
Source: Swedish Morphological Society (2012)

12. Case Study Example
A company specialises in the manufacture of high performance valves and shut-off butterfly
valves for various types of processes in petrochemicals, air separation and natural gas
liquefaction. The company has recently been acquired by a larger organisation and is looking
into the options of developing new valve systems.
Let us assume a scenario where a management scientist joins the department of engineering to
create new ideas. Morphological Analysis can be applied to find new ways. The following MA is
simplified significantly for demonstration purposes.

13. Case Study Example
Parameter
We have collected
several parameters
in a simplified MA
Matrix...
Value
Material
Alloy
Carbon
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Duplex SS
Special
Materials
Al-NiBronze
Size and
Pressure
Range
NPS 2 –
NPS 100
CL 150
up to
2500
Bidirectional
tightness
Higher
classes on
request
Throughflow
Liquid
Gas
Chemical
Natural
LN2
LH2
Temperature
Range
-40 to
+1000 °C
-40 °C to
600 °C
-40 °C to
350 °C
-270 °C to
200 °C
-40 °C to
1450 °C
Seat Disc
Double
block
Single
None
With steam
purging
Service
Full
Package
On-Site
Installation
Extended
Bespoke
Inst.
Repl.
Maintain
ance
Spare
Parts
Engineering
Type
On/Off
Valve
Control
Valve
Special
Application
Application
Power
Plants
(nonnuclear)
Ethylene
Plants
Refineries
Chemical
Plants
Polymerisi
ng Fluids
Air and
Space
Acrylic
Acid
Natural
Gas
Transfer line
valve and
decoking valve

14. Case Study Example
Parameter
Value
Alloy
Carbon
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Duplex SS
NPS 2 –
NPS 100
CL 150
up to
2500
Bidirectional
tightness
Higher
classes on
request
Liquid
Gas
Chemical
Temperature
Range
-40 to
+1000 °C
-40 °C to
600 °C
Seat Disc
Double
block
Service
By means of the matrix the
focus group can evaluate
different combinations which
ultimately result in a new
product.
Special
Materials
Al-NiBronze
Natural
Liquid LN2
Liquid
LH2
-40 °C to
350 °C
-270 °C to
200 °C
-40 °C to
1450 °C
Single
None
With steam
purging
Full
Package
On-Site
Installation
Extended
Bespoke
Inst.
Repl.
Maintain
ance
Spare
Parts
Engineering
Type
On/Off
Valve
Control
Valve
Special
Application
Ethylene
Plants
Refineries
Application
Power
Plants
(nonnuclear)
Chemical
Plants
Polymerisi
ng Fluids
Air and
Space
Acrylic
Acid
Natural
Gas
Transfer line
valve and
decoking valve
Material
Size and
Pressure
Range
Throughflow

15. Results
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Vast array of combinations
For instance: An electronically operated
Duplex Stainless Steel valve on single seat
for the application in Refineries at normal
conditions
Preferences and requirements of the
different departments can be taken into
consideration to find the perfect match

16. References (and further reading)
• Ritchey, T (2011).: A general method for non-quantified modeling; Adapted
from the paper "Fritz Zwicky, Morphology and Policy Analysis“; 16th EURO
Conference on Operational Analysis, Brussels, 1998.
• Zwicky, F. (1969): Discovery, Invention, Research through the
Morphological Analysis; The Macmillan Company
• Swedish Morphological Society (2012): Decision Support Modelling with
General Morphological Analysis; Org.N°802452-3162; via http://www.swemorph.com/
• meport.net(2012): Morphologische Analyse (Morphological Analysis,
Morphologischer Kasten); via
http://www.meport.net/index.php?content=./lo_met_mngt/method_body_short_info.php&methodId=cd99c83f404638f2327f69dd58
1ca841&displayContext=&displayMode=show&versionId=191fc75a7f7277f548d19d745ea9540d&methodId=cd99c83f404638f2327f69
dd581ca841&versionId=191fc75a7f7277f548d19d745ea9540d
• Idea Connection Ltd. (2012): http://www.ideaconnection.com/thinking-methods/morphological-analysis00026.html
• Mindtools.com: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_03.htm
• Also: http://www.diegm.uniud.it/create/Handbook/techniques/List/MorphoAnal.php

17. Strathclyde Business School
Dept. of Management Science