Protocol
Shrink the problem to the operating zone
Do not redesign the building when the conflict happens at one doorway.
When it fits
- The problem statement covers an entire system even though the harmful interaction occurs in one narrow place or moment.
When to avoid it
- Over-localizing can hide upstream or downstream causes; widen the boundary again if evidence shows the conflict is distributed.
Why it matters
Locate where the contradiction physically or logically occurs and when it is active. Name the smallest component, interface, step or state that contains the harmful interaction. Analyze resources and changes there before redesigning the whole system.
Steps
- The search area is narrower than the original system description without excluding a necessary causal interaction.
An example
A mass-update lock problem may occur only during activation of a specific record type, not throughout the entire Fiori process.
Check your result
The search area is narrower than the original system description without excluding a necessary causal interaction.
Keep this limit in mind
- Over-localizing can hide upstream or downstream causes; widen the boundary again if evidence shows the conflict is distributed.
Connected ideas
Use beforeInventory resources already present before adding a new one
Evidence and sources
ARIZ explicitly localizes a problem in an Operating Zone and analyzes available resources before expanding the solution search.
The operating-zone concept originates in technical systems; process adaptations should define a real conflict locus rather than a vague organizational area.
ARIZ · Step 2: analysis of the problem model