We’re often told that innovation means tearing things down and building them up anew. Silicon Valley has championed this “break it to make it” approach for years. If it’s not disruptive, they say, it’s probably not worth the effort. But can we afford that mindset anymore?
These days, the challenges we face aren’t minor hurdles we can jump over by introducing another flashy, resource-intensive solution. We’re grappling with resource depletion, environmental degradation, and a climate crisis that calls for a fundamentally different way of thinking. In a time like this, it’s less about what’s new and more about what’s effective, what’s sustainable.
Through years of working with LEAN principles – a methodology rooted in eliminating waste and maximizing value— and continuously improving processes in large organizations, I’ve seen how powerful it can be to innovate thoughtfully, without waste. One approach that I come back to time and again for creative problem solving is something I call the CERS method.
CERS—Combine, Eliminate, Rearrange, Simplify—is a simple framework for driving innovation without reinventing the wheel. It’s about making the best of what we already have, looking at familiar things with fresh eyes, and finding ways to improve that don’t require a blank slate.
The CERS Approach to Creative Problem Solving
How does CERS work in practice? Let’s break it down with a few real-world examples that illustrate each step:
• Combine: In the automotive world, manufacturers are using a “better together” approach by integrating connectivity with vehicle diagnostics. Take BMW, for example—they’ve been pairing real-time data monitoring with onboard systems, allowing both drivers and service providers to detect and even diagnose issues remotely. This combination turns the car into a proactive tool, helping to reduce downtime and enabling predictive maintenance before a problem becomes a hassle.
• Eliminate: In hospitality, some luxury hotels are stepping away from traditional room service menus and even in-room phones, moving instead to mobile platforms. Guests can now order meals, book spa appointments, or arrange for housekeeping through an app on their phones. No bulky paper menus, no outdated room phones, just a streamlined, personalized experience that reduces waste without sacrificing service.
• Rearrange: In the retail sector, stores are finding value in rearranging how products are displayed and accessed by customers. Some supermarkets now organize items based on lifestyle needs—like “quick meals” or “wellness essentials”—instead of by traditional aisles. This rearrangement makes shopping more intuitive and encourages customers to see products in new ways, leading to higher satisfaction and even increased sales.
• Simplify: In education, platforms like Coursera have simplified access to quality learning by offering streamlined courses with an intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface. Self-paced learning, instant access to course materials, and a network of peers all over the world make education accessible in a way that traditional systems can’t always match. It’s education without the friction, making it easier for anyone to learn without logistical barriers.
Putting CERS into Practice: A Personal Story
To give you an example from my own experience, I applied CERS while working with a financial institution that wanted to digitize an outdated underwriting process. We didn’t set out to invent something entirely new. Instead, we focused on rethinking the existing process to see where it could work better.
With CERS in mind, we:
• Combined input from different departments, creating a more cohesive flow of information.
• Eliminated repetitive manual steps that added no real value but slowed everything down.
•Rearranged key steps in the process so that the most critical decisions were made early, streamlining approvals.
• Finally, we Simplified the entire experience, making it intuitive and efficient for both customers and employees.
The result wasn’t just a faster process; it was a shift in how the company thought about underwriting. This approach guided our technology design, ultimately allowing us to build a digital solution that was effective, scalable, and rooted in what the business actually needed—nothing more, nothing less.
How You Can Use CERS
CERS isn’t just for big industries. It’s a mindset that anyone can apply. Whether you’re working on a project, trying to streamline your workday, or organizing an event, CERS is a practical tool for thinking creatively and thoughtfully.
• Combine what naturally goes together.
• Eliminate anything unnecessary.
•Rearrange to make the flow intuitive and impactful.
• Simplify to make life easier for everyone involved.
In a world where we’re facing limited resources and urgent needs, we can’t afford to only look for the new—we need to maximize what we already have. CERS is a reminder that the most meaningful changes often come from reimagining the familiar, finding creativity in simplicity, and achieving more with less.
So, next time you’re confronted with a complex problem, consider starting with CERS. Sometimes, the solutions we need are right in front of us; we just need the right lens to see them.