Offering Description

• Finding adjacent applications for existing Client’s products, technologies, materials and patents to monetize / commercialize customer’s existing intellectual assets
• Audit client’s product, component, technology, patents and their features and functions. Find out where these functions are applicable and important in other markets
• Business information such as market size and potential partners may also be delivered

Reverse Function-Oriented Search – Major Tool for Adjacent Market Identification

• The goal of Reversed Function-Oriented Search (RFOS) is to identify industries where existing technologies and products can be applied.
• Industries face similar engineering challenges, but the similarities are not always obvious because these industries are often completely different in their focus.
• RFOS removes the industry-specific limitations of potential areas of an existing technology application and uncovers possibilities, regardless of the source industry. 
• RFOS breaks psychological barriersfor acceptance of new areas of application because there is already proof that the initial technology will work in similar conditions.
• RFOS allows utilization of all functions, including harmful and additional ones.
• RFOS allows utilization of not only functions, but also properties which can become resources for potential functions.

Algorithm of Reverse Function-Oriented Search

1. Perform an audit (examination) of client’s portfolio of products and   technologies that constitute client’s core competencies and competitive advantages.
2. Select an object for RFOS (product or technology)
3.  Build a component model of the selected object
4.  Select one of the components or the entire product/technology
5.  Formulate all its properties (physical, chemical, geometrical, etc.)
6.  Select one of the properties
7.  Convert the selected property to a set of functions
8. Select one of the functions
9. Generalize the selected function
10. Identify a leading area, in which similar functions and properties are very important and that has the biggest business potential
11. Identify in the selected area a specific function similar to the generalized function
12. Using the identified function as a new main function of the initial object, formulate an adaptation problem: “How to make the object perform the new main function”
13. Solve the adaptation problem
14. If necessary, repeat the algorithm for another function, property, and component
15. Develop value proposition for each identified adjacent area of application
16. Search for potential partners and/or buyers in the selected area.

Example: Cable Insulation Monitoring

• Select an object for RFOS
  Technology of identification of the internal composition of a cable insulator, based on non-invasive measurement of its electrical impedance
• Selected function (main function)
  To measure the amount of water in a cable insulator (i.e., to inform a person about the presence and amount of water)
• Formulate its advantages (the function can be performed under unique conditions, can provide unusual results, etc.)
  Non-invasive measurement; results can be achieved immediately; compact, inexpensive, and fully automated equipment
• Generalize the function
  To measure amount of a selected substance in a complex multi-phase structure
• Identify a leading area, in which similar functions and their advantages are very important
  Monitoring of a blood composition for medical purposes
• Identify a real object in the selected area similar to the generalized object of the generalized main function
  Glucose
• Redirect action of the main function to the identified object
  To non-invasively measure the amount of glucose in a patients’ blood
• Using reformulated function as a new main function of the analyzed object, formulate an adaptation problem: “How can the object be made to perform this new main function?”
  How to adapt existing technology of a cable insulator control device for constant real- time non-invasive monitoring of blood glucose for patients with diabetes?
• Solve the adaptation problem. Business case
  Healbe company started commercializing a new device in 2015 https://healbe.com/us/