• divide something into multiple parts or segments
• increase the amount of fragmentation or segmentation

examples

• sub-dividing a large task into smaller tasks
• undertaking a strength/weakness/opportunity/threat (SWOT) analysis
• distributing stored information from a central server to a computing cloud
• providing context-specific information for computer support rather than a large manual

• separate out the necessary part of a system
• separate out an interfering part of a system

examples

• eliminating financial incentives
• creating offsite innovation teams to work on long-term strategy
• separating very intensive parts of an activity from other, less intensive parts, in order to prioritize resources
• reducing the detail in a graph by using sets of averages to provide a clearer overview of  trends

• change a structure from uniform to non-uniform
  
• make each part of a structure fulfill a different and useful function

examples

• customizing a service to reflect local conditions and culture
• allowing people to work in conditions that suit them best
• developing spaces or areas designed for specific conditions, such as using a soundproofed pod for quiet working in an open plan office

• change the form of something from symmetrical to asymmetrical

examples

• moving the timing of an event to odd minutes off the hour to make it more memorable
• allowing staff to start and finish work at different times to avoid rush hours
• revising a symmetrical organization structure by reducing unnecessary duplication:  the resulting organisation may be asymmetrical, but more efficient

• merge, or bring closer together
  
• bring different products or technologies together to create new products and services (aka convergence)
• use identical or similar things to perform parallel operations
  

examples

• bringing together clusters of expertise to develop a centre of excellence
• merging two similar services, such as merging an online shop & a high-street shop
• merging two dissimilar services, such as selling music and providing access to education courses

• enable something  to perform multiple functions
  
• reduce the number, or complexity, of steps

examples

• one person doing several tasks
• one stop shops that offer a wide range of services in one location
• un-automated call systems, where one person handles multiple types of enquiry, rather than diverting calls to multiple departments
• observing the larger picture, rather than focusing on the fine detail which might be misleading

• put one thing inside another (and another and another)
  
• make something pass through something else

examples

• puting one business inside another, such as a car hire shop that is inside a travel agent, which in turn is located in a supermarket
• door sensors that count people coming in and out of a shop
• las vegas casinos, where customers have to pass through the gaming floor to access the rest of the hotel

• compensate for the weight of something (think of weight as an excess of something, such as size, frequency, ideas)

examples

• creating an e-business to eliminate the need for buildings in a fixed location
• company mergers, where one company provides a lift to the other (by share price, expertise, brand equity)
• creating tie-ins with popular products, to boost sales
• using a light projection for public information, instead of a fixed monitor
• reading a weekly news bulletin online rather than a constant feed of news stories

• develop strategies that help protect against possible future problems
  

examples

• providing opportunities for staff to find alternative employment, or providing mentoring for new start-up businesses, if it becomes necessary to downsize
• opening more check-outs when long queues start to form
• developing a contingency plan or undertaking a risk analysis to alleviate possible future problems

• make necessary changes (in full or in part) to something in advance of them being needed

examples

• publishing agendas in advance of meetings
• project pre-planning
• pre-arranging documents in the order they will be needed
• cooking a large batch of food and freezing in individual portions for future use