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Principle

2. Extraction

a. Extract (remove or separate) a “disturbing” part or property

from an object, or

b. Extract the only necessary part or property

Principle Description: Extraction separates out useful or harmful parts or properties of a system from the whole system. Extraction may take place artificially or in actuality.

Hints on Usage: Identify a useful/harmful part or property in a system – one that adds value to the system upon extraction. Then look for specific characteristics of that part or property in order to enable easy extraction. Extraction may be applied equally to non-physical or virtual situations.

There are many ways to add value through the Extraction Principle. Occasionally the extracted parts can be of more value out of the system than within the whole system. For example, old barn beams can be more valuable as distressed lumber for new homes than as support for an old barn.

Comment: In the introduction we stated there was a degree of overlap from principle to principle in order to provide a more comprehensive approach when solving challenging problems. Here is the first example. Extraction is very similar to Segmentation and yet the difference is important. Both segment the whole system into parts. Extraction removes that part or parts while Segmentation offers many alternatives.

Examples:

Extract a rotten tooth (harmful part) to improve overall mouth health. Extraction takes place in actuality. Use the tooth’s unique shape (property) to increase grip and ease the extraction process.

Extract gold (useful part) from ore by using a chemical processes that differentiates between the characteristics of the two different materials. Extraction takes place in actuality.

Extract information (useful part) from a database based on keywords (property). This is a virtual extraction.

Based on point-of-view: extract physically impaired soldier (useful part – human life) from behind enemy lines by carrying them (using a system resource); or extract physically impaired soldiers (harmful part: can no longer function as required, causes distraction, weakens the battalion morale) from behind enemy lines. Both are actual extractions.

Extract a splinter (harmful part) by grabbing it with tweezers (using the difference in hardness - characteristic); actual extraction.

Extract a tumor (harmful part) by performing surgery; actual extraction.

Extract information from competitors by asking indirect questions; virtual extraction.

Extract disruptions (harmful part) to a project caused by a person’s personality. Determine if this person’s expertise is needed for the project. If the expertise is not needed, then remove the person from the team for this particular project (extract the harmful part); actual extraction. If, however, this person’s expertise is necessary, then remove this person from the team (extract the harmful part), extract the knowledge (useful part and virtual extraction) and bring the knowledge only – without bringing the person - into the team (reassemble integrate the useful characteristic back into the system); this is both an actual and a virtual extraction.

Recycling is a form of extraction that considers the value of the waste stream once it is recycled (useful part) when compared to the toxicity to the environment when it is not recycled (harmful part).

Software programs use extraction techniques such as sorting, word processing, and data mining to create organized and targeted (extracted) information.

Leveraged buyouts use the Extraction Principle to maximize shareholder’s value when the extracted business components are worth more on the open market than the components combined as a single business.