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AI agent for innovation strategists

Cross-Industry Analogy Search Agent

Bring a short list of tested cross-industry ideas to the workshop

ResearchExecutives and strategy
See how it worksGet access
Cross-Industry Analogy Search Agent: what goes in, what the agent does and what you get

What it does

A hospital wants to cut waiting time and copies other hospitals, while airports and call centers solved similar queues years ago. This agent restates the problem as an abstract function, for example move many items through limited stations with uneven arrivals. It then searches other industries for how that function is solved, using case studies and reports. It filters the findings for transferability, checking whether the context and constraints, such as regulation, budget or staff skills, make the idea workable. It tests each analogy against the constraints list, drops weak ones and searches again with new terms. It presents the surviving analogies with the evidence. The lead approves which ideas go to the workshop. Edge case: a strong analogy that breaks a safety rule is kept only as a source of inspiration.

How it works

Follow the arrows from top to bottom. The orange dashed arrow is the loop: when a check fails, the agent goes back and tries again.

Start and resultWhat it doesA check on its own workWaits for your OKGoes back and retries
Yes, continueYes, continueApprovedNoNo 1 STARTS WHEN Problem statement defined 2 DOES Restate the problem as an abstract function 3 USES A TOOL Search other industries for solutions to thatfunction 4 DOES Collect candidate analogies with evidence 5 CHECKS THE RESULT Does each analogy meet the main constraints? If not: Drop it or adapt it, then recheck against theconstraints. Back to step 3. 6 DOES Score transferability and effort 7 CHECKS THE RESULT Are at least 5 analogies still strong? If not: Change the abstract function or industry listand search again. Back to step 2. 8 DOES Draft a one-page summary for each analogy 9 YOU APPROVE Lead approves which ideas go to the workshop 10 RESULT Shortlist of tested analogies
Read the steps as a list
  1. Problem statement defined
  2. Restate the problem as an abstract function
  3. Search other industries for solutions to that function
  4. Collect candidate analogies with evidence
  5. Does each analogy meet the main constraints?If not: Drop it or adapt it, then recheck against the constraints. Back to step 3.
  6. Score transferability and effort
  7. Are at least 5 analogies still strong?If not: Change the abstract function or industry list and search again. Back to step 2.
  8. Draft a one-page summary for each analogy
  9. Lead approves which ideas go to the workshopThe agent waits here for your OK.
  10. Shortlist of tested analogies

How it decides

It scores analogies on how closely the function matches and how many constraints they satisfy, keeping those above the cutoff.

  • Match on function, not on appearance
  • Require at least 3 of 4 constraints met
  • Drop analogies without evidence of success
  • Keep safety-breaking analogies only as inspiration

Make it yours

Every agent is a starting point. You choose these settings for your own situation.

  • Constraints list (default budget, safety, skills, regulation)
  • Number of analogies (default 5 to 8)
  • Industries searched (default all)
  • Scoring cutoff (default 3 of 4 constraints)

What keeps you in control

It always asks you first

  • Lead approves which analogies go to the workshop

Hard limits

  • Never present an analogy without evidence
  • Respect confidential details of the problem
  • Flag any safety or legal issue

It stops when

  • Done: Shortlist approved
  • Stop: No analogy passes after three rounds, so hand to the lead

Set it up

We guide you through the set-up, step by step

Members get the full set-up guide for this agent. No technical skills needed: you copy, paste and upload.

10 minto set it up in your AI
5 AIsChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Grok
  • One set of instructions to paste into your AI, with the clicks for ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini and Grok
  • The agent then walks you through connecting your own data, one source at a time
  • A downloadable copy with the flow chart, the rules and the full guide
Get access to this agent

An example run

What happensFor long hospital waits, the abstract function is flow of uneven arrivals through limited stations. The search finds 14 analogies from airports, call centers and ports. Check one drops 6 that fail the staffing constraint. Only 4 remain strong, short of 5, so the agent adds banks and car plants. It ends with 6 analogies. The lead approves 4 for the workshop.

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