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Medicare.gov Ignores Security Problem Loses Disabled Woman’s Identity

January 5, 2010 · Posted in problem solving · 2 Comments 

Medicare Forgot PasswordMarjorie, a disabled 51 year old woman, lost her identity and she doesn’t even know it yet. Her data was mixed with another person’s data. Worse than just losing her identity, Medicare caused the loss and failed to fix it when told of the problem.

My mother receives Social Security, and is on Medicare Part A, B, C and D. She was setting up her online access to her Part C. These programs each have a separate online account even though all of it is overseen by Medicare and linked to Social Security. So she has a minimum of three online accounts and possibly five depending on which Part D plan she receives. Naturally she forgot the login information for one of the accounts.

My mother went to the www.Medicare.gov web site tried to login and was frustrated so she clicked the “Forgot Password” button. She entered her SignInID and Secret word. She changed her password and a confirmation email was sent to her registered email account. No problem, right? WRONG!!!

Medicare.gov mixing users account dataMy mother changed the password and logged on but it said the account belonged to a woman named Marjorie who lives in another state. When my mother logged in she got Marjorie’s account with all of her medical data. Read more

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Who Believes in Man Made Global Warming?

December 19, 2009 · Posted in economics, problem solving, science · 1 Comment 

A leader goes first and invites others to follow. What are the leaders doing? When there is an obvious serious problem people band together to solve it. They put aside their differences and tackle the problem head on. They do the most they can to fix the problem. The exact opposite is happening regarding global warming.

Basic rule of systems: If you understand the design, you can predict the effect. If it doesn’t do what you think it will do, it was designed to do something else.

Supposedly Global Warming will harm all life on the entire planet. In other words we are all supposedly in the same building and its on fire. Can you imagine people in a burning building arguing about who will pay for dinner when the building is burning to the ground? No! Everyone would get out of the building as fast as possible. Some would volunteer to help those that can’t walk. Others would try to put out the flames once they were safely outside. No one would stand around inside and watch it burn. But that is exactly what the world leaders are doing. That is very strange. Read more

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Compact Fluorescent Bulb Recycling

January 3, 2009 · Posted in innovation, problem solving · Comment 

I volunteer at AllExperts.com. One of the questions I received makes an interesting example. This is not a complete OutCompete analysis, just a very fast list of suggestions.

Question:

Retailers have implemented programs for the safe disposal of compact fluorescent bulbs. However the current process requires the involvement of an store employee. I would like to design a system which does not require the involvement of an employee. My assumption right now is:

  1. The system is for compact fluorescent lamps, medium base type bulbs.
  2. The system that can accommodate at least 200 CFL’s before needing to be emptied.
  3. The system would reward the customer for their effort.

I would like your advice on this system, on how to design it and what reward I should consider. Could you also suggest a website which will provide me information for my design system.

Thank you.

Answer

The OutCompete Predictive Innovation Method works best if we can work with a subject matter expert to verify the technical aspects of ideas.

The Predictive Innovation Method follows these steps:

  1. Create “Desire Statement”
  2. Convert Desire Statement into on Outcome diagram
  3. Expand each of the Outcomes into their 7 elements types
  4. Using the Alternatives Grid to multiply those 7 types by the 15 alternatives to reveal a minimum of 105 potential innovations.

Since I am not exactly a subject matter expert on recycling mercury I’ll focus on one aspect that I was able to find information about.

The main problem with the mercury in a CFL is breathing in vapor or dust from broken bulbs. As long as they are not broken there isn’t any problem.

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

Video of mercury evaporating

http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2945_5105_47868-181553–,00.html

So the primary goal of collecting CFLs is making the mercury vapor safe to people. Here are a few approaches.

  • Prevent the vapor from being released.
  • Don’t break the bulbs
  • Contain the vapor if broken
  • Keep vapor away from people
  • Make the vapor safe

Two ideas come to mind. Have a single container to hold many bulbs air tight

  • pull air in and vent safely outside
  • pull air in through and filter air inside container
  • submerge the bulbs in a liquid that mercury vapor is heavier than so it collects on the bottom and is safely contained
  • Contain each bulb, put each bulb in an airtight bag so it doesn’t matter if the bulb breaks. This material would have to be easy to recycle with the rest of the bulb

This company has a filter for the vapor, but you could probably be OK just venting it outside.

http://www.ohiolumex.com/product/vapor_filter.shtml

The basic problem with getting people to recycle is making the effort more valuable than throwing the item away in the regular garbage. You can do this by appealing to their emotions or by actually making it easier. You will likely need to do both.

Since CFL are suppose to last a long time the purchase is long removed from the disposal. However people usually replace a bulb the instant one stops working. If they have bulbs on hand it is probably in some type of safe container to prevent it from being broken. If this could serve as a safe recycling container it would be effective.

Alternatively the person will need to go to the store to get a new bulb. This is when to prompt for recycling the old bulb.

  • give the consumers something for bringing bulbs in, such as a discount on new bulbs
  • eliminate another problem by bringing the bulbs in
  • provide a container to store the bulbs until returned
  • have a deposit similar to the $0.10 bottle deposit in Michigan (this practically eliminated that type of pollution)

Summary

With this information it would be easy to find and affordable solution to the problem. You’ll also notice that there are several possibilities for future innovation or product improvements. For instance combining the ideas :

  • provide a container to store the bulbs until returned
  • Contain each bulb, put each bulb in an airtight bag so it doesn’t matter if the bulb breaks. This material would have to be easy to recycle with the rest of the bulb

These two outcomes can be achieved at the same time.

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