Inventory available resources before adding anything new

List all time, space, information, and energy already present in or around the problem — solutions often hide there.

Why it works

TRIZ defines a "resource" broadly: any substance, field, property, or time that is present in the system or its environment and is not yet being fully used. Many problems are solved by exploiting an existing resource that was overlooked rather than importing something new. The cognitive habit of scanning for available resources before requesting new ones rewires default solution search away from addition and toward utilization.

How to do it

1. Before generating solutions, list all resources already available: time (idle moments), space (unused capacity), information (data collected but not used), energy (byproducts of existing processes), and people (skills not yet tapped).
2. For each resource, ask: "Could this be repurposed to address the problem?"
3. Prioritize solutions that use existing resources over those that require acquiring new ones.

Evidence

Resource-based thinking is a principle in TRIZ and also appears in lean manufacturing and behavioral economics (using existing commitments and structures). The mechanism — reducing activation energy by working with what exists — is broadly supported, though the TRIZ framing of it is practitioner-derived. (mechanistic)

Over-reliance on existing resources can prevent necessary acquisition of genuinely needed new capabilities; the goal is systematic review, not reflexive minimalism.

Common mistake

Jumping to "we need more budget/headcount" before auditing what is already available but mis-allocated or underused.