Six Sigma and Beyond: Design for Six Sigma, Volume VI

TRIZ ”THE THEORY OF INVENTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

It has been said that TRIZ is one of the components of customer-driven robust innovation. The other two are QFD and Taguchi. TRIZ is a methodology that was developed in Russia in 1926 by Genrich Altshuller and has been growing all over the world since then. (Because TRIZ is the pronunciation in Russian, many names have been given to this methodology. Some of the most common are: TIPS ” Theory of Inventive Problem Solving; TSIP ” Theory of the Solution of Inventive Problems and SI ” Systematic Innovation.)

The foundation of the theory is the realization that contradictions can be methodically resolved through the application of innovative solutions. Terninko, Zusman, and Zlotin (1996) have identified three premises that support the theory. They are:

1. The ideal design is a goal.

2. Contradictions help solve problems.

3. The innovative process can be structured systematically.

To be sure, TRIZ focuses on innovation, but what is innovation? According to the founder, Altshuller, there are five levels of innovation. They are:

• Level 1: Refers to a simple improvement of a technical system. It presupposes some knowledge about the system. It is really not an innovation, since it does not solve the technical problem.

• Level 2: An invention that includes the resolution of a technical contradiction. It presupposes knowledge from different areas within the relevancy of the system at hand. By definition, it is innovative since it solves contradictions.

• Level 3: An invention containing a resolution of a physical contradiction. It presupposes knowledge from other industries. By definition, it is innovative since it solves contradictions.

• Level 4: A new technology containing a breakthrough solution that requires knowledge from different fields of science. It is somewhat of an innovation since it improves a technical system but does not solve the technical problem.

• Level 5: Discovery of new phenomena. The discovery pushes the existing technology to a higher level.

For Altshuller (1997, p. 18 “19), the benefit of using TRIZ is to help inventors elevate their innovative solutions to levels 3 and 4. To optimize these levels he suggests the following tools:

1. Segmentation ” finding a way to separate one element into smaller elements

2. Periodic action ” replacing a continuous system with a periodic system

3. Standards ” structured rules for the synthesis and reconstruction of technical systems

4. ARIZ ” algorithm to solve an inventive problem. The core tool of TRIZ methodology. It provides nine steps, and they are:

   • Analysis of the problem: Identify the problem in concise , clear and simple language. No jargon.

   • Analysis of the problem's model: Identify the conflict in relation to the overall problem. A boundary diagram may facilitate this. The idea of this step is to focus on the conflict.

   • Formulation of the ideal final result (IFR): Here you identify the physical contradiction. The process is to identify the vague problem and transform it into a specific physical problem. [Another clue for the Y = f(x ₁ , x ₂ , ..., x _n )]

   • Utilization of outside sources and field resources: If the problem remains, imaginatively interject outside influences to understand the problem better.

   • Utilization of informational data bank: The utilization of standards and databases with appropriate information is recommended here to solve the problem.

   • Change or reformulate the problem: If at this stage the problem has not been solved , it is recommended to go back to the starting point and reformulate the problem with respect to the supersystem.

   • Analysis of the method that removed the physical contradiction: Check whether or not the quality of the solution provides satisfaction. A key question here is: Has the physical contradiction been removed most ideally ?

   • Utilization of found solution: Here the focus is on interfacing analysis of adjacent systems. It is also a source for identifying other technical problems.

   • Analysis of steps that lead to the solution: This is the ultimate score-card. This is where the former process is compared to the current one. The analysis has to do with the new gap. Deviations, obviously, are recorded for future use.

To actually use TRIZ in a design situation, the reader must be aware not only of the nine steps just mentioned but also the 40 principles that are associated with the methodology. Here we are going to list them without any further discussion. The reader is encouraged to see Altshuller (1997), Terninko et al. (1996), and other sources in the bibliography for more details.

1. Segmentation

2. Extraction

3. Local quality

4. Asymmetry

5. Consolidation

6. Universality

7. Nesting

8. Counterweight

9. Prior counteraction

10. Prior action

11. Cushion in advance

12. Equipotentiality

13. Do it in reverse

14. Spheroidality

15. Dynamicity

16. Partial or excessive action

17. Transition into a new dimension

18. Mechanical vibration

19. Periodic action

20. Continuity of useful action

21. Rushing through

22. Convert harm into benefit

23. Feedback

24. Mediator

25. Self service

26. Copying

27. Dispose

28. Replacement of mechanical system

29. Pneumatic or hydraulic constructions

30. Flexible membranes or thin films

31. Porous material

32. Changing the color

33. Homogeneity

34. Rejecting and regenerating parts

35. Transformation of properties

36. Phase transition

37. Thermal expansion

38. Accelerated oxidation

39. Inert environment

40. Composite materials