By Issa Bass

Triz (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) is a powerful methodology which is founded on an algorithmic approach to solving complex technical problems. More than a methodology, it is a science for stimulating innovative and creative ideas and problem solving techniques. TRIZ has been around for more than forty years but it was mostly used in the former USSR where it originated from and the Eastern Europeans countries.

The methodology was invented by a young Russian Navy adviser named G. S. Altshuller in 1946. Altshuller sought to answer to the following question: Is there in essence an underlying trait, trend or pattern common to all innovative ideas?
He analyzed a great number of patents and realized that there appeared to be a “Principle of Inventions”, similarities in the basic ideas and comparable solutions in different problems. He concluded that there are some natural patterns in creative innovations of different applications. Identifying those patterns can help facilitate and speed up new creative innovations.
Most inventions have been the result of incidental happenstances or trial-and-error. Trial-and-error is a method that consists in attempting different theories or combination of factors until errors are eliminated. It is a common practice in the pharmaceutical industry. The ultimate goal is achieved after a lot of resources are spent.

Discovering the natural patterns underlying innovative inventions could help alleviate the dependence on Trial-and-errors and incidental discoveries and lead to the development of a creative methodology of problem solving, an inventive system that goes beyond the common savoir faire.  

Problems are nothing but unresolved contradictions and they come under two forms: they either have known solutions or they don’t. The ones with known solutions are solved based on how similar problems were solved.
The problems with unknown solutions are more complex and require an “out of the box thinking” approach, the breaking out of Psychological Inertia (trying to find solutions only from personal experience); they call for inventive solutions since one cannot rely on personal experience to solve them.
Yet, solving them is not impossible since according to Altshuller more than 90% of the problems we face have already been solved before. The exact same problem one faces may not have been solved but the process used to solve other problems (that may not be identical) can be used since the quintessential patterns for innovative problem solving are similar. The steps to follow when solving problems with unknown solutions depend on the problem itself but the following fundamental steps are common to all:

·         Identifying the Problem

·         Transform the problem into a model

·         Analyze the model

·         Explore for Previously Well-Solved Problems

·         Analyze how the physical contradictions of those problems were solved

·         Use the process to solve My problem

·         Put together ideal solution

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A Combination Of Six Sigma, Lean, TOC And The Use of Triz Can Lead To A Radical Process Improvement
TOC can be helpful since it is about identifying bottlenecks and improving them for a continuous improvement. The identification of the bottlenecks may require value stream and process mapping. Once the bottlenecks are identified, a Six Sigma project would be an effective tool to improve on them and TRIZ techniques can efficiently speed up contradiction resolutions and help save resources. By Issa Bass