TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
(OP)
Dear All,
it recently happened to me to come across the general definition of "TRIZ" (acronym from Russian "Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch" = Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)...
See, for reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triz
Does anybody know and/or apply this methodology?
Any suggestion to get introduced into the subject? Any good books "for Dummies"?
Thanks and Regards, 'NGL
it recently happened to me to come across the general definition of "TRIZ" (acronym from Russian "Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch" = Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)...
See, for reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triz
Does anybody know and/or apply this methodology?
Any suggestion to get introduced into the subject? Any good books "for Dummies"?
Thanks and Regards, 'NGL





RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
"Buy this package, and you can lay off those expensive engineers, and replace them with corporate drones."?
I'm surprised the road show hasn't come to town already.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
The links in the Wikipedia article are pretty much the panoply of commercial TRIZ proponents, although there might be one or two training companies that aren't listed
TTFN
Eng-Tips Policies FAQ731-376
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
I have only skimmed it so far, but it has some interesting examples.
Altshuller is considered one of the creators of TRIZ.
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
There again I'm a lousy inventor.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
Link the TRIZ software to a CAD Package, link the CAD Package to an FEA Package, CFD package, and then link that to a CAM package. Presumably all through a PDM/PLM system.
Hey presto you can fire, sorry I mean down size or 're-structure' your entire engineering department.
I'd still be interested to find out more but I looked at the wiki article and am skeptical.
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
TTFN
Eng-Tips Policies FAQ731-376
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
is it something like "TRIZ = common sense"?
I looked at the wiki article also, and I too am skeptical...
Theoretics of these kinds will one day teach us how to breathe (oops, pardon, ensure that we don't miss an opportunity to inspire air)
Regards
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
For a very interesting and practical book I suggest David Saletan's Creative troubleshooting in the chemical process industries Chapman and Hall.
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
The Wikipedia article says that "The effectiveness of TRIZ is in dispute in many Engineering circles. For example, no innovative new product can be furnished which owes its creation to the TRIZ methodology. TRIZ products most often are existing products which have been improved marginally."
On the other hand Latexman above says "It worked!"
Latexman: what did it work on and what was produced?
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
Among many other things, Hadamard lists the phases through which mathematical creativity often passes.
Preparation. This is when the subconscious is "primed" for the problem. It is usually intense (perhaps the more so the better), and often protracted.
Incubation. This is when the subconscious actually does its thing: cross-linking ideas, synthesising, sifting, sieving, etc. It is generally assisted by a state of relaxation (sometimes only physical, sometimes only mental, sometimes both).
Illumination. This is when the subconscious "delivers the goods". It happens suddenly, and the answer tends to be complete rather than partial. Illumination is sometimes preceded by another phase that Hadamard calls Intimation.
Verification. Self explanatory. This phase is necessary because the process is not infallible.
Hadamard does not claim that these are ever sufficient, and he does not claim that they are always necessary. But he does claim that at the very least they appear to be conducive to creativity.
A couple of years ago I saw a newspaper article quoting Nobel laureate James Watson (of DNA fame) as having said, "It is necessary to be slightly underemployed if you are to do something significant." This is totally consistent with Hadamard's comments on the incubation phase.
And totally at odds with most modern corporate cultures, with or without any consultant-driven acronymic fad.
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
Having had TRIZ training, can you obviously say that anything you had done afterwards wasn't impacted by your training, particularly since TRIZ attempts to help you bookkeep different alternatives to the solution space?
At the minimum, TRIZ should allow you to organize your solution space efforts and help you ensure that potential solutions are not missed.
TTFN
Eng-Tips Policies FAQ731-376
RE: TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
I can't tell you how many times I've done this. My latest was taken from another poster about using an automobile refrigeration compressor to compress natural gas, how cool. I just saw where a company is modifying the old auto AC to use CO2 as a refrigerant AT 1600 psig!! CO2 at 1600 psig is as deadly as nat gas at 20 psig, IMHO. Look TRIZ without a class, book, or fancy acronymn, It's common sence (as present by posters here) for engineers.