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INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIZ INVENTIVE


PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

IIR
DECEMBER 3, 2003
Jack Hipple
Innovation-TRIZ
www.innovation-triz.com
jwhinnovator@earthlink.net
813-994-9999
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

DILBERT’S VIEW OF INNOVATION

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CONTINUED…….. INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
BACKGROUNDS AND
EXPERIENCE

Experience and knowledge in


the areas of innovation,
creativity, and TRIZ
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

OBJECTIVES

 Familiarize you with the concepts of TRIZ


 Ideality, resources, contradictions, patterns of
invention and technological evolution
 Change the way you think about problems
 Introduce you to new ways to think about problem
solving, failure analysis/prediction, and future
technology planning
 Ideas for integration with other tools you may be using

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INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

BASICS OF OTHER TOOLS

 Psychology more than technology


 DeBono, Lateral Thinking/Six Hats™, Creative Problem Solving
 Will discuss integration later, time permitting
 Randomness
 Brainstorming, picture, etc. stimulation
 Highly dependent upon facilitation skills
 Fine for simple problems
 Can be easily learned
 Limited by knowledge in the room--TRIZ is the only
tool that proactively uses and accesses knowledge
outside the room

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BEFORE WE START….. INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

LET’S BENCHMARK

“The New Machine”

How would you solve this problem?

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WHAT IS “TRIZ” ?

A Russian acronym:
Theoria Resheneyva Isobretatelskehuh
Zadach

(Theory of Solving Problems Inventively)

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WHAT IS “TRIZ” ?

 A way of thinking
 A family of tools, tool kits, and software

The “way of thinking” can ALWAYS be used, but the tools


in the tool kit can be selected depending the nature of
the problem, time available, etc.

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INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE HISTORY OF TRIZ


 A discovery of a talented patent examiner for the Russian navy,
Genrich Altshuller, 1950’s
 Originated from the study of several hundred thousand of the
world’s most inventive patents--now in the millions
 He recognized that the development of technological systems
follows predictable patterns that cut across ALL areas of
technology--the speed of technical evolution can be accelerated
 Also recognized that problem solving principles are also
predictable and repeatable--anyone can invent!
 Established schools to teach after a Stalin 7 yr. prison term--
deceased in 1999 at age 71

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BASIC CONCEPTS IN
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE TOOL KIT

 Systems evolve toward IDEALITY


irreversibly
 Using RESOURCES within the system or
easily convertible
 Resolving CONTRADICTIONS as they evolve
 PATTERNS OF INVENTIONS/OPERATORS
are constantly recognized and used

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THINKING OUTSIDE YOUR PARADIGM

SPACE
IMPOSSIBLE

POSSIBLE

TIME
EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES SHAPE OUR BELIEF SYSTEM!!!

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HOW DOES A CENTRIFUGE
WORK?
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THE BAKER’S VIEW

The Waissenberg Effect


When the motion of certain liquids is altered, the liquid achieves a highly plastic
state. This state is caused by stress which is normal to the plane of the altered
motion. For example, if a rotating shaft emerges from a pool of liquid, the liquid
will rise along the shaft. This effect is observed in solutions, in molten polymers,
and in gels of low molecular weight. The effect is used to develop extruders that
do not use spiral impellers. A characteristic of this effect is that, as the speed of
motion increases, the stability of the flow decreases
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PARALLEL UNIVERSES

 Many other industries or technologies face the same


type of problems in a generic sense
 It’s almost impossible to follow all areas of technology,
read all literature, go to all meetings
 Accidents or alerts sometimes change this, but it is
normally not proactive in most organizations
 In planning the future, it is CRITICAL to be aware of
advances in ALL fields of technology
 Advances in unknown areas can forecast advances in
known areas

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WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Let’s take a look at two


examples…..
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AN OPERATOR

Operator Example

Specific problem Specialized solution


3x2+5x+2 = 0 x = ????

ALGEBRA DOES NOT EXIST!!

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AN OPERATOR

Operator Example

Specific problem Specialized solution


3x2+5x+2 = 0 x= -1, -2/3

Trial and Error!!

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AN OPERATOR--THE BASIC
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

PRINCIPLE OF TRIZ
Operator Example
Abstract problem Abstract solution
ax2+bx+c = 0 x=(-b+/-b2-4ac)/2a

Specific problem Specialized solution


3x2+5x+2 = 0 x= -1, -2/3

TRIZ DOES FOR PROBLEM SOLVING AND FORECASTING


WHAT ALGEBRA DOES FOR EQUATION PROBLEM
SOLVING!

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THINKING ANALOGICALLY
(WITHOUT AN EGO)

THE WORLD’S THE WORLD’S


PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

MY PROBLEM MY SOLUTION

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YOU ARE IN THE DIAMOND
BUSINESS AND THE FIRST USE FOR
INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND GRINDING
DUST HAS BEEN DISCOVERED
(circa. 1970)

HOW WILL YOU TAKE THE DIAMOND


CHUNKS FROM YOUR INDUSTRIAL
DIAMOND MINE AND TURN THEM
INTO DUST?

WHAT OTHER INDUSTRIES WOULD


YOU LOOK FOR TECHNOLOGY?
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I HAVE TO REMOVE CORES FROM A


MILLION GREEN PEPPERS….

How would I do this?


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PATTERNS OF INVENTION

Processing Sweet Peppers

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WHAT IS THE MOST
GENERIC WAY YOU CAN
STATE THE PROBLEM
SOLVING PRINCIPLE
THAT WAS USED?
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WHAT IS THE OPERATOR?

“Slowly raise pressure and suddenly reduce


it” or more generally, “concentrate energy
and release it”
 A path to a solution
 An approach to solving a problem
 A direction towards an answer

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PATTERNS OF INVENTION

• Removing stems from bell peppers


• Removing shells form sunflower seeds
• Cleaning filters
• Unpacking parts wrapped in protective paper
• Splitting diamonds along micro-cracks
(+27 years after pepper patent)
• Producing sugar powder from sugar crystals
• Explosive depulping
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BOEING RETHINKS
AIRPLANE BUILDING
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Lean Times: With Airbus on Its Tail , Boeing Is Rethinking How It Builds Planes
Old Hay Loaders, New Resins Play Roles as Firm Tries To Build Faster, Cheaper
Hitting a `Rescue Me' Button
By J. Lynn Lunsford

09/05/2001 The Wall Street Journal (Copyright (c) 2001, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

RENTON, Wash. -- Not far from the steady blatt-blatt of the rivet guns on its 757 assembly line just outside Seattle
sits what Boeing Co. calls its moonshine shop: The people here distill work-saving ideas into contraptions that
make it easier to build jets.
Consider the hay loader next to an almost-completed 757. Normally, this cross between a ladder and a metal-
spiked conveyor belt would be dumping bales of hay onto waiting trucks. But to veteran mechanic Robert Harms,
the hay loader is the perfect way to get bulky passenger seats from the factory floor up 13 feet to the door of a
plane without having to use an overhead crane. "It might look funny, but when you see it work, you wonder
why we didn't do it this way all along," he says.
Moonshine shops -- so named because they work outside traditional channels and use whatever materials are
available -- are the essence of Boeing Chairman Phil Condit's campaign to boost profits by driving out costly
manufacturing techniques and the decades-old thinking behind them. From using materials developed for military
aircraft to putting its big planes onto moving assembly lines for the first time, Boeing is retooling itself to confront
tougher times.
Boeing's struggle to streamline the making of one of the biggest and most complicated industrial products mirrors
what's happening on factory floors across the country, as manufacturers confront the economic slowdown. The
difference for Boeing is that it's trying to accomplish this while still cranking out planes, not in the downtime
between models.
Boeing executives are counting on this revamp to enable the company's commercial-airplane division to continue
posting double-digit profit margins despite the slowing world economy and sharp decline in aircraft orders from
the major airlines. At the same time, Europe's Airbus is increasingly becoming a formidable competitor. At the end
of July, Airbus had a backlog of 1,602 orders, compared with 1,451 for Boeing, according to the companies.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
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Mr. Harms, the 52-year-old mechanic who led the effort to modify the hay loader to
move seats, recalls the day when he arrived for work and found a note attached to
his contraption. It read: "Idiots running amok."

"That sign kind of serves as our inspiration because once it started running, that
loader has made believers out of people," he says.

Gordy Laborde, a 48-year-old mechanic who has been installing interiors in Boeing
757s for 13 years, counts himself among the converted. "I looked at that hay loader
from every angle and I could not see how it was going to work. You do something for
so many years one way, and something like this really takes you out of your comfort
zone."

Today, Boeing believes that the machine is promising enough that it is seeking a patent
for possible uses throughout the aviation industry, where heavy planes are typically
moved with 20,000-pound tugs.

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CAVIAR EGGS AND BALL
BEARINGS
“DEFALCATION”

“The purpose is to reduce/eliminate


defalcation when criminals use false ID to
impersonate real customers”

Does anyone know what


this word means?
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GENERICIZING OPERATORS

 Defalcation
• Fraud
–Substitution of one thing for another

 What differences would you see in a


literature search for these various
topics?

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IDEALITY AND
RESOURCES

THE BASIC TRIZ PRINCIPLES


THAT UNDERLIE SYSTEM
EVOLUTION AND PATTERNS OF
PROBLEM SOLVING
WHAT IS IDEALITY?
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Ideality
All Useful Functions
= All Harmful Functions
The ideal system performs a required function
without actually existing. The function is often
performed using existing resources. ALL
systems evolve in this direction over time by
resolving contradictions.
®Ideation
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 International
IDEALITY EXERCISE
You are a corrosion lab testing
manager who has been asked
to do some corrosion testing on
some highly corrosive
chemicals which are not only
corrosive to the sample, but to
the containers ordinarily
used….you can’t afford Pt
containers--what can you do?
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CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Container

Acid

Specimen

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DRAW A PICTURE OF
IDEALITY--DON’T
SOLVE THE PROBLEM
(YET)!
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CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Acid

Specimen

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CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Acid

Specimen/
Container

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STEP ONE

Describe IDEALITY in your


system and how you are
thinking about getting
there
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RESOURCES

Another fundamental TRIZ


concept--it’s how we get a
system to ideality

What resources did you use in


the corrosion problem?
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CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Acid

Specimen/
Container

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LET’S LOOK AT WHAT WE DID

 Eliminated what was not functional (the chamber was


not really necessary)
 Used the resources of the system at hand (more later
on this topic)
 Used geometric effects as resources
 Used physical effects
 fluidity of acid
 gravity

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HOW DO WE GET TO IDEALITY?

 TRIZ provides two general approaches for


achieving close-to-ideal solutions (that is,
solutions which do not increase system
complexity):
 Use of resources
 Use of physical, chemical, geometrical and
other effects (remember the Waissenberg
effect?)

-
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WHAT’S A RESOURCE FROM A


TRIZ PERSPECTIVE?

 A resource:
 is any substance (including waste) available in
the system or its environment
 has the functional and technological ability to
jointly perform additional functions
 is an energy reserve, free time, unoccupied
space, information, etc.

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RESOURCES -- WIRE EXAMPLE

Copper Wire

Problem Zone

Voltage &
Current Air

®Ideation International
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IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE
RESOURCES
Copper
Contaminates
Type
Amount
Diameter
Length
Shape of wire
Wire Amount
Form of excitation signal
Current (A/C)
Voltage Frequency
Amount
Air Form of excitation signal
(A/C)
Frequency
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon
Temperature, Pressure,
Velocity, Speed ®Ideation International
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DERIVATIVE RESOURCES
-- WIRE EXAMPLE
Copper
Contaminates
Type
Amount Resistance
Diameter
Length Magnetic Field
Shape of wire
Wire Amount
Form of excitation signal
Current (A/C)
Voltage Frequency Oxidation
Amount
Air Form of excitation signal Moisture
(A/C)
Frequency CO/CO2
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen Cooling/Heat
Carbon Dissipation
Temperature
Pressure, Velocity, Speed
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International
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RESOURCE CHECKLIST

 Substances
 Fields
 Space
 Time
 Information
 Functional

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SYSTEM RESOURCES
 When a system’s resources are depleted, it will
probably be replaced
 Tracking system resources is a good way to
predict when a system may be replaced,
challenged, or significantly modified
 Sometimes it’s a matter of just seeing the
resource, other times it’s a matter of figuring
out how to use it (ex: field and information
generation, Navy example)

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SOLVING A CONTACT INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

LENSE PROBLEM

 Space resources

 from the perspective of a contact lense


manufacturer
 from the standpoint of a semi-conductor
manufacturer

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PRODUCT IDEAS
ILLUSTRATING THESE
CONCPETS
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STEP TWO

Think about your system--


what new problem solving
resources might be used?
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A SYSTEM EVOLVES….

ONE LAST EXAMPLE…..


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PILL MANUFACTURING
 Situation: A pill manufacturer is faced with a need for cost reduction. A labor reduction
is required to stay competitive. Engineering has evaluated the manufacturing process and
determined that by eliminating three inspectors at the end of the production line they can
justify an investment of $150,000 for a video inspection system. These inspectors are
checking for chip damage at on the circumference of the pills (see attached sketch). Efforts
to correct the damage to the pills during production has been going on for years. There
are 15 stages of manufacturing and each has been optimized to less than 1% of scrap
which exceeds industry standards. The video inspection system will provide a 33% return
on investment which meets management’s financial criteria. Unfortunately, money is tight
and management has hired your company to find a lower cost solution. (See attached
layout of inspection area)
 Objective: Find a nearly ideal solution -- the function is performed without the system.
 Strategy: Apply Ideation/TRIZ to solve the problem using the concept of ideality, existing
resources and physical, chemical and geometric effects.
 Actions: Define the function and the system. Define the problem in terms of ideality, i.e.,
what should happen? What are the resources and physical, chemical and geometric effects
that are readily available? Find a solution to the problem. ® Ideation International

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
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PILL INSPECTION WORKSTATION

Vibratory feed move pills around an internal spiral to top of vibratory bowl where
the pills are discharge and slide down an incline plane onto a conveyor. As the
pills go by, the inspectors identify and remove the damaged pills.

Damaged Pills

Conveyor
Trash Can
® Ideation International
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SYSTEM PROPOSAL AND CHALLENGE

 Replace inspectors with a $200K video


inspection system
 High return project, but capital is not
available
 Boss says, that’s a great idea, but “Find
another way!!”

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GOOD PILLS/BAD PILLS

 What is IDEALITY?

 What are the RESOURCES we have?

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PILL INSPECTION WORKSTATION

Vibratory feed move pills around an internal spiral to top of vibratory bowl where
the pills are discharge and slide down an incline plane onto a conveyor. As the
pills go by, the inspectors identify and remove the damaged pills.

Damaged Pills

Conveyor
Trash Can
® Ideation International
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
An Elegant Solution: The Pill INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Inspects Itself

Change the escapement for the vibratory bowl so that the pills are ejected
standing on their edge. Move the conveyor 3 inches. Pills that are round will roll
at a velocity that allows them to jump to the conveyor. The pills that are chipped
will slide or will roll at a lower velocity and fall into the trash.
Resource:
Velocity of the sliding or rolling pills
Function (inspection of pills) is
performed without the system
(human inspectors or video
inspection system).

Trash Can

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Let’s revisit the “new
machine” problem
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Contradictions/Separation
Principles-
One of the Most Powerful Parts
of the
TRIZ Methodology
It’s what keeps us from getting to
ideality, so we compromise

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SECONDARY PROBLEMS--ONE OF THE
KEYS TO BREAKTHROUGH
INVENTIONS AND ACHIEVING
IDEALITY

“That’s a good idea,


but………

“The ideal solution would


be….., but I can’t achieve it
because….
VISUALIZING
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CONTRADICTIONS

Normal Design Tradeoff or Current


Bad Performance Barrier Curve
Constant Design Capability

Parameter A
TRIZ Moves Performance
Barrier Curve toward the
Origin

Good

Parameter B
Good Bad

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THE CONTRADICTION TABLE

 The first organized form of TRIZ


 A little bulky and unwieldy without computerization, but
still useful in quick and dirty screening for solutions
 Computerized in software products, available on line at
various web sites, in many publications (
http://www.triz40.com/aff_Matrix_TRIZ.php)
 Applies to technical contradictions
 The 39X39 table
 http://www.triz40.com/TRIZ_GB.php

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CONTRADICTION TABLE
• Possible contradictions
Undesired 1 2 14 38 39 represented in 39 x 39 table

Nonmoving Object
Result Moving Object
(Degraded
• Intersections of contradicting

Productivity
Automation
Weight of
Weight of

Strength

Level of
Feature)
rows and columns are
Feature references to 40 inventive
to Improve principles for contradiction
Weight of 28, 27, elimination
1 Moving Object 18, 40
Weight of
2 Nonmoving Object

Level of
28
28 Replace
Replaceaamechanical
mechanicalsystem
systemwith
with
38 aanon
Automation nonmechanical
mechanicalsystem
system
27
27 An inexpensive short-lifeobject
An inexpensive short-life objectinstead
instead
39 Productivity
ofofananexpensive durable one
expensive durable one
18
18 Mechanicalvibration
Mechanical vibration
40 Composite materials
40 Composite materials

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 Proposed Solution Pathways:


MAPPING
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CONTRADICTIONS

Infinitely FUNCTION: JOIN PHYSICAL OBJECT


re-usable

Zipper
Lock-nut
Adaptability
velcro braid wire
paper-clip rope
Self-tapping
screw
Post-it
Lock-nut
MIG/TIG Friction
epoxy
Paper glue staple braze bond
One-time nail weld

Required Strength of join

Used by permission of D. Mann, CreaTRIZ


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SYSTEM EVOLUTION TOWARD INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

IDEALITY

Infinitely Contradiction Elimination


Place your solution on the graph of
re-usable Direction Main Useful Attributes to help
Identify opportunities

Zipper

Adaptability
Lock-nut
CLASS
velcro braid wire
EXAMPLES?
paper-clip rope
Self- tapping
screw
Post-it
Lock-nut
MIG/TIG Friction
epoxy
Paper glue staple braze bond
One-time nail weld

Required Strength of join

Used by permission of D. Mann, CreaTRIZ


®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
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Contradictions - Jet Engine


Boeing wanted to install larger engines on a
redesigned 737. A larger air intake would reduce
ground clearance to unacceptable levels.

Contradiction:
Increasing air intake
reduces ground
clearance
Control parameter:
Intake radius

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
#5 VS. #3 in table
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Contradictions - Jet Engine


Resolve the contradiction by Separation
Make the radius
large laterally for
high air flow.
Make the radius
smaller downward
for high ground
clearance.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
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SEPARATION PRINCIPLES FOR


PHYSICAL CONTRADICTIONS
(PARAMETERS OF A SYSTEM IN
CONFLICT)
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PHYSICAL CONTRADICTION

• A characteristic must be higher and lower (self-


opposing)
• Example: An airplane wing should have large area for
easy takeoff but small area for higher speed
• Example: A pen tip should be sharp to draw fine
lines, but blunt to avoid tearing the paper
• A characteristic must be present and absent
• Example: For sandblasting the abrasive must be
present (to abrade) but is not wanted on (or in) the
product
• Example: Aircraft landing gear are needed for landing
but undesired in flight

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PLATING METAL PARTS
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• To plate metal parts with nickel they


were placed in a bath of nickel salt.
The bath was heated to increase the
productivity of the process. However,
heating reduced the stability of the
salt solution and it started to
decompose.

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CONTRADICTIONS
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A B Technical
Contradiction
Control Parameter, C
So:
C should be high, and Physical
C should be low Contradiction
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CONVERTING TECHNICAL INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

CONTRADICTIONS TO
PHYSICAL CONTRADICTIONS
• Technical Contradiction
• Heating increases productivity (A), but wastes
material (B)
• Control parameter is temperature
• Physical Contradiction
• Temperature (C) should be high to increase
productivity and low to avoid waste

A B

Control Parameter, C
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PRINCIPLES OF SEPARATION

• TRIZ seeks to eliminate the


physical contradiction by
separating the two contradictory
requirements
• Separation in space
• Separation in time
• Separation between the parts and
the whole
• Separation upon condition
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SEPARATION IN TIME

• A characteristic is made larger at one time and smaller at


another
• A characteristic is present at one time and absent at
another
• Example: Concrete piles must be pointed for easy driving
but not pointed to support a load. The piles are made with
pointed tips which are destroyed after driving, via an
embedded explosive.
• Example: Aircraft wings are longer for takeoff, and then
pivot back for high speed flight.
• Example: Consider the problem of sand accumulation with
abrasive sandblasting. An effective solution is to use dry
ice chips as the abrasive. After abrading, the chips will
simply disappear by sublimation.

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SEPARATION IN SPACE
• A characteristic is made larger in one
place and smaller in another
• A characteristic is present in one
place and absent in another
• Example: Submarines which pull sonar
detectors drag the detectors at the end
of several thousand feet of cable to
separate the detector from the noise of
the submarine
• Example: Bifocal glasses
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SEPARATION BETWEEN PARTS


AND THE WHOLE

• A characteristic has one value at the


system level and the opposite value at
the component level
• A characteristic exists at the system level
but not at the component level (or vice
versa)
• Example: A bicycle chain is rigid at the
micro-level for strength, and flexible at the
macro-level.
• Example: Epoxy resin and hardener are
liquid until mixed, then they solidify.
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A “SOFT” EXAMPLE
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• Example: A business should be


large and small
• Large for profits and resources
• Small for flexibility
• Solution: Formation of a
conglomerate of small
independent organizations
under one umbrella
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

SEPARATION UPON CONDITION

• A characteristic is high under one condition and


low under another
• A characteristic is present under one condition
and absent under another
• Example: A kitchen sieve is porous with regard
to water and solid with regard to food.
• Example: Water is “soft if entered at a low
speed. However, it one jumps into the same
water from a height of 10 meters, the water
feels considerably harder. Thus, the speed of
the body’s interaction with the water is the
condition to be considered when applying this
principle.
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
PLATING METAL PARTS
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

• To plate metal parts with nickel they


were placed in a bath of nickel salt.
The bath was heated to increase the
productivity of the process. However,
heating reduced the stability of the
salt solution and it started to
decompose.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

SEPARATION IN SPACE
• In the nickel plating of parts,
increased temperature is necessary
only in proximity to the parts. To
accomplish this, the parts themselves
may be heated, rather than the
solution.

-
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Intersecting Highways

Two major highways are


proposed to intersect. Traffic
?
cannot flow on both highways
without conflict.
State the technical contradiction:

State as a physical contradiction:

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Intersecting Highways

Separation in
space:
Over/under pass

Separation in time:
Stoplight or rush
hour directional
control
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Intersecting Highways
Separation by Parts:

Rotary or highways
merge and
crossover

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Intersecting Highways

Separation upon Condition:

Drawbridge or access control such as gates,


or possibly stoplights.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

OTHER EXAMPLES
I want my children to be
able to color, but I don’t
want them to color on the
walls…….

I want shorts in summer


and jeans in winter--in the
same piece of clothing
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
Note:
These same principles can
be applied to non-technical
and organizational
problems as well
APPLICATION OF
SEPARATION PRINCIPLES
TO AN ORGANIZATIONAL
PROBLEM
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE BUSINESS CLIMATE


 Everyone is overloaded
 Plates are full and getting fuller
 The world is full of “miracle” tools
 Objective sources to evaluate, compare, and
assess appropriate application are few and far
between

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION PARADOXES INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

HIGHLIGHTED BY GROUP

 Somebody’s job vs. everybody’s job


 “Inside” business structure vs. “outside”
business structure focus
 Chaos vs. discipline
 Passion vs. objectivity
 Risk vs. job security

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Let’s apply separation


principles to these
contradictions!

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

SOMEBODY’S JOB VS.


EVERYONE’S JOB

 Separation
 Time
 rotate responsibilities, % time allocation, some full time staff
 Space
 innovation space/room/lab, kindergarten room
 Condition
 simulate customer/business emergencies
 idea generation vs. separation
 Parts and whole
 target innovation/focus group, subgroups
 innovate within elements of whole project
 identify where innovation is useful in process
 break company into separate businesses
Select special parts of projects for focus, use special
parts of project teams to focus on innovation
Review new product development process itself
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
“INSIDE” BUSINESS VS.
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

“OUTSIDE” BUSINESS

 Separation
 Time
 life cycle time frame, initial innovation outside to inside
 Space
 mix it up
 Condition
 stimulus of business cycle changes, some outside innovation only, select people
to team with central business, swing to/fro with changing business conditions
 Parts and whole
 internal ventures

Set up wholly separate structure to deal


with totally new business concepts

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
CHAOS VS. DISCIPLINE
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

 Separation
 Time
 drive from chaos to discipline as innovation develops, recognize times
 separate project management meetings from brainstorming meetings
 Space
 safety zones for chaos--war room vs. meeting area
 Condition
 vs status of project, nature of customer, business environment, types of suppliers and
customers
 Parts and whole
 select department/process to reflect chaos and discipline separately
 external participants

Maintain a small group of people to continuously


challenge
Maintain a parallel process to innovate, but not slow
down primary project

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

PASSION VS. OBJECTIVITY

 Separation
 Time
 identify passion cycle and negotiate time to be objective, bring in new
blood
 Space
 separate peace from war, leader from decision maker
 objective from outside, passion from within
 Condition
 identify where we are to fit behavior, cycle between regularly to check
 idea generation vs. evaluation
 Parts and whole
 temper passion with objective, hold two types of reviews--passion and
objectivity
 perspective of different divisions
Separate types of reviews on parts of projects
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
RISK VS. JOB SECURITY
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

 Separation
 Time
 select seasoned/safe driver, identify gates and break points well
 phased transition/gradual commitment
 Space
 a place where frank comments can be made without fear of reprisal
 new company, isolated product development team
 Condition
 push rewards into product development/process teams
 incremental commitment
 gate reviews/decision points
 Parts and whole
 360 degree feedback
 competitive partnering, new investors and/or markets

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
STEP THREE

Aggressively confront
contradictions
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

REVERSE TRIZ

 Formulate original problem


 Invert the original problem
 Amplify the inverted problem
 Search for information and resources
 Hypothesis, tests, and correction

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE BOTTOM LINE...

MOST PROBLEMS THAT WE SOLVE AND MOST PATHS OF


EVOLUTION OF TECHNICAL SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY
KNOWN----THIS IS A MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIER

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO RECOGNIZE OTHERS’


PROBLEMS AND TECHNOLIGIES IN GENERIC FORM (IN
DISGUISE?)

SOME PEOPLE MAKE A CAREER OUT OF MAKING THEIR


PROBLEM SEEM TRULY UNIQE

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

IN CONCLUSION…...

 TRIZ is both a powerful problem definition


and solution tool
 It changes the way we think about
problems
 It adds value to many other problem
definition and solution tools, including
QFD

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

CHALLENGES IN USING

 A disciplined process
 The effort is up front in defining the problem
 An exhaustive solution set--are you prepared to
handle and analyze?
 Makes everyone an innovator, not just a few
 Potentially seen as a threat by a few
 Analogic thinking training?

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

RESOURCES
 Annual Altshuller conference, Seattle, 4/25-7, 2003
 Introductory workshops, TRIZ in non-technical areas, how to
implement, Altshuller Institute, www.aitriz.org
 www.innovation-triz.com web site, newsletter
 TRIZ Journal, on line at www.triz-journal.com (free)
 Books ($40-80)
 “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared”, Altshuller
 “TRIZ: The Right Solution at the Right Time”, Salamatov
 “The Engineering of Creativity”, Savransky
 “Simplified TRIZ”, Rantanen and Domb
 “Hands on Systematic Innovation”, Mann

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Another TRIZ tool:

Patterns of Evolution
Lines of Evolution

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

PATTERNS OF EVOLUTION --
A PRIMARY TRIZ POSTULATE

 Engineering (technological) systems


evolve not randomly, but according to
objective patterns
 These patterns can be revealed from the
patent literature and analysis of system
development and purposefully used for
systems development without numerous
blind trials

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

PATTERNS OF EVOLUTION OF
TECHNICAL SYSTEMS

1. Stages of Evolution
2. Evolution Toward Increased Ideality
3. Non-Uniform Development of Systems Elements
4. Evolution Toward Increased Dynamism and Controllability
5. Increased Complexity then Simplification (Reduction)
6. Evolution with Matching and Mismatching Components
7. Evolution Toward Micro-level and Increased Use of Fields
8. Evolution Toward Decreased Human Involvement

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

1. TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
EVOLVE AND ARE REPLACED
Winning System -- this system cannot be
used to predict the next generation



Competing

Systems
A ‘ Possible
 Competing or
Time
Towing System
Influences

New Generation -- the prediction of this is made


as a result of the study of all technology
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

WHAT THIS MEANS..

 “S” curves exist


 System replacement can be a surprise
 Frequently, the curve ends when a system
runs out of resources OR when an
unresolvable contradiction is faced
Note: Altshuller recognized this DECADES
before others saw this

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

1. TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
EVOLVE AND ARE REPLACED
Winning System -- this system cannot be
used to predict the next generation



Competing

Systems
A ‘ Possible
 Competing or
Time
Towing System
Influences

New Generation -- the prediction of this is made


as a result of the study of all technology
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission
S-CURVE ANALYSIS
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

1 3
Level of Inventions

Time Time
Number of Inventions 4 Profitability of Inventions
2

Time Time

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


2. EVOLUTION TOWARD INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

INCREASED IDEALITY

• Every system performs functions which generate


useful effects and harmful effects
• The general direction for system improvement
maximizes the ratio of ideality
• We strive to improve the level of ideality as we
create and choose inventive solutions

All Useful Functions


IDEALITY
= All Harmful Functions
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

SYSTEMS EVOLVE TOWARD IDEALITY...

 Through the use of readily available


resources
 Through the use of derived resources
 Resources able to perform additional
functions

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
3. NON-UNIFORM INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEM
ELEMENTS

• Each system component has its own S-curve


• Different components usually evolve according to
their own schedule (airplane)
• Different system components reach their inherent
limits at different times, resulting in
contradictions (think about the auto!)
• The component that reaches its limit first is
“holding back” the overall system
• Elimination of contradictions allows the system to
continue to improve

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Inventions drive new ideas--as


they resolve contradictions, they
allow a system to evolve to solve
the “next” contradiction
WHEN WERE THESE
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED?

 Aircraft with 12 wings


 Helicopter
 Combustion engine
 Jet engine
 Propellers
 Gyroscopic auto-pilot

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


USING CONTRADICTIONS
PROACTIVELY

The contradiction table and


separation principles are used to
resolve contradictions

To identify the next breakthrough


area, identify the current
contradiction

But be careful to look at both your


system and competitive systems!
4. EVOLUTION TOWARD INCREASED INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

DYNAMICS AND CONTROL

Transition to Multifunctional Performance Increasing system


System dynamism allows
System with
with System
System with
with
Non-Dynamic
Non-Dynamic Changeable functions to be
Changeable Variable
Variable
System
System Elements performed with
Elements Components
Components greater flexibility
or variety
Increasing Degrees of Freedom
System
SystemChangeable
Changeable System
SystemChangeable
Changeable
atatthe
theMechanical
Mechanical atatthe
theMicro-Level:
Micro-Level:
Non-Dynamic
Non-Dynamic Level:
Level:with
withaaHinge,
Hinge, Phase
PhaseTransformations,
Transformations,
System
System Hinge
HingeMechanism,
Mechanism, Chemical
Chemical
Flexible
FlexibleMaterials,
Materials,etc.
etc. Transformations,
Transformations,etc.
etc.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE LINE OF SEGMENTATION

Field
Vacuum
Plasma
Gas, aerosol
Liquid, foam
Paste, gel
Loose Body
Set of Plates
Monolith

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

To Increase Dynamicity Consider

 Provide more than one stable state


 Bi-stable membrane
 Over center clamp
 Make a fixed component movable
 Make parts movable relative to each other
 Hinge
 Flexible materials as links
 Introduce a mobile object

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

EXAMPLE

Examples of Segmentation
Rigid, flexible, wave

Exercise equipment
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Hand Saw Patents

 3/91 4,999,916----Mechanical pivot

 12/93 5,271,155----plus tilt axially

 9/95 5,452,515----plus curved surface

4 1/2 years!!!!

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE FOLLOWING MORE


FLEXIBLE/DYNAMIC?

 Car insurance

 Airline food service

 Soda/pop machines

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.
You Are Sure to Get What You Paid For In Airline Food
---
The Best Vittles Get Served On High-Revenue Flights; Frequent Flier's Surprise
By Melanie Trottman

07/06/2000 The Wall Street Journal


(Copyright (c) 2000, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

Airline passengers all know whether they're sitting in first-class or coach. But now there's a new hidden
class structure in the air. Some airlines have begun to parcel out their food offerings far more carefully,
changing the menu in coach based on how much you paid for your seat.

The recipe goes like this: The higher the revenue generated on a flight, the better the food is, or the more of
it you get. Routes carrying the highest concentration of high-fare business travelers get souped-up meals,
while planeloads of vacationers, or even business travelers in low-fare markets, get less.

Last year, America West developed a five-tier meal system for its coach cabin. The carrier's food planners
consult with the yield-management department and the marketing department to identify routes with the
highest concentration of high-fare business travelers.

Flights between Phoenix and Newark, Boston and Philadelphia are "top tier" food routes for America West,
garnering the best meals the airline buys. Those flights get a choice of a hot or cold entree at dinnertime,
with offerings such as chicken enchilada, Salisbury steak, chicken fettuccine, oriental chicken salad or
walnut chicken pasta salad.

America West's flights between Phoenix and lower-revenue business centers such as Atlanta, Indianapolis
and Detroit get "second tier" meals. Salad entrees aren't offered, and portions are smaller. The entree might
be a hot sandwich, perhaps a chicken wrap, or a barbecue chicken pizza.

"It continues to scale down from there," says Anthony Mule, America West's vice president of inflight
services, all the way to a cold sandwich in a bag for mealtime flights in low-fare leisure markets. "We
really try to target the meal type for the kind of traveler that's on the aircraft," he says.

Like America West, Continental Airlines considers the market, the length of the trip and the revenue
generated to determine whether a meal is served on certain flights. "If it's a beach market where we know
there are leisure travelers and one-time travelers, we may serve just a snack," says Linda Zane, senior
director of dining services for Continental.

But flights in higher-revenue business markets -- like Cleveland-Philadelphia or Cleveland-Washington,


D.C. -- offer a sandwich, carrots or chips and a sweet, even though the trip takes less than two hours.

Travelers can't find out about all this when they make reservations. And by creating different classes of
coach food, depending on where the airplane is headed, airlines run the risk of angering business travelers
bound for cities that happen to be vacation spots, like Orlando or Las Vegas. Once business travelers
become accustomed to a certain sort of meal, they can be very annoyed when they are on vacation and the
food stinks.

Even nonleisure markets get the dreaded snack sack if fare competition has driven flight profitability down.
"They just gave us a starvation thing," complains Tony Olson, a retiree from Scottsdale, Ariz., who flew
home to Phoenix from St. Louis, a route where America West competes with low-fare Southwest Airlines.
For many, it wouldn't matter much: After all, it's still airline food. San Diego police officer Rick Miele had
the good fortune to be on a top-tier route from Newark to Phoenix recently, but it was more than he could
stomach. The chicken casserole dinner was "terrible," he says. So while making his connection, he stood in
line at a burrito place to get his dinner.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
"We give them [caterers] very, very detailed recipes and instructions," including photos showing how a
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.
salad is to look, says Gary Franson, director of food services at Northwest Airlines.

The picture of airline food was a bit different a few years ago when airlines cut back on food service to
trim costs. Travelers complained loudly. The scrimping hit on-the-go business travelers the hardest, since
they often don't have time to eat at restaurants or airports.

Now, with profits healthy and business-traveler fares sky high, airlines have tried to make tactical
improvements in food service, restoring meals to some flights and working to improve menus in coach.
Food spending has increased modestly. American Airlines, for example, spent $8.31 per passenger in the
third quarter of 1999, about 5% more than the $7.88 per passenger of a year earlier.

Continental started baking its own bread. America West started serving hot barbecue and meatloaf
sandwiches. And business-traveler clout led Delta Air Lines to upgrade meals on hundreds of flights two
years ago, many of them trips between Atlanta and prime business centers such as New York, Chicago,
Dallas and Boston.

"We compete vigorously on those business markets, and they're very important," says Delta spokesman
John Kennedy.

Northwest Airlines earlier this year said it would spend an added $23.7 million annually, or about 10%
more, on food, says Mr. Franson. That included adding food service to 205 flights, many of them shorter
flights in business markets or flights after 8 at night in business markets.

The airline added a cold sandwich, chips and a cookie to an evening Minneapolis-Los Angeles flight after
business travelers complained that pretzels and peanuts on a four-hour flight didn't do the trick. And in the
business-dominated Minneapolis-Chicago market, Northwest offers a buffet at the gate. "All major snack
groups," Mr. Franson says. "People love that."

Indeed, many do. "I think it's a great idea -- we were really rushing this morning," says Tim Grover, a
woodworker in Chicago waiting to board his flight to Minneapolis.

But Ernest Fackler of Chicago was glummer as he recently surveyed the buffet at the gate of Northwest's
Chicago-to-Minneapolis flight. With only 12 minutes left before his 7 p.m. flight was set to take off, the
pickings were slim. "Look at it -- it's empty," said Mr. Fackler, pointing to a bin that was restocked with
cold ham-and-cheese sandwiches after he boarded the plane.

Airline food executives say coach passengers should keep their expectations in place. "Let's not pretend it's
a banquet, because it's not," says Rob Britton, American Airlines' former managing director of food and
beverage.

Copyright © 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
Insurance by The Minute
By Ira Carnahan, 12.11.00
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Forbes

IF DRIVERS PAID FOR gasoline the way they pay for auto insurance, they would pay a flat fee to a gas
station every few months. After that they could pump all the gas they wanted. Sound silly? Of course.
Under such a system, low-mileage drivers would subsidize high-mileage drivers. Everyone would spend
more time on the road since the added cost of doing so would be zero.

All-you-can-pump gas isn't about to catch on. But all-you-can-drive auto insurance is here. It's the norm.
An experiment by Ohio-based Progressive Corp., however, could eventually change that. Progressive has
fitted the cars of some of its Texas drivers with videocassette-size Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)
devices. The devices, which sit behind the dashboard, track the number of minutes customers drive, as well
as where they drive and when. The insurer then uses this information to set each customer's premium. If
this doesn't prove too costly-and if regulators don't block it-it could reshape the auto insurance industry.

For Progressive, the nation's fourth-largest auto insurer, with revenue of $6 billion, the benefits are clear. If
it can assess the risks of different drivers more precisely than the next insurer, it will be in a position to
price coverage in a way to attract low-risk customers and chase away high-risk ones. The Progressive rating
system doesn't displace traditional criteria (like age, address, vehicle model and accident history) but rather
supplements them. You pay more in the Progressive GPS plan for driving a lot, driving at night or driving
in cities.

While other insurers typically ask their drivers about mileage, the answers don't have much effect on
premiums, says James Barrett of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. "They assume that you
lie, because it is in your interest to do so," he says. "And so they give very little weight to those insurance
forms that you fill out."

Progressive's experiment avoids this problem. And it's not just the insurer, which can charge drivers more
accurately, that sees benefits. So, too, do drivers and possibly society at large. According to Progressive,
customers in Houston, where tests of the program began in 1998, have saved an average of 25%, with some
saving 50% or more. Just how much of that savings is due to people altering their driving habits is .unclear.
But transportation experts say that making premiums fully variable-Progressive makes them mostly
variable-would lower the number of miles people drive by 10% or more.
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

5. INCREASED COMPLEXITY
AND THEN SIMPLIFICATION

• Technological systems tend to develop first


toward increased complexity (i.e., increased
quantity and quality of systems functions), and
then toward simplification (where the same or
better performance is provided by a less complex
system). This may be accomplished by
transforming the system into a bi- or poly-system,
as shown here in two of the lines of evolution
related to this pattern.

Mono-system Bi-system Improved (Simplified) Mono-system

Mono-system Poly-system Improved (Simplified) Mono-system

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


6. EVOLUTION WITH MATCHING INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

AND MISMATCHING ELEMENTS

• System elements are matched or mismatched to improve


performance or to compensate for undesired effects. A
typical evolution might be:
• Unmatched elements
• Matched elements
• Mismatched elements
• Dynamic matching and mismatching
• Example: Automobile suspension system development
• Springs attached between wheels and body
• Shock absorber and spring tuned to damp out impact forces
• Semi-rigid rubber isolation mounting between body and shock
• Active suspension system automatically adjusts to road
conditions

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

EXAMPLE

Breakfast cereal
Mono system flakes
Bi system coated flakes
Poly system “Honey Nut” coated clusters of multi grain
flakes with raisins and dried fruit
General Mills “My Cereal” web site to make your own
mix
WHAT TO MATCH AND INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

MISMATCH
 System structure  Rhythms of
 Materials functioning
 Strength  Dimensions
 Reliability  Weights
 Physical state (gas,  Colors
solid, liquid)  Chemical, electrical, or
 Temperature magnetic properties
 Personal styles

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

EXAMPLE

Beverage Bottle and Cap


Threads initially matched like nut and bolt
Now threads on cap are segmented allowing each segment
to act as a spring
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

EXAMPLE

Polyethylene Liners for Double-


sided Adhesive Tapes
Initially solid polyethylene
Multi-layers of different densities to give better unwind
characteristics. Difference in release levels allows the
adhesive to stay on the proper side of the liner.
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

OTHER EXAMPLES

 Multi-layer films and composites


 Weight mismatch to make something spin
 Polar and non-polar chemistry
 Particle orientation to make properties
flow in only one direction
 Others?

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
7. EVOLUTION TOWARD THE INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

MICROLEVEL AND INCREASED USE OF


FIELDS

• Technological systems tend to transition from


macro systems to micro systems. During this
transition, different types of energy fields are
used to achieve better performance or control
• Example: Cooking oven development
• Large cast iron wood stove
• Smaller stove fired by natural gas
• Electrically-heated oven
• Microwave oven
Macro- Use
Macro- Poly-system
Poly-systemfrom
from Poly-system
Poly-systemfrom
from Use
Useofof Use
Useofof Use
Useofof Useofof
Level
Level parts with simple small particles Material Chemical Atomic Energy
parts with simple small particles Material Chemical Atomic Energy
shapes
shapes(balls,
(balls,rods,
rods, (powder,
(powder,etc.)
etc.) Structure
Structure Processes
Processes Level
Level Fields
Fields
sheets, etc.)
sheets, etc.)

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 ®Ideation International, used by permission


INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE TRANSITION

MeThChEM
(Mechanical, Thermal, Chemical, Electronic, Magnetic,
Electromagnetic)

Ex: Polymer Processing,


Photography
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

EXAMPLES
 Toothbrushes  Tools
 Pointing devices  Flow of electricity
 Adhesives  Control systems (on/off,
 Pointers regulates, regulates vs. needs)
 House construction  Hydraulic pressure,
 Telephone synchronicity, matched
frequency, away from
 Automobile steering, other resonant frequencies
systems  Sunglasses, compensating bi-
 Functional connections systems
 Writing instruments  A/C systems
 Software development  Computer interfaces
 Polymer processing

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
WHAT WOULD THE “NEXT”
FIELD BE IN YOUR
SYSTEM? COULD YOU USE
IT? DO YOU UNDERSTAND
IT?
8. EVOLUTION TOWARD INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

DECREASED HUMAN
INVOLVEMENT

• Systems develop to perform tedious


functions that free people to do more
intellectual work
• Example: Clothes washing

Tub and washboard

Ringer washing machine

Automatic washing machine

Automatic washing machine with automatic
dispensing of bleach and fabric softener
• REMEMBER THE NEW MACHINE AND PILL???
®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
HOW AND WHEN TO USE INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

LINES OF EVOLUTION

 Next generation product development


 Patent filings (expand and get around)
 Consumer research
 Forecasting
 “Back-filling” opportunities

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
MULTIPLE LINE
ANALYSIS

PIE CHART LINES OF


EVOLUTION
Evolutionary Potential
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

‘Evolutionary Limit’
of component relative
to predicted evolution
trends

Current evolutionary
position of component
for a given trend

(Each spoke in the evolutionary potential radar plot


represents one of the known technology trends identified
by TRIZ researchers)

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

NINE BOX DIAGRAM


PAST SUPER-SYSTEM/PRESENT FUTURE

SYSTEM

SUB-SYSTEM

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

APPLICATIONS IN INNOVATION

 Input to strategic planning, technology


acquisition, and
 Extension of patented concepts to
generate additional royalty income
 Broaden patent claims to hinder
competitors
 Get around competitive patents

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

 Strategic planning in acquisitions and


product development
 Personnel planning
 New business development and licensing

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
LINKING WITH CPS, INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

BRAINSTORMING, LATERAL
THINKING

 CPS/Brainstorming/Lateral Thinking™
 Use of “uninhibited” thinking, or selected random
words
 Use resource and ideality thinking
 Use 40 principles in random order
 Use separation principles in reverse to stimulate
new concepts
 Use reverse TRIZ and Lines of Evolution
concepts as stimulus

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE SIX HATS™ PROCESS


 Problem solving process is divided into segments
where everyone must do the same “type” of
thinking at the same time
 Each person wears the same “hat” at the same
time to minimize negative aspects of arguments,
etc.
 One of the most widely used innovation processes
in the world--easy to learn and effective for
simple to moderately complicated problems

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE SIX HATS

 Blue---meeting process, thinking process


 White---information that is needed
 Green---propose ideas, free thinking
 Black---what is wrong with this idea
 Yellow---what is good about this idea
 Red---emotional, “gut” feel about idea

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
DEFICIENCY IN THE INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

PROCESS

 Stimulus for ideation is still limited by the


expertise in the room
 Weak, informal problem definition step
 “Selected” random words used for
stimulation (Lateral Thinking™)

™Lateral Thinking is registered trademark of APTT and DeBono International


®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

WHEN AND HOW TO COMBINE


TRIZ WITH THIS PROCESS

 White/information hat:
 Have we identified all the contradictions?
 A problem definition diagram, such as the Problem
Formulator™
 Green/ideation hat:
 Use of contradiction table, software examples
 Black/problem hat:
 Use reverse TRIZ technique
 Yellow/Good hat:
 Use ideality thinking and lines of evolution to improve ideas
 Blue hat:
 Use Problem Formulator™ to diagram the meeting and ideation
process

™Problem Formulator and Anticipatory Failure Determination are trademarks of


®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 Ideation International
FRONT LOAD INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

THE PROCESS

 “The worst sin of all is to do an excellent


job at that which should not have been
done at all”
 NY Times, anonymous
 “We never have time to do it right, but we
always have time (and money!) to do it
over”
 Anonymous

®Innovation-TRIZ, 2003

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