USING TRIZ TO FIND FAULT WITH THE FUTURE

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INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

• USING TRIZ TO FIND FAULT WITH THE FUTURE
• World Future Society
• Philadelphia, PA
• July 21, 2002
• Jack Hipple, Principal
• Innovation-TRIZ, Inc.
• www.innovation-triz.com

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OBJECTIVES

• Briefly review the concepts of TRIZ
• Ideality, resources, patterns of invention
• Explain and demonstrate the use of reverse TRIZ
  thinking in forecasting and planning
• NOTE All day workshop on TRIZ problem solving
  and forecasting on Tuesday at WFS

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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, thinking processes, 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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BASICS OF OTHER CREATIVITY TOOLS

• Psychology more than science and technology
• DeBono, Lateral Thinking/Six Hats, Creative
  Problem Solving
• Can discuss integration
• Randomness
• Brainstorming, picture, etc. stimulation
• Can discuss integration
• Highly dependent upon facilitation skills
• Fine for simple problems and can be easily
  learned
• Limited by knowledge in the room--TRIZ looks
  outside the knowledge and experience in the room
  in a systematic and structured way

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THE HISTORY OF TRIZ

• A discovery of a talented patent examiner for the
  Russian navy, Genrich Altshuller, 1950s
• Originated from the study of several hundred
  thousand of the worlds 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

• 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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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, thats 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
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An Elegant Solution The Pill 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
Ideation International
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RESOURCE CHECKLIST

• Substances
• Fields
• Space
• Time
• Information
• Functional

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SOLVING A CONTACT LENSE PROBLEM

• Space resources
• from the perspective of a contact lense
  manufacturer
• from the standpoint of a semi-conductor
  manufacturer

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OTHER TRIZ TOOLS

• Patterns of Invention for Forecasting
• Algorithms and tables for problem solving, both
  technical and non-technical
• Software products

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• TRIZ IN REVERSE A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
  FUTURE ISSUES AND FORECASTING

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REVERSE TRIZ

• What failures/problems may occur?

System

• Why failures/problems did occur?

Failures
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COMBINES..

• The rigor of the TRIZ process, but in reverse
• Proactive, rather than checklist, mental process

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REVERSE TRIZ

• Formulate original problem (the ideal final
  result)
• Invert the original problem (the opposite of the
  ideal final result/ideality)
• Amplify the inverted problem reverse ideality
• Search for information and resources
• Hypothesis, tests, and correction

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SMOKE-FREE TEST SHIP
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HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL HANDLING SYSTEM

• Bulk storage
• Received by rail car and truck, unloaded by N2
  pressure or pump
• Distribution to process
• Scrubber for containment
• Unloading with pressure transfer (T/C) and pump
  (T/T)
• Foam control in storage area

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Unload
Vent
N2
Scrubber
To Process
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THE REVERSE TRIZ APPROACH

• The problem I want to prevent a leak
• Invert the problem I WANT to have a leak
• Exaggerate/amplify the inverted problem I WANT
  to have a CATASTROPHIC leak, causing MAJOR damage
  and public affairs impact
• What RESOURCES do I need to have/cause a leak?

afd is a trademark of Ideation International
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RESOURCE CHECKLIST

• Substances
• Fields
• Space
• Time
• Information
• Functional

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REVERSE TRIZ THIS WORKSHOP

• I want to have a successful workshop
• I want to have an unsuccessful workshop
• I want to have the WORST workshop the WFS has
  ever hosted--no one ever comes again and WFS
  loses a ton of money!
• How would I make sure this happened?
• What resources do I need?

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VS. OTHER PROCESSES

• Compared to the HAZOP or FEMA checklist process,
  generates far more real possibilities, puts
  people in an aggressive mind set, and finds
  possibilities not otherwise found
• Software supported
• Larger knowledge base
• Use inventive skills and thinking from
  traditional TRIZ problem-solving

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USES

• Failure prediction for projects and product
  designs
• Failure prediction and/or analysis for technology
  developments
• Failure prediction for technology adoption and
  commercialization
• Failure prediction for management/organizational
  processes

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EXAMPLES

• How would I prevent this product from being
  successfully used?
• How would I make sure that this new technology
  would never be adopted?

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WALL STREET
JOURNAL 03/29/1999 Ford to Recall 945,000
Cars, Trucks to Fix Cruise Control DEARBORN,
Mich. - Ford Motor Co. is warning owners of
945,000 1998 and 1999 model cars and trucks not
to use the cruise-control feature because of a
potential defect that could cause the accelerator
to stick open. The auto maker said it knows of no
accidents related to the problem, which company
engineers discovered during tests, a Ford
spokeswoman said. The vehicles will be recalled
and repaired at no cost to customers starting in
May when Ford gets replacement parts, the
spokeswoman said. In the meantime, customers may
get the cruise-control mechanism disabled, the
company said. The models affected are about
567,000 1998 and 1999 Explorer and Mountaineer
sport-utility vehicles about 166,000 1998 and
1999 Ranger pick-ups 99,000 1998 and 1999
Mustangs 88,000 1999 Super Duty F-Series trucks
and about 25,000 1999 Super Duty F-Series
stripped chassis. To alert owners to the problem,
Ford is sending letters and directing customers
to a Web site, www.recall.ford.com, where they
can enter the vehicle identification number to
learn if their car or truck is affected.
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APPLICATION AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

• The principles of TRIZ and reverse TRIZ can be
  applied at different system levels from a
  competitive standpoint
• Need to understand what those levels are and how
  they might affect us
• What are potential negative events and causes at
  DIFFERENT levels?

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FOR EXAMPLE..AIRLINE HIJACKING

• Levels
• The cockpit
• The plane
• The boarding area
• The airport
• The space around the airport
• The atmosphere

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FOR EACH LEVEL.

• What resources are available to deliberately
  cause the unwanted event?

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TAKEAWAYS

• Try the reverse TRIZ process (how vs. what)
  for some failure or forecasting problem you
  currently have
• Substitute and compare this process with ANY
  checklist process currently used

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RESOURCES

• Web site, www.innovation-triz.com, monthly
  newsletter available
• Annual Altshuller conference, Philadelphia,
  spring, 2003
• Introductory workshops, TRIZ in non-technical
  areas, how to implement, application
  presentations
• Altshuller Institute, www.aitriz.org
• TRIZ Journal, on line at www.triz-journal.com
• Books
• And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared, Altshuller,
  40, Amazon.com
• TRIZ The Right Solution at the Right Time,
  Salamatov, 75, www.insytec.com, Amazon
• The Engineering of Creativity, Savransky, CRC
  Press/Amazon
• Hands On Systematic Innovation, Mann,
  www.creax.com