TRIZ (/trɪz/;Russian:теория решения изобретательских задач,romanized: teoriya resheniya izobretatelskikh zadach,lit. 'theory of inventive problem solving') is a methodology which combines an organized, systematic method of problem-solving with analysis and forecasting techniques derived from the study of patterns of invention in globalpatent literature. The development and improvement of products and technologies in accordance with TRIZ are guided by thelaws of technical systems evolution.[1][2] InEnglish, TRIZ is typically rendered as the theory of inventive problem solving.[3][4]
The development of TRIZ, led bySoviet inventor and science-fiction authorGenrich Altshuller and his colleagues, began in 1946. TRIZ developed from a foundation of research into hundreds of thousands of inventions in many fields to produce an approach which defines patterns in inventive solutions and the characteristics of the problems which these inventions have overcome.[5] The research produced three findings:
TRIZ applies these findings to create and improve products, services, and systems.[6]
TRIZ was developed by the Soviet inventor and science-fiction writerGenrich Altshuller and his associates. Altshuller began developing TRIZ in 1946 while working in the inventions inspection department of theCaspian Sea flotilla of theSoviet Navy. His role involved evaluating invention proposals, refining and documenting them, and preparing patent applications. Through this work, Altshuller recognised that many technical problems require inventive solutions because improving one parameter often leads to the deterioration of another, a situation he termed atechnical contradiction.
Altshuller's work on what later became TRIZ was interrupted in 1950 by his arrest and a 25-year sentence to theVorkutaGulag. The arrest was partially triggered by letters that he andRefael Shapiro sent toStalin, government ministers, and newspapers, criticising Soviet policy decisions they considered erroneous.[7] Altshuller and Shapiro were released during theKhrushchev Thaw following Stalin’s death in 1953,[8] and subsequently returned toBaku.
The first academic paper on TRIZ,On the psychology of inventive creation, was published in 1956 in the journalIssues in Psychology.[9]
By observing skilled inventors at work, Altshuller identified recurring patterns of creative thinking, which he used to develop a set of problem-solving tools and techniques. These includedSmart Little People andThinking in Time and Scale (also known as theScreens of Talented Thought).[10]
In 1986, Altshuller shifted his focus from technical problem-solving to the development of individual creativity. He adapted TRIZ for use by children, and this version was tested in several schools.[11] Following the end of theCold War, emigrants from the formerSoviet Union contributed to the international dissemination of TRIZ.[12]
TRIZ claims that by studying an individual parameter that is causing a problem (e.g., themass of an object needs to be reduced), and the other parameters with which it conflicts (e.g., the lower mass would require thinner material, which is more likely to undergo catastrophic failure), solutions can be created. This is actually the simplification of some fact. Namely, the structured contents of each of the cells within the contradiction matrix, (i.e. cells fulfilled with ordered principles and identified by their order numbers) - the principles of inventions have been chosen, due to realized necessary statistical extensive studies.[citation needed]
The 40 principles of invention are a suite of ideas that purport to aid in solving hard technical problems. The principles are based on TRIZ. One tool which evolved as an extension of TRIZ is acontradiction matrix, a structured and systematic representation of basic engineeringparameters of objects, or systems, such as mass, length andmanufacturing tolerances.[13] The ideal final result (IFR) is the ultimate solution of a problem when the desired result is achieved by itself.[14] Studies led by Altshuller led to this approach: according to Altshuller, every technical problem that requires a solution can be categorized in terms of what he called itsmain technical contradiction.[citation needed]
Altshuller proposed that the process of evolution of any given system is ruled by generallaws of systems evolution. One such law says that the process of finding the solution can be facilitated by forming analogies to solutions that had already been found for another technical problem. However, the main point is to acquire the necessary experience in correctly defining the Main Technical Contradiction.
Altshuller screened patents to discover which contradictions were resolved or eliminated by each invention and how this had been achieved. After identifying a distinction between incremental or "routine" inventions and those which represented true breakthrough inventions,[15] he developed a set of40 inventive principles and, later, a matrix of contradictions.[13] Although TRIZ was developed from analyzing technical systems, it has been used to understand and solve management problems.[16]
Samsung has invested in embedding TRIZ throughout the company.[17]
BAE Systems and GE also use TRIZ,[18][self-published source] Mars has documented how TRIZ led to a new patent for chocolate packaging.[19][self-published source] It has been used by Leafield Engineering, Smart Stabilizer Systems, and Buro Happold to solve problems and generate new patents.[20]
The automakersRolls-Royce,[21]Ford, andDaimler-Chrysler,Johnson & Johnson, aeronautics companiesBoeing,NASA, technology companiesHewlett-Packard,Motorola,General Electric,Xerox,IBM,LG,Intel,Procter & Gamble,Expedia, andKodak have also used TRIZ methods in projects.[8][22][23][24]
The industrial case study done at Intel scientifically validated the use and application of TRIZ in the semiconductor and high-tech industries, which was measured to provide significant productivity and profitability gain for the company, officially verified by Intel's Finance to exceed $212.5M in Return on Investment over the course of a 21-month deployment of the methodology across Intel's semiconductor manufacturing eco-system.[25]
TOP-TRIZ is a version of developed and integrated TRIZ methods promoted by TRIZ Master Zinovy Royzen, it is his version of TRIZ; it is not accepted as the definitive modern method of TRIZ by the International TRIZ Association (MATRIZ) "TOP-TRIZ includes further development of problem formulation and problem modeling, development of Standard Solutions into Standard Techniques, further development of ARIZ and Technology Forecasting. TOP-TRIZ has integrated its methods into a universal and user-friendly system for innovation."[26] In 1992, several TRIZ practitioners fleeing the collapsing Soviet Union relocated and formed Ideation International.[27] They developed I-TRIZ, their version of TRIZ.
InLiberating Structures, the facilitation method, also calledTRIZ, was "inspired by one small element of" the original TRIZ methodology but is used in a distinct context.[28] The method helps groups to identify and eliminate counterproductive practices by imagining the worst possible outcomes, recognizing current actions contributing to these scenarios, and designing practical steps to prevent them. This participatory approach emphasizes collaborative problem-solving within teams, setting it apart from the engineering-focused origins of the original TRIZ framework.
Within Spanish-language educational literature, educatorSaturnino de la Torre described Diálogo Analógico Creativo (Analogical Creative Dialogue, DAC) as a structured classroom procedure that sequences analogy generation, perspective shifting and guided evaluation to convert initial intuitions into applicable proposals in group settings. Although framed for higher education rather than engineering, this approach has been discussed alongside inventive problem-solving frameworks and classroom adaptations that orchestrate divergent and convergent phases in ways comparable to TRIZ-inspired practice.[29][30][31]
The German-based nonprofit European TRIZ Association,[32] founded in 2000,[33] hosts conferences with publications.[34]
{{cite journal}}:|archive-url= requires|url= (help)In 2003 TRIZ led to 50 new patents for Samsung and in 2004 one project alone, a DVD pick-up innovation, saved Samsung over $100 million. TRIZ is now an obligatory skill set if you want to advance within Samsung.
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