TRIZ is a Russian acronym for the words that, translated literally, mean Theory of the Solution of Inventive Problems. It was originally created to guide problem-solvers toward strong solutions for inventive problems, TRIZ evolved to such an extent that it can be called a science.
TRIZ differs from other problem-solving methods because it is based on technology, not psychology. An enormous amount of information has been extracted by TRIZ scientists from more than two million patents worldwide as well as the study of technological evolution throughout history. This information has been analyzed to reveal an objective, verifiable set of patterns and regularities depicting the evolution of technological systems. These results evolved over time into a collection of analytical and knowledge-base tools capable of delivering reliable and repeatable results. TRIZ is more than a methodology or a tool, however. As you will soon see, it is a new way of thinking.
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TRIZ has been employed by many Fortune 500 companies in the United States and other countries to solve manufacturing problems and create new products. These promoters claim that companies such as BAE Systems, CSC, Intel, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Company, Boeing, Philips Semiconductors, Samsung, LG Electronics, and many others have used TRIZ concepts to systematically solve complex technical and organizational problems. The use of TRIZ has been expanding into other areas, |
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and that TRIZ has been used successfully in biomedical research, medicine, computer programming, business management, etc. |
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In 1946, Genrich Altshuller, a Russian engineer and inventor, set out to create a systematic procedure to guide innovators through the process of generating highly- innovative solutions. The development of TRIZ continued until the mid-1980s, when Altshuller became ill and was forced to curtail his work. We refer to the evolution of TRIZ from 1946 to the mid-1980s as the Classical TRIZ Era.
In 1982, after almost a decade of significant achievements and practical application in TRIZ, Boris Zlotin, a friend and colleague of Altshuller’s, founded a TRIZ school in Kishinev, Moldova. The research and development conducted by the Kishinev School yielded considerable enhancements to TRIZ, including a restructured set of Patterns of Evolution of Technological Systems, and the creation of a TRIZ tool for analyzing and preventing failures (now called Anticipatory Failure Determination, or AFD).
By 1992, the Kishinev School was the most accomplished TRIZ school in Russia, not only for its contributions to the methodology but for having taught TRIZ to over 6,000 students, and solving (or facilitating the solution of) more than 4,000 technological problems.
Not long after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Kishinev School joined forces with American entrepreneurs to form Ideation International. Ideation’s goals included the development of a leading group of TRIZ scientists capable of continuously advancing the methodology, including:
• Advancing the TRIZ knowledge base by developing and
improving TRIZ tools
• Developing new workplace applications for TRIZ
• Disseminating TRIZ throughout the world’s engineering, academic and public arenas
To accomplish these ambitious goals, considerable attention was given to transforming TRIZ from a Russian-style methodology to one suitable to the Western learning style. Included with this change in approach was the need to computerize TRIZ and make it more user-friendly. The work of Ideation International resulted in what is known today as the Ideation/TRIZ Methodology, or I-TRIZ.
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