Darrell Mann: ‘Systematic Innovation’ (UK)Eric Spain: ‘Innovation Insight’ (HK)

Systematic Win‐Win Problem SolvingIn A Stakeholder‐Conflict Business Environment

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Systematic InnovationSystematic Innovation ‐ Overall Business Model

train‐the‐trainer

This talk1. The TRIZ beginnings.2. How TRIZ deals with Contradictions3. The development into 

‘Systematic innovation’ for‘Breakthrough Design’.

4. Example of an input into the ‘Breakthrough Database’.

5. How you would use it.

Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch

TRIZ

Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

QuickTime?and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.

GenrichAltshuller

1926‐ 1985

The start of TRIZ

QuickTime?and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.

Q: What makes for an invention?

A: Study historical documents

Studied 200,000 patents 

....and made some extraordinary discoveriesabout the patterns of innovation.

Stalin’s ‘thanks’Siberia: created a methodologyLater work

CONTRADICTIONS

IDEALITY

FUNCTIONALITY

RESOURCES

The Five Pillars of TRIZ Methodology

SPACE

TIME

INTERFACE

One Pillar: Contradictions

CONTRADICTIONS

IDEALITY

FUNCTIONALITY

RESOURCES

SPACE

TIME

INTERFACE

The  way TRIZ  deals with contradictionsin the physical world

Most often conflicts are solved 

using “trade‐off” and “compromise”strategies……

……sometimes called  ‘optimisation’. 

What it actually means, however, 

is “everyone loses”.

CONTRADICTIONS

Altshuller’s39 contradictions 

and 40 Inventive Principles

Altshuller:   39 Contradictions in the physical world

Altshuller: The 40 Inventive Principles

1.  Segmentation2.  Extraction3.  Local Quality4.  Asymmetry5.  Combination6.  Universality7.  ‘Nested Doll’8.  Counterweight9.  Prior Counter‐Action10.  Prior Action11.  Prior Cushioning12.  Equi‐potentiality13.  ‘The Other Way Round’14.  Spheroidality15.  Dynamics16.  Partial or Excessive Action17.  Another Dimension18.  Mechanical Vibration19.  Periodic Action20.  Continuity of Useful Action

21.  Skipping22.  ‘Blessing in Disguise’23.  Feedback24.  Intermediary25.  Self‐Service26.  Copying27.  Cheap/Short Living28.  Mechanics Substitution29.  Pneumatics and Hydraulics30.  Flexible Shells/Thin Films31.  Porous Materials32.  Colour Changes33.  Homogeneity34.  Discarding and Recovering35.  Parameter Changes36.  Phase Transitions37.  Thermal Expansion38.  Strong Oxidants39.  Inert Atmosphere40.  Composite Materials

InventivePrinciplesfor eachContradiction.

Contradictions

Close up

Section of the Matrix

Example: Weight vs. LengthMatrix says: think about these:

• 28.  Mechanics Substitution

• 40.  Composite Materials

• 29.  Pneumatics and Hydraulics

• 35.  Parameter Changes

…………the meaning of each is given.

The basic TRIZ approach to contradictions

AProblemLike Mine

My SpecificSolution

AGenericSolution

My SpecificProblem

This approach gives:

Discipline to stating the problem&

direction to thinking for likely solutions

Systematic Innovation Evolution

1946                                                1985         2000          2003                 2008

Soviet TRIZ

Capability

FunctionAnalysis

AD/DFMA

TOC

QFD

6Sigma

ComplexSystems

DeBono/Buzan

Business

for Business& Management

Darrell Mann

for Business& Management

Darrell Mann

TRIZ  has been developed & broadened into:

‘Systematic Innovation Methodology’

Now over 3 Million documents have been analyzed for a Breakthrough Database 

‘Systematic Innovation’moves it into other fieldsnotably management

and, recently, software design.

CONTRADICTIONS

IDEALITY

FUNCTIONALITY

RESOURCES

NOW…..The Five Pillars of TRIZ

SPACE

TIME

INTERFACE

Patents

ManufactureTechnology

psychology

Business

Distillation ofbest practicesextracted fromall fields of humanendeavour

breakthroughdatabase

PLUS:

WARNINGThe wheel that you are about to invent

has already been invented….. but outside of your discipline.And not ‘to your knowledge’.

Use Method to apply Knowledge from historyUse Method to apply Knowledge from history

Provides a Complete Methodology for Innovation

Question. 

What have:

Cisco, Virgin, Schwab, GE Capital, Benetton, South West Airlines, Home Depot, Wal‐Mart, America West, eBay, Barnes 

and Noble, Body Shop, Sephora, IBM (e‐business), Sony Computer Entertainment, Shell, Dell, Disney, Harley‐

Davidson, IKEA, Tesco, Starbucks, Facebook, Hotmail and Toyota

got in common?

One answer. 

By eliminating key contradictions

that their competitors 

assumed were inherent(experts!!!) 

Systematic Innovation

The 31 Management Contradictions

and

40 Inventive Principles.

Evolved from the study of 3M+ documents

Management Contradiction Parameters

1.  R&D Spec/Capability/Means2.  R&D Cost3.  R&D Time4.  R&D Risk5.  R&D Interfaces

6.  Production Spec/Capability/Means7.  Production Cost8.  Production Time9.  Production Risk10. Production Interfaces

11. Supply Spec/Capability/Means12. Supply Cost13. Supply Time14. Supply Risk15. Supply Interface

16. Product Reliability17. Support Cost18. Support Time19. Support Risk20. Support Interfaces

21. Customer Revenue/Demand/Feedback22.  Amount of Information 23.  Communication Flow24.  System affected harmful effects25.  System generated side effects26.  Convenience27.  Adaptability/Versatility28.  System Complexity 29.  Control Complexity30.  Tension/Stress31.  Stability

40 Inventive (Management) Principles

1.  Segmentation2.  Taking Out3.  Local Quality4.  Asymmetry5.  Combination6.  Universality7.  ‘Nested Doll’8.  Counterweight9.  Prior Counter‐Action10.  Prior Action11.  Prior Cushioning12.  Remove Tension13.  ‘The Other Way Round’14.  Curvature15.  Dynamics16.  Slightly Less/Slightly More17.  Another Dimension18.  Vibration19.  Periodic Action20.  Continuity of Useful Action

21.  Hurrying22.  ‘Blessing in Disguise’23.  Feedback24.  Intermediary25.  Self‐Service26.  Copying27.  Cheap/Short Living28.  Another Sense29.  Fluidity30.  Thin & Flexible31.  Holes32.  Colour Changes33.  Homogeneity34.  Discarding and Recovering35.  Parameter Changes36.  Phase Transitions37.  Relative Change38.  Enriched Atmosphere39.  Calmed Atmosphere40.  Composite Structures

BusinessMatrix

An example of one of the ‘stories’ that contributed to the data base

Success Strategy?

Fashion industry’s annual challenge:Aim to get products to market firstbut not before we knowwhat are this year’s colours?

good bad

good

bad

Production time

Colour adaptability

Management Contradiction Matrix Parameters

1.  R&D Spec/Capability/Means2.  R&D Cost3.  R&D Time4.  R&D Risk5.  R&D Interfaces

6.  Production Spec/Capability/Means7.  Production Cost

8.  Production Time9.  Production Risk10. Production Interfaces

11. Supply Spec/Capability/Means12. Supply Cost13. Supply Time14. Supply Risk15. Supply Interface

16. Product Reliability17. Support Cost18. Support Time19. Support Risk20. Support Interfaces

21. Customer Revenue/Demand/Feedback22.  Amount of Information 23.  Communication Flow24.  System affected harmful effects25.  System generated side effects26.  Convenience

27.  Adaptability/Versatility28.  System Complexity 29.  Control Complexity30.  Tension/Stress31.  Stability

‐contradiction‐

Traditional Knitted GarmentManufacture Sequence:

rawwool

wash/dry dye/dry wind

knitsewpack

ship

Benetton Knitted Garment ManufactureSequence:

rawwool

wash/dry dye/dry wind

knitsewpack

ship

Benetton Knitted Garment ManufactureSequence:

rawwool

wash/dry

dye/dry

wind knit

sewpack

shipGarment finishedexcept for colour

Benetton Knitted Garment ManufactureSequence:

rawwool

wash/dry

dye/dry

wind knit

sewpack

ship

Their solution: ‘Prior Action’

Garment finishedexcept for colour

40 Inventive (Management) Principles

1.  Segmentation2.  Taking Out3.  Local Quality4.  Asymmetry5.  Combination6.  Universality7.  ‘Nested Doll’8.  Counterweight9.  Prior Counter‐Action

10.  Prior Action11.  Prior Cushioning12.  Remove Tension13.  ‘The Other Way Round’14.  Curvature15.  Dynamics16.  Slightly Less/Slightly More17.  Another Dimension18.  Vibration19.  Periodic Action20.  Continuity of Useful Action

21.  Hurrying22.  ‘Blessing in Disguise’23.  Feedback24.  Intermediary25.  Self‐Service26.  Copying27.  Cheap/Short Living28.  Another Sense29.  Fluidity30.  Thin & Flexible31.  Holes32.  Colour Changes33.  Homogeneity34.  Discarding and Recovering35.  Parameter Changes36.  Phase Transitions37.  Relative Change38.  Enriched Atmosphere39.  Calmed Atmosphere40.  Composite Structures

BusinessMatrix

Fourpossible‘InventivePrinciples’for solving this conflict

good badParameter A

good

bad

ParameterB

Traditional DesignStrategy

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONALAND BREAKTHROUGH DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

BREAKTHROUGH

IDEAL

Your new problem

Contradictions Solution Procedure

MYSPECIFIC

SITUATION

A SITUATIONLIKE MINE

WORLD’SBEST IDEASIN THIS

SITUATION

MYSPECIFICSOLUTION

1) Define problemin terms of genericContradictionparameters

Contradictions Solution Procedure

MYSPECIFIC

SITUATION

A SITUATIONLIKE MINE

WORLD’SBEST IDEASIN THIS

SITUATION

MYSPECIFICSOLUTION

2) Use ContradictionMatrix to obtain relevantInventive Principles

Matrix recommends that you think about:

10. Prior Action15. Dynamics30. Thin & Flexible7. Nested Doll

Contradictions Solution Procedure

MYSPECIFIC

SITUATION

A SITUATIONLIKE MINE

WORLD’SBEST IDEASIN THIS

SITUATION

MYSPECIFICSOLUTION

3) ‘Brainstorm’. What might 

‘Prior Action’meanin your case?

*Group or alone*

Principle 10: Prior action

A.Perform the required change of a system or object (either fully or partially) before it is needed.

• Project pre‐planning.• perform a noncritical path tasks early (where circumstances permit).• off the shelf / ready‐made / pre‐packaged solutions.• create 'buzz' about a new product by leaking news ahead of formal 

launch.

B. Pre‐arranged element is such that they can come into action from the most convenient place and without losing time for their delivery.

• Kanban arrangements in a just‐in‐time factory.• Cell‐based manufacturer.• Publish an agenda before meetings.• 'If I had eight hours to drop down a tree, I spend six hours sharpening 

my axe' Abraham Lincoln.• Benetton retarded differentiation ‐‐ clothing is knitted before it is died: 

colour only applies when the season's popular colours emerge.• Dealer‐fit car accessories ‐‐ CD player, alloy wheels, air con, etc.• Distributed Systems ‐‐ local depots, etc

Responses………..

Why didn’t I think of that before???

That’s obvious!!

Obvious!

1877First patent

The Dark Ages!!

Obvious!

1877First patent

The Dark Ages!!

The leap thatSystematic Innovationhelps you to make

The leap thatSystematic Innovationhelps you to make

To Innovate………..

CONTRADICTIONS

IDEALITY

FUNCTIONALITY

RESOURCES

Five Pillars of Breakthrough Methodology

SPACE

TIME

INTERFACE

Patents

ManufactureTechnology

psychology

Business

breakthroughdatabase

+

www.systematic‐innovation.com

•In‐House Workshops•Problem Solving Consulting•IP Generation/Design‐Around•IP Strategy

darrell.mann@systematic‐innovation.comericjs@netvigator.com

for Business& Management

Darrell Mann

for Business& Management

Darrell Mann