TRIZ Theory of Inventive Problem Solving: Level 1 SpringerLink

TOP-TRIZ Conflict Solving Algorithm is the next generation of Altshuller’s ARIZ, a step-by-step guide to developing breakthrough solutions to a conflict while eliminating the harmful function completely without any deterioration of the useful function and even sometimes with the improvement of it as well. Altshuller introduced Substance-Field Models (or Su-Field models) to represent conflicts and other types of inventive problems using symbolic notation. This approach was as revolutionary in innovation as the use of symbols in mathematics, which led to the development of algebra, or the introduction of symbolic notation in chemistry. By abstracting complex technical problems into symbolic models, Su-Field models allowed systematic analysis and problem-solving, providing a powerful tool within TRIZ for addressing a broad spectrum of engineering and design challenges. A major emphasis of the lab is to assess the applicability of fundamental research to the technology needs of the Air Force. Often this requires preliminary concept studies to identify requirements and performance metrics prior to launching in-depth assessments and evaluations.

TOP-TRIZ Solution Process

A function is useful if its result is needed, and harmful if its result is unwanted. There are six steps for the complete analysis of a harmful function including identification of its root cause and consequences. Moreover, TRIZ methods were advanced and integrated into a single, cohesive system, complete with algorithms for creating ideal breakthrough solutions across the six classes of innovation problems.

It has enabled customers to develop next-generation products, secure new orders, increase market share, save hundreds of millions of dollars, enhance product reliability, develop new products and protect innovations through new patents. Classical TRIZ, as developed by 1985, addresses five types of problems in innovation, with conflicts being only one of these types. Altshuller regarded ARIZ (the Russian acronym for Algorithm for Inventive Problem Solving) as his next-generation conflict-solving method. He continuously worked on developing and refining ARIZ until 1985, when his health deteriorated, forcing him to halt further work on Classical TRIZ. Up until then, he had been publishing new versions of ARIZ almost every year.

About the author

In most cases, engineers resort to trade-offs, sacrificing one or both conflicting functions. When optimization or compromise isn’t possible, these problems often remain unresolved for a very long time. Engineering companies are increasingly recognising and acting upon the need to encourage successful, practical and systematic innovation at every stage of the engineering process including product development and design. TRIZ enables greater clarity of thought and taps into the creativity innate in all of us, transforming random, ineffective brainstorming into targeted, audited, creative sessions focussed on the problem at hand and unlocking the engineers’ knowledge and genius to identify all the relevant solutions. TOP-TRIZ is the next generation of TRIZ, developed through my three-and-a-half decades of practical experience and continuous refinement of TRIZ methods. In early 1992, I founded TRIZ Consulting, Inc., the first company in the U.S. dedicated to applying TRIZ, introducing the methodology to industry leaders like Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, and Samsung.

Having the same steps and terminology as the TOP-TRIZ training materials, it also helps its users to learn TOP-TRIZ. The software is very effective for facilitation of teams even if they’re not familiar with TOP-TRIZ. A problem is a Conflict if an attempt innovation triz to eliminate a harmful function deteriorates or even disables a useful function.

From January 1988 until my departure to the U.S. alone, about 3,000 engineers attended our Kishinev’s month-long training using a program approved by Altshuller. Out of 192 hours of training, just two hours were reserved for Inventive Principles, mostly with the purpose of explaining the history of TRIZ. Guiding participants to solve their real-life problems and answering their questions helped to realize that Classical TRIZ should be developed further to make TRIZ more powerful while easy to learn and apply. Generalizing the changes in products suggested by about 40,000 breakthrough inventions led him to identify 173 typical modifications. He grouped these modifications into a set known as the 40 Inventive Principles, or, in a literal translation, the 40 Principles to Solve Technical Contradictions.

Zinovy Royzen, president of TRIZ Consulting, Inc., Seattle, is a TRIZ Master. Also, our efforts in training AI with TOP-TRIZ have yielded astonishing results. Some issues that dogged our clients for years and took hours to resolve using TOP-TRIZ were solved in a matter of minutes when approached with AI trained on TOP-TRIZ.

A problem is classified as an Unknown Harmful Function if its action is unknown. The method for revealing the root causes of a failure is based on inventing ways to recreate the failure. Here the TOP-TRIZ user turns the problem on its head, pretending that the harmful product of a failure is a desired product. This allows the user to apply all of the power of TOP-TRIZ to invent potential mechanisms of the failure.

In addition, Altshuller developed a two-dimensional Contradiction Matrix, which includes 39 of the most common parameters or features that require improvement or are likely to deteriorate. I highly recommend the TRIZ process and particularly, Mr. David Conley, as a skilled, insightful, and capable TRIZ operator, for analyzing complex problems and generating a diverse set of potential solutions. TRIZ is almost certain to generate a simpler, cheaper, and more effective solution than could be achieved otherwise.” TOP-TRIZ Problem Formulation is a universal set of guiding steps to analyze a challenge and formulate an exhaustive set of problems where every problem is a single function or two functions if they are in a conflict with each other. An essential part of problem formulation is my Tool-Object-Product (TOP) Function Analysis, next generation of Function Analysis.

Principles: TRIZ Keys to Innovation Extended Edition Paperback – April 15, 2005

From January 1988 until I left for the U.S., around 3,000 engineers attended our month-long training program in Kishinev, which was approved by Altshuller. Third, how can we match the vast number of parameters possible in real-world problems with just the 39 parameters of the Matrix? Attempts to increase the number of parameters to 50 or 100 still fall short of capturing all potential parameters. Altshuller solved this problem by inventing a way to describe conflicts using symbols. With this approach, any conflict can be described without relying on specific parameters at all.

The Standard Solutions provided a structured framework within TRIZ, enabling inventors and engineers to systematically approach and solve complex problems by leveraging proven patterns from highly innovative solutions. After analyzing about 200,000 patent disclosures, Altshuller discovered that roughly 20% of the inventions were breakthrough solutions to conflicts, achieving necessary improvements without any deterioration of the conflicting functions—without trade-offs or compromises. He noticed that all these solutions resulted from specific changes inventors made to their products or systems. TOP-TRIZ classifies formulated problems into the following six classes and provides algorithms to develop exhaustive set of ideal solutions to each of them. The classes of problems are an unknown harmful function, a need to introduce or improve detection or measurement, a conflict, a harmful function, an absent or insufficient function and a need to invent next product generation.

While users learned to model problems, they often struggled to identify which specific problem to model. The various TRIZ methods were not well integrated, leading to confusion as multiple techniques were available for addressing similar classes of problems, without clear guidance on which method to apply. Additionally, the final version of ARIZ—with its nine parts and 40 rules—was too complex for easy learning and application.