Comparative review

Citation

Narasimhan, K. (2006), "Comparative review", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/tqmm.2006.10618cab.001

Comparative review

Hands on Systematic InnovationMann, D. Creax Press2002470 p.ISBN 90-77071-02-4£40 + shipping (Hardcover)

Matrix 2003: Updating the TRIZ Contradiction MatrixMann, D., Dewulf, S., Zlotin, B. and Zusman, A. Creax Press2003140 p.ISBN 90-77071-04-0£20 + shipping (Softback)

Keywords Innovation, Problem solving, Communication technologies

Pursuing customer satisfaction and retaining customers is of paramount importance in the global market. Customers are looking for innovative products and services and organizations have to manage the organization innovatively to ensure survival. This hands-on book on systematic innovation based on TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving) helps managers to become more effective at generating breakthrough solutions.

Darrell Mann, the Technical Director of CREAX, is one of the world's leading authorities on the systematic innovation methodology. His background is mechanical engineering; and after 15 years experience at Rolls-Royce, he has worked as an Innovation Consultant since 1997. His clients have included organizations from a broad spectrum of industries and global locations. He is the author of over 100 technical papers, patents and patent applications. A Japanese edition of this book was published in September 2004.

The book on innovation comprises 22 chapters and an Appendix containing a problem pack that can be used to define a problem or an opportunity in a structured way. It also contains a loose leaf contradiction matrix that can be used for reference. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the TRIZ tools, methods, and philosophy. Chapter 2 gives an overview of the process including a brief explanation of the basic four steps (define problems, select appropriate tools, generate solutions and evaluate solutions to determine the “best” solution.

In Chapter 3, dealing with the psychology of innovation, the use of combining external and internal creative strategies is advocated with short examples of using “Mind Maps^®” and “Six Thinking Hats^®”. Chapter 4 briefly introduces the system operator tool that helps users to think in terms of time and space, which is dealt in detail in Chapter 19. Chapters 5-8 deal with the problem definition stage; and cover, respectively, the topics of exploring problem/opportunity, function/attribute analysis, the generic S-curve (representing the first four stages of a life-cycle curve), and the use of ideality and ideal final result.

Chapters 9-20 deal with problem solving tools. Chapter 9 focuses on guiding the reader to thinking about which of the 11 tools to choose for solving the chosen problem based on its complexity and stage on the S-curve. The extent of the explanation of tools varies ranging from only ten pages devoted to the part played by resources in and around the system under consideration (Chapter 14), to 62 pages allocated to the trends of evolution from the use of monolithic solids to porous structures with active elements (Chapter 13). Other topics considered in some depth include the elimination of physical and technical contradictions or conflicts or compromises (Chapter 10, 51pages), and the S-field (substance-field) analysis (Chapter 12, 40 pages). A fluid-filled bag analogy is used to explain the design process of eliminating compromises and the 39 parameters of the TRIZ contradiction matrix and the 40 inventive principles are explained in some depth with concrete examples.

Chapter 11 deals with solving physical contradictions by four different routes: separation in space, in time, on condition and transition to alternative systems, and the relevant TRIZ principles. Chapters 15-20 focus, respectively, on the use of data bases of knowledge/effects, a brief explanation of a simplified version of ARIZ (algorithm for inventive problem solving), use of “trimming” (i.e. the reduction in the number of components used) as a problem solving tool, the application of ideality/ideal final result in generating solutions, psychological inertia breaking, and the application of TRIZ when considering reliability-based problems.

The last two chapters are also brief and deal with the issues of identifying the best solution and assessing whether it is “good enough” to be considered for implementation, and a description of the ongoing work on the development of TRIZ and the role that may be played by other creativity tools, methods, and philosophies in the development of TRIZ.

The book is designed as a desktop reference and is heavy going; and it requires quite a bit of interest in the topic. It is very valuable as a reference book for problem solvers. Darrell Mann has tried to make it as clear as possible. However, a study of the second book “Matrix 2003” that contains more detailed explanation of the parameters is also recommended. The second book also has explanations of nine other parameters and 37 combined and special principles. The easiest place for people to order the books is www.systematic-innovation.com

K. NarasimhanLearning & Teaching Fellow (Retd.), The University of Bolton, UK