TRIZ, also known as the theory of inventive problem solving, is a technique that fosters invention for project teams who have become stuck while trying to solve a business challenge. It provides data on similar past projects that can help teams find a new path forward.

TRIZ (pronounced “trees”) started in Russia. It involves a technique for problem solving created by observing the commonalities in solutions discovered in the past. Created by Genrich Altshuller in the former Soviet Union, the Six Sigma technique recognizes that certain patterns emerge whenever inventions are made.

Features of the Technique

Altshuller found that almost every invention falls into one of 40 categories. Each is an area where invention and innovation took place. They include areas such as weight, length and area of moving and stationary objects, speed of the object, temperature illumination intensity, ease of operation and ease of repair.

In practical use, a project team stymied by a challenge can use TRIZ to analyze a matrix of similar challenges and their solutions.

When TRIZ Is Used

TRIZ operates on the idea that someone, somewhere, likely came up with a solution for the challenge you currently face or something similar. Another guiding principle is that contradictions should not be accepted, but rather resolved.

It also provides an answer for those concerned that Six Sigma stifles innovation. TRIZ encourages innovation. As pointed out in a paper on TRIZ conducted by researchers at the University of Belgrade and Metropolitan University in Serbia, not all solutions involving Six Sigma can be found in the process itself.

This “inhibits the ability to identify the control variables. In this case, a methodology that can solve the problem outside of the process boundaries, such as TRIZ, is necessary,” the researchers wrote.

Essentially, TRIZ offers a sophisticated, effective tool for clearing roadblocks.

The Benefits of TRIZ

TRIZ works best in situations where other Six Sigma tools have not accomplished the task. It provides another way to find solutions during the improve phase of the Six Sigma technique DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) or the design phase of DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design, verify).

TRIZ allows project teams to globalize an issue and find examples of how people have solved similar challenges. It’s a bit like the old saying, “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.” It’s possible that teams won’t have to develop a solution on their own, because it’s already been done. On the other hand, knowing the possible combination of the 40 categories that might apply to a specific issue can also spark new ideas.

How TRIZ Works and Examples

TRIZ translates problems from the specific to the generic. It then compares the current challenge with 40 different inventive solutions. This is because in his research, Altshuller found that:

  • Problems and solutions repeat across industries and sciences.
  • Patterns of technical evolution repeat across industries and sciences.
  • Innovations used scientific effects outside the field where they were developed.

It also supplies potential solutions to apparently contradictory issues, such as wanting a more powerful engine that is lighter or wanting something to both operate faster and more accurately.

Most examples for TRIZ involve solving engineering issues, such as the invention of a new type of self-heating container as detailed by TRIZ Journal or creation of automation that can handle the simultaneous filing of 10 interlinked plastic cups with paint.