TRIZ: Inventive Problem-Solving

• TRIZ is a creative problem-solving/design methodology for scientific, engineering, quality, and business use.
• The hypothesis is that universal principles of creativity underlie innovative advancements in technology.
• TRIZ suggests that someone, somewhere, has likely already solved a similar problem, and creativity involves adapting that solution.

TRIZ Problem-Solving

• It uses creative solutions to overcome system conflicts or contradictions.
• System attributes include length versus strength and complexity versus flexibility.
• Solutions often involve applying one or more of 40 inventive principles.

TRIZ Problem Solution Process

• Involves searching for previously solved problems using 40 inventive principles.
• Formulate the problem through the prism of TRIZ to identify the core contradiction.
• Apply analogous solutions to specific problems or design requirements.

Inventive Principles

• Inversion involves doing things the other way around.
• Multi-functionality combines skills/capabilities into one device/system.
• Examples include pigeons monitoring air quality and police using eagles to take down drones.
• Nesting involves placing objects inside one another, like extending radio antennas or nested tables and chairs.
• Separation breaks the problem into smaller parts.
• An example is CAPTCHA digitizing a word from a book to verify users aren't robots.
• Multi-functionality is demonstrated by cable ties having many applications.
• ZIPSTITCH uses zip-ties connected by adhesive bandages to close wounds.
• "Blessing in Disguise" turns mistakes or errors into something useful.

Solution Selection

• A process is needed to rate solutions based on customer-defined criteria due to "Not Invented Here" syndrome.

Pugh Matrix

• It brainstorms and rates solutions against weighted criteria based on importance.

Improving the Situation

• Implementation plans should include activity, owner, due date, and completion date.
• FMEA (Failure Modes & Effects Analysis) is a structured method for identifying and ranking failure modes and their effects.
• RPN (Risk Priority Number) is calculated as Detection Score x Occurrence Score x Severity Score.

Measuring Results

• Collect data to confirm the solution has eliminated the root cause.
• Decide whether to standardize the improvement.
• Measures should evaluate the impact on the overall problem, indicators, and root cause elimination.
• Quantify the improvement and compare it to the defined goal.
• Identify unexpected side effects, investigate, and understand why they occurred.
• If results are unsatisfactory, re-evaluate implementation, time elapsed, solution choice, or root cause analysis.
• If results are satisfactory, standardize the changes.

Controlling the Solution

• Create a plan for communicating, integrating, and monitoring the change.
• Modify the process/system to sustain improvements over time.
• Construct a process flow diagram of the new process.
• Implement what needs to be done to integrate, communicate, and monitor changes.
• Monitor the process performance to ensure problems are not recurring.
• Brainstorm all actions needed to ensure the solution is sustainable.

Communicating Results

• Communicate with the team, sales representatives, and the shipping department.
• Show graphs of decreasing errors and assessments of decreased rework and potential money savings.

Integrating the New Process

• Change the customer order form with the vendor.
• Change shipping specifications and process flow.
• Return all old forms to the vendor.
• Clean old forms from files to discontinue them completely, so they do not affect the change.

Monitoring Future Performance

• Continue gathering customer complaints and error data.
• Track indicators monthly and review quarterly.
• Provide ongoing feedback to the shipping area.

Future Planning

• Output includes data, documentation, and recommendations for future problem resolution.
• Evaluate where we have been and where we need to go.
• Review the problem “gap” and quantify the improvements made.
• Define the next steps to be taken, such as proliferating findings, reducing the existing "gap," or focusing on a new priority.
• Evaluate the Process Improvement process and celebrate the team's success.

Example Next Steps

• The current team will disband if incorrect contents are no longer the largest customer issue.
• A new team will be chartered to address the issue of “Late Arrivals”.
• It is recommended based on projected productivity enhancements, more automated means of viewing the customer order be investigated.

Six Sigma DMAIC

• Relates to a process for improvement.