40 Inventive (Business) Principles
Introduction
Interest in the possible applicability of TRIZ tools and techniques to the world
of management and organizational innovation issues continues to grow. The aim of
this article is to place the 40 Inventive Principles of TRIZ in the context of
this business environment. The format of the article is based closely on an
earlier text (1) in which examples of technical deployment of the Principles
were given.
The 40 Inventive Principles provide innovators with systematic and potent means
of breaking out of current paradigms into often exciting and beneficial new ones
(2). The article will attempt to demonstrate that the same psychological inertia
busting benefits may also accrue when the Principles are applied in a business
rather than a purely engineering context.
Set in a business context, the 40 Inventive Principles exhibit a number of
similarities and differences relative to their use in technical problem solving
applications. Probably the biggest difference is that, as yet at least, there is
no ‘business’ version of the Contradiction Matrix to help filter the number of
Principles which may be applicable in a given specific circumstance. The biggest
similarity is that ‘serious’ TRIZ is hard work and this version of the 40
Principles, therefore, exists merely to stimulate creative thinking about
business situations and is not meant to eliminate the need for detailed,
in-depth analysis of a particular inventive situation.
To use these 40 Inventive Principles, formulate your problem using the same
methods used for TRIZ for technical problems. It will be particularly helpful to
formulate the ideal final result and the reasons that the ideal cannot be
achieved. This will usually lead to contradictions. For example, in a customer
service situation, the ideal final result is "The customer gets exactly what she
needs exactly when she needs it." The analysis might follow this path:
"But, I can't give it to her because my employees don't have all the
knowledge."
"Why not?"
"Because employee turnover is so fast that un-trained employees are used."
This analysis reveals several potential problems and families of solutions:
The customer gets what she needs without (direct) help of employees.
The employees have the knowledge without training
The trained employees don't leave the job.
Now use the 40 principles to look for solutions to each of these categories of
problems, then select the one (or more) that has the highest probability of
working in this situation. When applying the 40 inventive principles keep in
mind the TRIZ concepts of removing the reason for the contradiction, and using
the available resources.
It is a good idea to use the principles in random order (don't read the list
from 1 to 40 each time!) to keep your thinking independent.
Text in green denotes changes made to the wording of the original Inventive
Principle text in order to better suit business and organizational
terminologies.
Principle 1. Segmentation
A. Divide an object into independent parts.
B. Make an object easy to disassemble.
C. Increase the degree of fragmentation or segmentation.
Principle 2. Taking out
Separate an interfering part or property from an object, or single out the only
necessary part (or property) of an object.
Principle 3. Local quality
A. Change an object's structure from uniform to non-uniform, change an external
environment (or external influence) from uniform to non-uniform.
B. Make each part of an object function in conditions most suitable for its
operation.
C. Make each part of an object fulfill a different and useful function.
Principle 4. Asymmetry
A. Change the shape of an object from symmetrical to asymmetrical.
B. If an object is asymmetrical, change its degree of asymmetry.
Principle 5. Merging
A. Bring closer together (or merge) identical or similar objects, assemble
identical or similar parts to perform parallel operations.
B. Make operations contiguous or parallel; bring them together in time.
Principle 6. Universality
A. Make an object or structure perform multiple functions; eliminate the need
for other parts.
Principle 7. "Nested Doll"
A. Place one object inside another; place each object, in turn, inside the
other.
B. Make one part pass through a cavity in the other.
Principle 8. Anti-Weight
A. To compensate for the weight (downward tendency) of an object, merge it with
other objects that provide lift.
B. To compensate for the weight (downward tendency) of an object, make it
interact with the environment (e.g. use global lift forces).
Principle 9. Preliminary Anti-Action
A. If it will be necessary to do an action with both harmful and useful effects,
this action should be replaced with anti-actions to control harmful effects.
B. Create beforehand stresses in an object that will oppose known undesirable
working stresses later on.
Principle 10. Preliminary Action
A. Perform, before it is needed, the required change of an object (either fully
or partially).
B. Pre-arrange objects such that they can come into action from the most
convenient place and without losing time for their delivery.
Principle 11. Beforehand Cushioning
A. Prepare emergency means beforehand to compensate for the relatively low
reliability of an object.
Principle 12. Equipotentiality
A. In a potential field, limit position changes (e.g. change operating
conditions to eliminate the need to raise or lower objects in a gravity field).
Principle 13. 'The Other Way Round'
A. Invert the action(s) used to solve the problem (e.g. instead of cooling an
object, heat it).
B. Make movable parts (or the external environment) fixed, and fixed parts
movable).
C. Turn the object (or process) 'upside down'.
Principle 14. Spheroidality - Curvature
A. Instead of using rectilinear parts, surfaces, or forms, use curvilinear ones;
move from flat surfaces to spherical ones; from parts shaped as a cube
(parallelepiped) to ball-shaped structures.
B. Use rollers, balls, spirals, domes.
C. Go from linear to rotary motion, use centrifugal forces.
Principle 15. Dynamics
A. Allow (or design) the characteristics of an object, external environment, or
process to change to be optimal or to find an optimal operating condition.
B. Divide an object into parts capable of movement relative to each other.
C. If an object (or process) is rigid or inflexible, make it movable or
adaptive.
Principle 16. Partial or Excessive Actions
A. If 100 percent of an objective is hard to achieve using a given solution
method then, by using 'slightly less' or 'slightly more' of the same method, the
problem may be considerably easier to solve.
Principle 17. Another Dimension
A. To move an object in two- or three-dimensional space.
B. Use a multi-story arrangement of objects instead of a single-story
arrangement.
C. Tilt or re-orient the object, lay it on its side.
D. Use 'another side' of a given area.
Principle 18. Mechanical vibration
A. Cause an object to oscillate or vibrate.
B. Increase its frequency (even up to the ultrasonic).
C. Use an object's resonant frequency.
D. Use piezoelectric vibrators instead of mechanical ones,
E. Use combined
ultrasonic and electromagnetic field oscillations. (Use external elements to
create oscillation/vibration)
Principle 19. Periodic Action
A. Instead of continuous action, use periodic or pulsating actions.
B. If an action is already periodic, change the periodic magnitude or frequency.
C. Use pauses between impulses to perform a different action.
Principle 20. Continuity of Useful Action
A. Carry on work continuously; make all parts of an object work at full load,
all the time.
B. Eliminate all idle or intermittent actions or work.
Principle 21. Skipping
A. Conduct a process , or certain stages (e.g. destructive, harmful or hazardous
operations) at high speed.
Principle 22. "Blessing in Disguise" or "Turn Lemons into Lemonade"
A. Use harmful factors (particularly, harmful effects of the environment or
surroundings) to achieve a positive effect.
B. Eliminate the primary harmful action by adding it to another harmful action
to resolve the problem.
C. Amplify a harmful factor to such a degree that it is no longer harmful.
Principle 23. Feedback
A. Introduce feedback (referring back, cross-checking) to improve a process or
action.
B. If feedback is already used, change its magnitude or influence.
Principle 24. 'Intermediary'
A. Use an intermediary carrier article or intermediary process.
B. Merge one object temporarily with another (which can be easily removed).
Principle 25. Self-service
A. Make an object serve itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions
B. Use waste (or lost) resources, energy, or substances.
Principle 26. Copying
A. Instead of an unavailable, expensive, fragile object, use simpler and
inexpensive copies.
B. Use waste (or lost) resources, energy, or substances.
C If optical copies are used, move to IR or UV (Use an appropriate out of the
ordinary illumination and viewing situation).
Principle 27. Cheap Short-Living Objects
A. Replace an expensive object with a multiple of inexpensive objects,
compromising certain qualities (such as service life, for instance).
Principle 28 Mechanics Substitution
A. Replace a mechanical means with a sensory (optical, acoustic, taste or smell)
means.
B. Use electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields to interact with the
object.
C. Change from static to movable fields, from unstructured fields to those
having structure.
D. Use fields in conjunction with field-activated (e.g. ferromagnetic)
particles.
Principle 29. Pneumatics and Hydraulics
A. Use gas and liquid parts of an object instead of solid parts (e.g.
inflatable, filled with liquids, air cushion, hydrostatic, hydro-reactive).
Principle 30. Flexible Shells and Thin Films
A. Use flexible shells and thin films instead of three-dimensional structures
B. Isolate the object from the external environment using flexible shells and
thin films.
Principle 31. Porous Materials
A. Make an object porous or add porous elements (inserts, coatings, etc.).
B. If an object is already porous, use the pores to introduce a useful substance
or function.
Principle 32. Color Changes
A. Change the color of an object or its external environment.
B. Change the transparency of an object or its external environment.
Principle 33. Homogeneity
A. Make objects interact with a given object of the same material (or material
with identical properties).
Principle 34. Discarding and Recovering
A. Make portions of an object that have fulfilled their functions go away
(discard by dissolving, evaporating, etc.) or modify them directly during
operation.
B. Conversely, restore consumable parts of an object directly in operation.
Principle 35. Parameter Changes
A. Change an object's physical state (e.g. to a gas, liquid, or solid).
B. Change the concentration or consistency.
C. Change the degree of flexibility.
D. Change the temperature.
Principle 36. Phase Transitions
A. Use phenomena occurring during phase transitions. (Awareness of macro-scale
business phenomena)
Principle 37. Thermal Expansion
A. Use thermal expansion (or contraction) of materials.
B. If thermal expansion is being used, use multiple materials with different
coefficients of thermal expansion.
Principle 38. Strong Oxidants (‘Boosted Interactions’)
A. Replace common air with oxygen-enriched air (enriched atmosphere)
B. Replace enriched air with pure oxygen (highly enriched atmosphere).
Principle 39. Inert Atmosphere
A. Replace a normal environment with an inert one.
B. Add neutral parts, or inert additives to an object.
Principle 40. Composite Structures
A. Change from uniform to composite (multiple) structures. (Awareness and
utilization of combinations of different skills and capabilities.)
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