"Most are entrepreneurs at heart. Few realise it"

Genrich Altshuller: The founder of TRIZ, categorized his patents research in a novel way. Instead of classifying them by industry, such as automotive, aerospace, etc., he removed the subject matter to uncover the problem solving process. He found that often the same problems had been solved over and over again using one of only forty fundamental inventive principles he had recorded. If only later inventors had knowledge of the work of earlier ones, solutions could have been discovered more quickly and efficiently.

Altshuller tabulated that over 90% of the problems faced had been solved somewhere before. If the solution seeker could follow a path to an ideal solution, starting with the lowest level, their personal knowledge and experience, and working their way to higher levels, most of the solutions could be derived from knowledge already present in the company, industry, or in another industry.

Altshuller distilled the problems, contradictions, and solutions in these patents into a theory of inventive problem solving which he named TRIZ.

The kind of problems people face are either those with generally known solutions and those with unknown solutions. Those with known solutions can usually be solved by information found in books, technical journals, or with subject matter experts.

The other type of problem is one with no apparent or known solution. It is called an inventive problem and may contain contradictory requirements. As long ago as the 4th century, an Egyptian scientist named Papp suggested there should be a science called heuristics to solve inventive problems.

TRIZ Problem solving mechanism

•  Analyze the existing situation and evaluate its advantages, disadvantages, conflicts, and basic evolutionary resources.
•  Identify main evolutionary trends and possible scenarios, then select the desirable ones.
•  Identify potential dangers and problems that can arise in the process of evolution.
•  Formulate and solve creative problems that must be solved to ensure achievement of the defined goals; overcome obstacles and prevent undesirable side effects.
•  Control deviations and reveal new dangers along the way; introduce appropriate corrections in a timely fashion.



In more recent times Boris Zlotin and Alla Zusman, principle I-TRIZ scientists at the American company Ideation and colleagues of Altshuller developed a software based "Innovative Situation Questionnaire" to identify the system being studied, its operating environment, resource requirements, primary useful function, harmful effects, and ideal result.