Efficient education system of scientific methods
including TRIZ
for improving the development process- Trial of an education in close contact with the engineer’s needs -September 6, 2013
Kazuhiro Fujikawa, Takashi Ogata
ECM Promotion Department
Monozukuri Solution Division
Olympus Corporation

Presentation of Today

2

1. About Olympus
2. Promotion of scientific methods in Olympus
3. Listening to engineer’s needs
4. Activities focus on time
5. Education system to meet the needs of the engineer
6. Contents of Solution
7. Result
8. Summary2

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1. About Olympus

3

Established: October 12, 1919
Head office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Capital: ¥73,332 million (As of March 31, 2013)
Consolidated net sales : ¥743,851 million (Fiscal Year Ended March 2013)
Consolidated headcount : 32,937 (As of March 31, 2013)

Aomori

Medical
Medicalsystems
systems

Biological Confocal Laser
Scanning Microscope「FLUOVIEW FV1200」
Fukushima

Capsule Endoscope

NaganoTokyo

Next-generation gastrointestinalendoscopy system
EVIS LUCERA ELITE
3

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Imaging
Imagingsystemssystems

Life
LifeScience
Science&&Industrial
Industrialsystems
systems

OM-D

PEN EPL6

2. Promotion of scientific methods in Olympus (1)4Providing a solution, dependingon the purpose and period of the theme
2012 ～2010

2009

Solution for
Fuzzy Frontend

QFD
QFD

QFD
QFD

Short time

Short time

TM
TM

Functionality
assessment

Limited purpose

Fast Cause Analysis

Problem setting typeLong time

TRIZ
TRIZ

Long time

Original QFD

Short time

Parameter design

Making Strong Patent

TRIZ
TRIZ

Only
Creation of Idea

One loop TRIZ

TMTMLong time

Setting Theme

Some loops or PAT TRIZ

Cost Reduction※One method to use
in some cases

Evaluation & Experiment
Risk Prevention

Typical Use ofMethods
4

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Using various types of methods according to the problem
90 min Basic Training, applied to the theme

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Providing optimal solutions
to the problem

2. Promotion of scientific methods in Olympus ( 2 ) 5
Trends of Trainees and Themes
2.0

Beforeintroductionof 3 methods

300

Deployment of 3 methods

Introduction of3 methods

200

Number ofTrainees

1.0

100

Number ofThemes

0.0
1996～02008

2009

ＴＭＴＭ
QFD
QFD
consultation
consultation
TM: Taguchi Method
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2010

2011

2012

2013

QFD
QFDandandTRIZ
TRIZ
Group
Groupseminarseminar&&Training
Trainingfor
forR&DR&D

QFD,TM,TRIZ
QFD,TM,TRIZ90
90min
minBasic
BasicTraining
Training
SupportSupportofofthe
thetheme
themeSolution
Solutionsupport
support

Number of Themes

Year:2010＝１

Number of Trainees

3.0

3. Scoop out to engineer’s needs

6

Engineers are sensitive to time !
◆No time for training by the time savings of thedevelopment work
◆I want to know quickly the effect of new tools.
◆Methods such as QFD were not useful even though
they were time-consuming. My purpose is not theuse of methods, but the efficiency of development◆Experienced engineers want to know the directly
linked methods to problem solving. And they want toknow the best approach to each scene in particularLong time to train and to apply methods is NG !
6

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4. Activities focus on time

7

Encourage experiences before becoming to dislike methods
Proficiency of the methods
7

Repeat anHow fast to reach theRecognition Level of Importance importanttheme

GraspOverview

Acquisitionofminimum
Knowledge

Trial in afamiliartheme

90 min x N
90 min Consultation
60 min Basic training
Briefing session

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・Expand utilization
・Manager’s admits
Recognition
RecognitionLevel
Levelofofthe
theimportanceimportanceininthethescientificscientificapproach
approach

Solutiontraining

Time5. Education system to meet the engineer’s needs 8
By focusing on time, creating the system for various engineer’s requests◆Minimum knowledge in minimum time
⇒90 min “Basic training“ (QFD/TRIZ/TM)◆Supporting the use of the methods in the theme⇒Applying their own knowledge to the theme,
and increasing the "problem-solving drawer"◆Providing exercises courses to young engineers⇒"Exercise Course" provides an experience of thedevelopment flow in the actual subject.
（2 days： Half of the conventional lesson）◆Provides an opportunity to make a solution tothe experienced engineers⇒90 Minutes of 7 Solution courses
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6. Contents of Solution ( 1 ) Aim of providing 7 solutions

9Using various methods naturally while deploying 7 solutions
Engineers should have many “Drawers” for thesolution of problem.

Mr. A knows thescientific method

Many “Drawers”
for the purpose

QQC7?
Statistical methods ?

FD》

Forcing to use themethod is not ourpurpose!

Mr. B relies on his knowledge
and experience of the past

Learning by practice in close contact
with the themeIZ
TRTMNG
Evangelist of the method
is not required.

Training solutions and90 minutes Basic course
9

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Support engineers atthe seams of theme

Get a new“Drawer” !

6. Contents of Solution ( 2 ) Scope of application

10Introducing solutions for experienced engineers
Core MethodTechnologyTechnologyDevelopmentDevelopment

SearchSearchPreparation
Preparation
forforproduction
production

Production
Production

Fuzzy Frontend

QFD TRIZQFD Fish bone chart

Setting Theme

Fish bone chart TRIZ TM
QFD TRIZ

Product
ProductDesign
DesignFast Cause Analysis
Making Strong Patent
Cost Reduction

TRIZ TM
TRIZ TM DOE

Evaluation & Experiment

QFD TRIZ TM

Risk Prevention※ TRIZ includes Functional approach and Root cause analysis
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7. Results( 1 ) Education contents

11Expansion of educational materials for each purpose andin-house cases linked to the 7 solutions
Basic training（QFD/TRIZ/TM)

Case studies for EachSolution

7 Solution courses＋2 Days course oflectures and exercises

Sharing the Case Studies onthe Company Data baseContents include
Purpose, Method,
Result and Effecton one page

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7. Result ( 2 ) Merit of 90 min

1290 minutes class is hard for the teacher, but there is also a benefit【Effect of the basic course and the solution course】・Teachers seriously consider what they want to transmit first.
And their skills get polished. They added a twist to the program.
・Plan a flexible training to suit the convenience of developers.
・Plan easily a remote training using the TV conference system.

Training held simultaneously in Tokyo and Nagano

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TRIZ
Basic
CourseTRIZ
BasicCourseNAGANOTＯKYO

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7. Result ( 3 ) Devised Points of the exercise

13

Exercise from setting theme to solving problem by QFD and TRIZ

Previous model: Cleaner

Current Model: Flashlight withManual generator《《DevisedDevisedPointsPoints》》
・Exercise・Exerciseininreal
realproductproductplanningplanning
・Contents
・Contentsincluding
includingmechanical,mechanical,electricalelectricalandandoptical
opticalsystems
systemsthat
thatOLYMPUS
OLYMPUSengineers
engineersare
areinterested
interestedinin・Fun・Funnew
newproducts
productslaunch
launchaacompetitioncompetitionby
bythe
thetraining
training
team
teamatatthe
theendend
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Scene of exercises

7. Result ( 4 ) Actual Case of Exercise Course

14【Efficient Thinking】 “Develop new products of flashlight!”
I want to light up flashlightwith less power

QFD
QFD

Selection
Selectionof
ofpriority
priority

TRIZ
TRIZ

Problem
ProblemAnalysis
Analysis
Idea
IdeaGeneration
Generation
Idea Generation by Teams ofEradicating Type and Desire Type

VOC
VOC

Flashlight
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Eradicating Type
Idea Sample

Brainstorming by TRIZ

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Presentation
PresentationofofConcept
ConceptIdeas
Ideas

Desire Type
Idea Sample

《Reference》 2 Types of idea approaches by TRIZ

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2 types of idea approaches by TRIZ to the purpose
Type of eradicating the problem
Why can’t I
supplysushi fast?

Root cause
analysis

I found thecause ofslow work

Can I cut the fish quickly
without remainder on
the kitchen knife?

Type of fulfilling the desire
Why can’t I
supplysushi fast?

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Expression of desire

Brewery

Got it!

In Sushi Bar
New type ofKitchen Knife

You can solve the problem
concretely. However, therange of ideas is narrow.

Belt-conveyor
Sushi bar

You can obtain a wide
innovative idea. However,
the idea lacks detail orspecifics.

7. Result ( 5 ) Company-wide promotion

16

Aiming at a common language of engineers in the "OLYMPUS College"
Risk prevention
by TRIZ
User needs
by QFD・・・
Patent byTRIZ

Common language
Trainees
Traineescan
canobtain
obtainpoints
pointsfor
forpromotion
promotion
participating
participatingininthe
the“Two-day“Two-dayExercise
ExerciseCourse.”
Course.”So,So,awarenessawarenessofofthe
thetrainees
traineeshave
haveincreased.
increased.

OLYMPUS College**OLYMPUS College
Company-wide education curriculumorganized by the human resources department
Management
Laws and Regulations
Quality Control
Expertise
Mechanics
ElectricSoftware：

Scientific Methods：：
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Basic Course
Exercise Course(Solution Course)

8. Summary

17Summary
1. The approach that focuses on time is acceptable to the developer,
and, applied themes and number of trainees have also increased.
2. Training of 90 minutes brought the benefits of a short period.
It has become possible to greatly increase the opportunity tolearn scientific methods simplifying trainings in remote areas.

Next challenge
Practice support and education are the two wheels of solution
deployment. The development of human resources that can beutilized across each method and 7 Solutions is the next challenge.
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Special Thanks

18Thanks to Mr. Mamoru Zenko and Mr. Hajime Kasai of IDEA, INC.
They provided the chance of using scientific methods (QFD + TRIZ)
and support for our activities at OLYMPUS.

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Thank you for your attention