Keynote : Japan TRIZ Symposium

September 8th 2012 – Tokyo – Japan
Denis Cavallucci, Professor at INSA Strasbourg – France

How TRIZ can contribute to a paradigm change
in R&D practices?
Master degree : TRIZ,a state of the art

1995

PhD Thesis : How TRIZ can cooperate with 8other Engineering Design methodologies

1997

2000

Advanced Master inIndustrial engineering
PhD in Mechanical engineering

2005

Full Professorship : Inventive
Design as a new paradigm
change in Engineering Design

2009

2012

Associate Professor
at INSA Strasbourg
Full Professor at INSA StrasbourgOutlinesof theKeynote1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

3

10min + 20min Q&A

5min

Teaching IDM
Some ongoing research
Conclusions/Questions

Short overview of a real industrial case study

15min

10min

20min

Why do we need a “new” software ?
From IDM major stages to STEPS software
Major STEPS software interface

The TRIZ Consortium : 3 worldwide large companies unify their efforts
5 major drawbacks of TRIZ

Short introduction
Our Industrial world is in permanent change, which major challenges await R&D departments in future ?
Summary of TRIZ milestones

Short introduction

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

5

My past and current “TRIZ” responsibilities

Founder & president of TRIZ-France association
Founder & past-president of European TRIz Association ETRIAFounder & Publication Officer of IFIP’s WG 5.4 on CAI
Founder & current leader of TRIZ Consortium
Scientific director of DEFI project (European funds)

1998

2000

Member of the board of directors of the foundation
InnovENT-E (Ministery of Industry funds for
SME’s)
2006
2008
2012
2018

2004
WG5.4 of
IFIP

TRIZ‐France
ETRIA

TRIZ
Consortium

Project InnovENT‐E
DEFI project1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

6

TRIZ at INSA Strasbourg : from history to now

1946

1976

1985

1998

2007

2012
Other researches
Researches on TRIZ
Researches on OTSM

1995 TRIZ @ INSA

Origins : Altshuller’s TRIZ

Fundamentals of TRIZ :•Notions of contradiction•Notions of laws
•Methods, tools, techniques•Meta‐knowledge bases

Researches on IDM

OTSM : the first attempts to axiomatize

IDM : The first fruits of research andand extend TRIZ

industrial partnership in Developing TRIZ

Extensions of TRIZ towards
multidisciplinary problematic :Formalization of TRIZ & OTSM forindustry•Notion of problems•Notion of partial solutions•Notion of network (PB, CT)•Towards an axiomatization of TRIZ

• Ontology construction,
disambiguation of concepts;• Computerization (STEPS)• Notion of graphs• Notions of TRIZ body of knowledge
completeness• Feedback CSPB graphWhat isthe current context
in which we intend
to contribute1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

8

Our Industrial world is in permanent change, which major challenges await R&D departments in future ?

Sum of worries

1930

1970

1990

Innovation
Quality
Productivity•Answering to demand•Organize workshops•Improve productivity rates•Be competitive•Ensure quality•Optimize organization•Organize innovation•Manage knowledge increasing quantity•Anticipate product/system’s evolutions

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

9

Our Industrial world is in permanent change, which major challenges await R&D departments in future ?

Confidence

LawTime formeasurements
Time fortheories

Time for methods

Norm

Methods, tools(mass application)

Methods, tools(tests & industrial evaluations)

Theories
HeresyDoubt

Methods, tools(tests & theoretical elaborations)Time1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

10

Our Industrial world is in permanent change, which major challenges await R&D departments in future ?

StressTime for trial & errors
Readiness to observe new« ways » of doing things
Readiness toperform sometests
End of existing
solution’s capacity tosolve problems

Time fordecisions

Adoption

Significant losses

Before-hand signs oflossesSerenity

Time forconsciousness

Job creation,
services,
positions
Total
controlTime1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

11

Our Industrial world is in permanent change, which major challenges await R&D departments in future ?

How to act in anticipation of a more thanprobable future norm on Innovation ?

Law

Readiness to observe new« ways » of doing things
Readiness toperform sometests

How to create a new wayof Enddesigning
inventivelyof existing
solution’s capacity
tobe
sufficiently
robust tosolve problems
adoptedby enterprises ?

Norm(CEN/TC 389 or ISO?)

Adoption

Methods, tools(mass application)

How losses
to create tools that
Significant
will enable
mass tools
Methods,
application of new(tests & industrial evaluations)inventive practices?
Before‐hand signs oflosses

HeresyTheories

Job creation,
services, positions
Total
control

Methods, tools(tests & theoretical elaborations)Innovation

Q: 1985
I : 2017
QualityTRIZ postulates:
A short reminder
about fundamentals

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

13

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is

TRIZ : Key facts
Around 50 years of research (1946‐1985) – performed in 300 schools/Laboratories (ex‐USSR)
Data’s : 300 bio of inventors – 400,000 patents – 1500 Technical systems through their history

First observations (1956):
 Inventors react according to similar mechanisms when they
invent; These mechanisms are independent of their domain ofexpertise; Technical systems are developing in accordance with recurrent
trends; Every step of these developments resulted in the resolution of
one or several contradictions.

First hypothesis:
 It is possible to define the laws that govern the evolution oftechnical systems (help the inventor to anticipate); It is possible to construct methods to invent (help the inventor
to solve its problems).

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

14

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is

Substances‐Field
76 Standards
Ressource

Multisceen

Separation methods

ARIZ85C
Inventive principles

Miniture men

Ideality
Laws of engineering systems evolution
Trimming techniques

STC operators
Database of effects

Contradiction

Pointers to physical effects

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

15

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is

ARIZ85C, Su‐fieldmodeling, Miniaturemen, STC operators

Matrix, Pointers ofEffects, Algorithm forchoosing inventive
standards,…
• 9 laws• 11 methods for separating physicalcontradictions• 40 Inventive Principles• System of 76 Inventive Standards• 1200 Effects (Physical, Chemical, Geometrical)

Methods

Meta-Kn bases

Tools

Fundamentals(postulates, axioms)•Technical systems (artifacts) are governed by
objective laws.
•An inventive problem, if reformulated in the form of
a dialectical contradiction, can be better solved.

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

16

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is

An attempt of definition : Russian acronym of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. Theory
elaborated by Genrich Altshuller stipulating that technical systems are directed by laws
governing their evolutions. To evolve from a generation to another, a technical systemsolves its contradictions, towards its ideality, while minimizing the use of available
resources.

1st Axiom: The evolution oftechnical systems is governed by
objective laws. These laws areinvariants of their evolution.

2nd Axiom: Any problematic
situation can be translated in theelementary
form
of
a
contradiction(withinthemeaning of dialectic).

Corollary 1.1: The laws help to locate the state of maturityof the system and to better anticipate its evolutions.

Corollary 1.2: A direction of design in accordance withthese laws has statistically more chances to appear relevant.

Corollary 2.1: An identified and formulated contradiction
becomes an inventive opportunity when its resolution isrefusing compromise.
Corollary 2.2: Impossibility of formulating a contradiction
indicates that what appears as a problem might not be an
Inventive Problem.

TRIZ postulates:
Laws of engineeringsystems evolution

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

18

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ islaw 8: Dynamization
In order to improve their performance, rigid systems should become more dynamic. By
dynamic we mean: evolve to more flexible and rapidly changing structures, adaptable tochanges of working conditions and requirements of the environment.

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is
1. System completeness9. Through S‐Field involvement

8. Dynamization

7. Towards Microlevel

6. Towards Supersystem

2. Efficiency

3. Harmonization

4. Ideality

5. Irregularity191. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

20

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is

9 laws have been disclosed by TRIZ founders,
they can be used to discuss the evolution potential of any technical system
1. System completeness9. Through S‐Field involvement

2. Efficiency

9 laws

Evolution
potential

8. Dynamization

3. Harmonization

Maturity
statement

7. Towards Microlevel

6. Towards Supersystem

4. Ideality

5. Irregularity

TRIZ postulates
Contradiction

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ isContradictions typologies
AC (administrative): I wish [my table resists to heavy loads] but I don’tknow how !
TC (technical): If I improve [mechanical resistance] of [my table] then[transportability] gets worse !
PC (physical): The [thickness] of the [platen] must be [thick] for having astatisfactory [mechanical resistance] and [thin] for a satisfactory[transportability].
PlatenThicknessthick

Mechanicalresistancetransportability

thin

22

TRIZ
when observed as a method

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

24

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ isModel of the
SolutionModeldomainProblem

Abstract

Model of the
TRIZ

MP

Solving
tools

MSInterpret

Solution
domaindomainproblemTechnologicaldefinedconcept

Real-life

Well

DP

Technological transfer(solution is found somewhere else)SC

Construct

Formulate

Initialsituation

IS

Brainstorming or
obvious solution

DS

Detailed
solution1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

25

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ is
GEP8: Volume
Of fixed object

30. Flexible membrane, thin films
a. Replace existing objects with flexible
membranes.

GEP33: Convenienceof useA B

15 – 1330 - 12

Appliction
cross‐section
fine

MP

15. Dynamism
b. Separate an objet into several
ones movable between each others.

MS

large

Space occupancy

Ergonomy ofmake‐up

DP

SC

IS

DS

SCx: Use of a mechanicallyconstrained rubber base (intorsion) to switch from fine tolarge application surface.

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

26

Short (hopefully different) overview of what TRIZ isDraw a portrait (face) of the
Solution if following the law
Law 8 : Dynamization

Arms

LenghtLong
Shirtstability
Easyness ofhanging

Short

Law 3 : Harmonization

The TRIZ Consortium
3 Large scale companies
interested in TRIZ
Decided to unify efforts

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

The origins of IDM methodology

Life Long Learning : IDM«Inventive Design Method based on TRIZ and its associated software STEPS»
3 weeks training plus a professional project mentored by experts

A network of experts trained
Assisting IDM-TRIZ diffusion in companies worldwide

28Understanding

TRIZ limitations
In industrial context

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

30

5 major drawbacks of TRIZ

About initial and exhaustive investigations :• TRIZ is not designed to investigate complex initial situations (gathering thoroughly
all knowledge necessary and known to document/understand the diversity and thequantity of problems).

Expert inassembly
Expert in Plastic
manufacturing
Mechanicalengineer

Expert inmarketing1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

31

5 major drawbacks of TRIZ

About contradiction’s quantity… and choice :• TRIZ is designed for solving a single contradiction. How to disclose, represent andchose the most appropriate one since contradictions quantity increase
exponentially with system’s complexity ?

Arm’s lengthlongstabilityease of placing
clothes onshort

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

5 major drawbacks of TRIZ

About a methodology to disclose a contradiction :• There are no accurate ways to disclose appropriately a contradiction.

As you know, I’m a
TRIZ expert, therefore
I know the truth…
The contradiction is…

TRI
Z

exp
ert

32

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

33

5 major drawbacks of TRIZ

About TRIZ corpus consistency :• Are you aware of any “glossary” or “ontology” of TRIZ components ? There are no
logical links/coherence between TRIZ components.

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

34

5 major drawbacks of TRIZ

Where is TRIZ’s best solution ?
• There are no means in TRIZ to help the designer to decide, among a set of Solution
concepts being all inventive, which one is the one to choose.

There is a needto efficiently deploy
IDM methodology
The industrial partners proposed :To build a new software !

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

36

Why do we need a software ?

A first statement in which industrial and academic
partners agreed on : There is a need for asoftware :• To assist the animator in conducting inventive activities(to structure, to organize study data’s);• To relieve users of tedious tasks;• To ensure minimal (robustness) consistency of theapproach;• To permit the sharing of practices inside a community;• To install a spiral of constant evolution in thedevelopment of the software through research.

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

37

IDM’s 4 major Sages

Stage 1 : Analysis of
Initial Situation

Stage 2 : Contradiction
management

Stage 3 : Solution
Concepts synthesis

Stage 4 : Solution
Concepts selection
To high impact, inventive, solution concepts in which
company is ready to invest for further developments

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

38

Starting with an Initial situation

Step 1 : Analysis of
Initial Situation

Step 2 :Contradictions
management

Step 3 : Solution
Concepts synthesis

Step 4 : Solution
Concepts selection

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

Starting with an Initial situation
Managing populations of contradictions39

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

Starting with an Initial situation
Managing populations of contradictions40

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

Starting with an Initial situation
Managing populations of contradictions41

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

Fully operated TRIZ techniques

The Matrix
Su‐Field

ARIZ85C

Miniature Men

Separation methods42

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

STEPS’s Solution Concept cards

A Solution Concept tree is built(each branch is a solution concept card)

5. Perspectives

43

Conducting an industrial case :summary1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

45

Summary of a case study
Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10Flexible schedule consisting in 10 sessions face to face and an equivalent amount of work “offsessions” by both INSA study leader and Company team members (based on a complex case situation)

Problem Statement
phase

Phase consisting in drawing aproblem statement through aproblem graph and known partial
solutions

Data’s gathering andContradiction
analysis
Phase consisting in entering into thedetailed problem description through a key
problem and disclosing all its related
contradictions
Phase consisting in engaging several
contradictions (the most relevant ones) into asolving phase using TRIZ techniques. Solution
concepts are drawn in this phase.

Contradictions
treatment

Phase consisting in analyzing
Solution Concepts and choosing a
reduced set of them for further
calculations based on the Problem
network shrinkage they provoke

Solution
Concepts
analysis

Phase consisting in engaging R&D
means to characterizetechnologically and qualitatively
the solution concept’s feasibility

Calculations &validations of thechosen solution
Concepts

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

46

Summary of a case study

Crash retentionin High speed trains

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

47

Summary of a case study
Case study in high speed train industry : Crash
absorbing system
Competing arena in high speed train market

Construction of aproblem graph

Interpreting the graph : define
the core problem

Towards calculation and 3D modelling of
the solution concept for validation

Analysis of competition and state of the art of expert
knowledge on the topic

Problematic : How to efficiently
absorb energy in crash situations?

All people knowledge and doc. (patents, articles) are studied

Contradiction extraction &management

Use of Pugh’s matrixes for automatic rankingof solution concepts

Use of TRIZ techniques for building solution
concept

Teaching IDM
to engineers
in life-long learning

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

An official full version of STEPS
software is necessary all along
the trainning process1

All classicalcomponents of TRIZ
are studied in acomprehensive coursewith industrial
exercises and teamworking + publicpresentation of thework (35 hours/5 days)

2

3

Advanced techniquesof TRIZ are applyed(Su‐Field ; ARIZ) on
industrial situations
with a mentoring andteam working + publicpresentation of thework (35 hours/5 days)

5. Perspectives

49

Teaching IDM

4

IDM (extensions of TRIZ towards
complex and multidisciplinary situations)
are studied and applied on aprofessional basis in a real industrial
project. A mentoring on the project isprovided by a IDM‐Expert and specificabilities of animating a team areprovided through the exercise (2 x 35
Hours / 70 Hours)

Some limitations ofin which we are currently
conducting research(ongoing PhD)

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

51

Conclusions

Limit N°1 of our work : Team working for“human‐built” problem graph is too long and not 100%
accurate

Achille Souilli’s PhD

Limit N°2 of our work :For a permanently
evolving coherence of our work and error‐free concepts
manipulations, using computers is necessary.

Wei Yan’s PhD

Limit N°3 of our work : There are still no meansof measuring Inventive Efficiency in R&D teams (besides
simply counting invested funds or patents), therefore
how can we monitor the effects of IDM adoption ?

Limit N°4 of our work : Solution Concepts arealways “hard to believe” especially by expert since they
are outside what they classically admit as possible.

Ali Taheri’s PhD

Thongchai
Chinkatham’s PhD

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

52

Conclusions

Quantity of scientific papers per years being publishedand using the keyword TRIZ in the title or the abstract

1997

2011

1. Context

2. From TRIZ to IDM

3. STEPS

4. Case example

5. Perspectives

53

Conclusions

What are we heading towards :• Research : building new knowledge through partnership always keeping in
mind its usefulness for society (industry) ;• Education : train people at all levels with academic excellence in mind;• Expertise : create a network of experts, able to practice, teach assist industry
with IDM‐TRIZ model;• For all these 3 directions, our software STEPS is at the crossroads :o Educating more efficiently, more rapidly using STEPS;o Trying our new research findings using proto‐STEPS for research andtests;o Practicing IDM‐TRIZ in industry through a growing community ofpractice using STEPS as a methodological guideline.