ME59700 Innovation and problem-solving with an emphasis on TRIZ tools

In today’s rapidly changing world, innovation is not just a luxury or a path to growth; it’s a necessity for survival. To illustrate this, let’s step back in time to the story of Robinson Crusoe, the shipwrecked man who found himself stranded on a deserted island. Crusoe had to innovate constantly to survive, and his story highlights the essence of innovation in action. Similarly, modern organizations face a daily survival challenge requiring structured innovation. The article encourages organizations to go beyond traditional brainstorming and instead adopt systematic, meaningful innovation to achieve sustainable improvements and thrive in competitive environments. The PRIZ…

We’re pleased to introduce our new Project Creation Assistant, designed to enhance your approach to problem-solving initiatives. This valuable tool addresses an important issue we’ve recently identified: many people don’t view problem-solving as a project-worthy endeavor. As a result, they often resort to traditional brainstorming methods, which have been shown to be ineffective and rarely yield viable solutions. Without a structured approach, we tend to address symptoms rather than root causes, potentially creating more problems than we solve. The Project Creation Assistant guides you through organizing your thoughts and defining your challenge, setting the foundation for a successful problem-solving journey….

Answering the question, “Does everyone want to be profitable?”, depends on the goals set by the CEO and executives of the company regarding the desired outcomes from the systems used by the firm to drive profitability. In most cases, it is up to the managers and their engineers to generate profitability from the existing systems that are integral to the organization’s production of products and services. These products and services are then valued by customers, who pay a cost to the company in exchange for them. Challenges and Solutions The challenge that engineers and managers face alike is the complexity…

RCA thinking is a tool for learning how the system operates and creating solutions to problems.

Problem solving and innovation are often seen as separate concepts, but they are actually closely intertwined. While problem solving involves finding solutions to complex issues, innovation is about introducing new ideas or approaches. Effective problem solving incorporates innovative thinking, whether it’s in designing projects, analyzing data, or collaborating with others. In our modern era, where systems are more complex than ever, problem solving requires a structured and systematic approach. Leading companies like Samsung, LG Electronics, and TSMC have recognized the value of this approach and have achieved success by applying innovative methods. By adopting these practices, businesses can improve operational…

Have you ever found yourself skipping the creation of a detailed description of the failure and jumping right into solutioning? Don’t worry, we’ve been there too! We are thrilled to announce the release of a new feature on the PRIZ platform that is designed to enhance the quality and completeness of project overviews. With this new feature, engineers and project leads can receive a thorough review of their written background and also get guidance and suggestions for improvement. One of the main problems this feature solves is that many engineers tend to jump straight into solutions without investing enough effort…

Engineering work is built on three essential pillars: process improvement, cost reduction, and root cause analysis. Engineers should dedicate their thinking to a specific and measurable target, use thinking tools and resources, and recognize and value engineering thinking. The PRIZ Innovation Platform offers tools for engineering thinking, including Process Functional Modeling, 40 Inventive Principles, and Effective Brainstorming. Engineers should focus on improving only those operations that increase the value of the product, remove all operations that do not increase the value of the product, and understand the origin of defects and eliminate them. What does an engineer do? What does…

Process improvement is crucial for organizational success. It helps organizations to stay competitive, reduce costs, improve quality and efficiency, become more responsive to changing market conditions, and encourage innovation. There are several process improvement methodologies available, each with its own set of tools and techniques. However, these tools rely heavily on people’s creativity and analytical skills, which can be a trial-and-error process for teams. PRIZ Guru offers analytical and problem-solving tools to assist engineers at any step of the process improvement undertaking, equipping teams to overcome barriers during this initiative. What is process? As usual, we will start with an…