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Ranking options or items is not a trivial process. The main problem that usually people try to make a decision and select one out of all the items or options. This is the wrong way. The ranking is a kind of problem that should be solved using the relevant problem-solving tool. Many people asked me when should they use Round-Robin Ranking (RRR) provided here, in the PRIZ Platform? Why can’t I make the choice on my own? How difficult that can be? After experiencing the power of RRR myself several times, I decided to write this short post and give…

Are you looking for a task priority management tool? We have a fabulous recommendation for you! The Urgency-Importance Matrix (UIM) is designed to help you avoid mistakes, save time in prioritizing tasks, and make better decisions. This tool has been recently introduced in the PRIZ online innovation platform. The new tool is a practical instrument for task priority management. The urgent important matrix is most effective in conjunction with Roun – Robin Ranking (RRR). Why’s Getting Your Priorities Right So Crucial? When you nail your priorities, you’re setting yourself up to manage your time like a pro. And let’s face…

En mis más de 15 años de experiencia en la industria, he escuchado el principio básico de la Calidad “Lo que no se mide no se mejora”, pero por otro lado leyendo a Deming diciendo: “una gestión numérica sustituye el Liderazgo ya que todos los empleados buscarán el número por cualquier medio…”, bajo esta filosofía hasta dónde y porqué es necesario medir… Durante mis años de inspector de Calidad, medíamos y con la llegada de ISO tuvimos que validar nuestras mediciones a través de la calibración y medición de la incertidumbre, así como revisar los indicadores de manera semanal. Ya…

We all need to make a lot of decisions by choosing and ranking items/options on a daily bases. Sometimes it looks easy but often takes a long time to make the decision. It is not easy to choose one option out of several. It seems paradoxical, but our decision is typically driven by trying to avoid a mistake rather than searching for a bigger benefit. We are more afraid of making a mistake than to not get what we need. Our fear of losing is stronger than the desire to acquire. The difficulty of decision-making depends on the chance of…

Let’s analyze the problem solving process. From our perspective, Functional Modelling (one of the well-known TRIZ tools) is the best way to analyze a system. An additional article describing Functional Modeling (FM) in greater details will be prepared and published later on. For the purpose of this discussion, we are going to provide a very brief explanation of how the Functional Model tool helped me to investigate the problem solving process. At a high level, the principles of FM tool are as follows: All relevant components of a system are mapped and connected with arrows according to an existing functional…

In the world of problem-solving, understanding the root cause is paramount. “What generates a problem?” is a fundamental question that leads us to explore the nature of problems and their origins. We are all problem solvers, encountering challenges daily. Yet, whether we innovate or invent, the essence lies in effectively solving the problem at hand. A patent, for instance, serves as documented proof of problem resolution. This article delves into the complexities of problem generation, distinguishing between expected and unexpected harm, and emphasizes the importance of converting unexpected harm into predictable problems. Understanding the nature of problems, their sources, and…

Moore’s law drives all hi-tech and innovations. “Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” This was published in 1949 in Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science. Computer manufacturing began in 1943. (Fig.1) This optimistic statement appeared because semiconductor transistor had already been invented and began aggressively replacing huge vacuum electronic tubes in all devices including computers. Computers became smaller because a transistor is much smaller than a vacuum tube. Nevertheless, nobody could imagine that in about 10 years, Integrated Circuit (IC) would be invented and high volume microchip manufacturing would begin its fast development….

INTRODUCTION Sustaining excellence and continuous process improvements are two imperative constituents of manufacturing that guarantee competitive and successful technology. Sustaining excellence principles widely discussed in the literature. For instance, the main 12 principles of manufacturing excellence to achieve sustaining excellence described by Larry Fast [1]. Sustaining excellence strategy creates a special culture of manufacturing providing world-class performance. Manufacturing improvements are resulted from process changes and generally contradict to the sustaining. Using TRIZ contradiction categories we could define that ideal manufacturing should be changeable and sustainable at the same time. Process changes are always intended to increase a company’s profit and…

Our lifestyles depend on the inflation rate. Inflation is an indicator that reveals the true value of our money. When the inflation rate increases, the value of our money decreases. Why? Increased inflation results in price increases. The more prices rise, the less we can buy for the same amount of money. The inflation rate is officially calculated, controlled and published. However, there is another type of inflation – when the price stays the same, but product quality decreases. This type of ‘hidden’ inflation has a negative impact as it causes us to dig into our pockets more often to…