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What Inspired the PRIZM method?TRIZTRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch), the ‘theory of inventive problem-solving’ was developed by a Russian called Genrich Altshuller in the 1940's and 50’s. It has been used by many American Fortune 500 companies and is touted as the quickest methodology for generating patentable ideas. However, TRIZ is not really a theory of inventing at all. In total, it is actually a set of 11 'thinking tools' for engineers, developed over 40 years. Altshuller never statistically investigated the actual steps or process of inventing. He looked only at the end-results of inventing and used his own intuition to explain how people got there. Thus in the UK and Europe today, there is some confusion about ‘what it is’ and ‘what it really does’, and as a result, TRIZ is not widely taught. The truth is, the real strength and reputation of TRIZ lies in the fact that Altshuller analysed over 50,000 patents himself by hand, before computers were invented. He classified each of the patent solutions as a 'three element system': two ‘contradicting’ variables and their solution. And then he systematized the results of this analysis in what is popularly called ‘The Contradiction Matrix’. Using the matrix, engineers can significantly reduce their solution-finding time since it avoids (a) guesswork and (b) historically and statistically non-viable solutions. The Contradiction Matrix lists only the top 5% of patentable inventions in their class. The list of the best solutions is known as 'the 40 Inventive Principles'. To date, this matrix has been checked and updated with over 2 million patents, but its structure was never changed - it remains a breakthrough in classifying 'how engineers think'. Thus, of all the thinking tools Altshuller devised, it is arguably the quickest, most statistically valid way for engineers to borrow and re-use ideas from others who faced similar problems. The ‘TRIZ-Masters’, who worked with Altshuller memorized and internalized this matrix and related tools over several decades. Understandably therefore, when Russia opened, they quickly found new friends in US companies. The fame of TRIZ spread primarily on the basis of the Masters’ expertise with the matrix and its 40 associated principles. Many of these Russians did also try to pass on their knowledge. However, the Russian way of thinking was not the same as the West, and TRIZ ran into many problems in dissemination. The main sticking point became obvious to us, when in some cases, new participants in TRIZ workshops could not formulate 'a contradiction' after 5 days of training. You see, this concept is core to TRIZ. Without reformulating one's problem as a contradiction, the matrix - the most powerful tool in the kit - does not work at all. For over a decade, the community of TRIZ practitioners tried to develop strategies to better apply Altshuller’s original thinking about contradiction and tacit philosophy in a way that is useful in the West. However people forgot to look at the process of creation. PRIZM fills the main gap left by Altshuller and others - analysing the way everyone thinks about creation, and plotting the steps in an Innovation Map. When the map is added to TRIZ, we can show people how to develop a precise problem statement or contradiction in under 20 minutes. In fact, we can show people how to generate hundreds of real problem statements and find Altshuller's answers to each of them, in less than one hour. This is at least 10 x faster than is possible without this tool. The word ‘PRIZM’ is an acronym that stands for Russian words meaning ‘super-advanced method’ that incorporates and supercedes TRIZ. "Creative day with lots of questioning of statements made by participants, leading to a clearer understanding of the business issue!" Try out the PRIZM method in your business with our FREE trial - Click here to book your Gameday |
