Hands-On Systematic Innovation

Author: Darrell Mann

Publisher: CREAX Press

ISBN: 90-77071-02-4

Although TRIZ (the Russian acronym for Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) has existed for over five decades, interest from the West has mainly emerged within the last fifteen years.

One of the leading TRIZ researchers, writers and practitioners in the UK is Darrell Mann, who became involved with TRIZ in 1991. In this publication, Mann has sought to write a book, focused on the benefits of TRIZ rather than a description of its features, which would be useful to both experienced TRIZ users and novices. At first read he appears to have succeeded to a large extent, given that this review has been written by a novice, and comments posted by experienced TRIZ practitioners on the internet have been in the main positive.

It is claimed that TRIZ is a philosophy, a method and a series of tools. It was developed by Genrich Altshuller who led a Soviet research team in a conservatively estimated 1500 person years of research effort, in a program lasting from 1946 until the mid-1980’s. The starting point for this research was the systematic analysis of successful patents from around the world, and from the study has emerged what has become a TRIZ axiom, that for any problem “someone, somewhere has already solved a problem something like mine”. The general model for TRIZ problem solving is to start with a specific problem, translate to a TRIZ generic problem, identify a TRIZ generic solution, and from there uncover a specific solution to the originally identified problem.

Although TRIZ has its roots in technology and patent development, its uses have become more widespread in many other, perhaps unexpected, fields, including creativity and psychology. As one way to escape from “continually reinventing the wheel”, TRIZ is worth a look. In Hands-On Systematic Innovation, Darrell Mann has provided a sympathetic and knowledgeable treatment of a complex subject area.

Review by Dave Patrick

Note - Review first published in North of Scotland “Business News” March 2003

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Hands-On Systematic Innovation