Page 286 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

254 Chapter Nine

Step 3. Interpret principles: Read each principle and construct analogies
between the concepts of principle and your situation, and then create
solutions to your problem. Principle 17 (another dimension) indicates that
the wrench problem may be resolved by moving an object in a two- or three-
dimensional space or using a different side of the given area. From principle
27 (cheap short-living) and principle 40 (composite material), we may
replace an expensive object with a multitude of inexpensive objects and
change from uniform material to composite material.
Step 4. Resolve the problem: The working surface of the wrench can be
redesigned in a nonuniform shape by applying principle 17 (see the
following picture). Principles 27 and 40 can be used together. The idea is to
attach soft metal or plastic pads on the wrench working surfaces when
tightening or undoing expensive nuts.

9.5 TRIZ Applications in the Service Industry
TRIZ research started with the study of patents. Most TRIZ principles and
methods are based on knowledge accumulated in technical areas.
However, many researchers have been studying how to extend TRIZ to
nontechnical areas.

Since the 1970s, there have been continuous efforts made by Russian TRIZ
researchers to extend TRIZ into nontechnical areas; these efforts were doc-
umented in detail in an excellent paper by Zlotin et al. (1999). The original
40 inventive principles were developed based on the study of a huge number
of patents to find inventive solutions for technical problems. Darrell Mann
and Ellen Domb (1999) and Mann (2004) studied more than 800 business
case studies and developed the first generation 40 inventive business
principles. In the software industry, Kevin Rae (2001) developed 40
inventive principle analogies of TRIZ in the context of software and