Page 287 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) 255

computing. Inventive principles have also been adapted in service operation
management (Zhang et al. 2003), quality management (Retseptor 2003),
and education (Marsh et al. 2002).

In his book Hands-on Systematic Innovation for Business and Management
Mann (2004) tries to extend all major TRIZ methods, such as functional
modeling and analysis, trends of technological evolution, separation principles,
inventive principles and trimming to the business and management area.

In summary, the extension of TRIZ into nontechnical areas is still young
and in an early stage. We will expect more breakthroughs in the deve-
lopment of systematic innovation methods in the service industry in the next
few years.

In this book, we will concentrate on introducing the 40 inventive business
principles. We hope this will lay a solid foundation for readers to apply
inventive principles to their own service application areas.

9.6 Business Inventive Principles

Similar to the 40 regular inventive principles, the 40 inventive business
principles are aimed to resolve business contradictions. In the regular 40
inventive principles, the contradictions are expressed by a matrix of 39 by
39 engineering parameters. Darrell Mann identified 31 business parameters,
and business contradictions are expressed by a matrix of 31 by 31 business
parameters. These 31 business parameters are illustrated in Table 9.2.

Again, the business contradiction table and the 40 inventive business
principles do not offer a direct solution to the problem; they only suggest the
most promising directions for searching for a solution. The problem solver
has to interpret these suggestions and find how to apply them to a particular
situation.

When using the business contradiction table and 40 inventive business
principles, following this simple procedure will be helpful:
1. Decide the attribute to be improved, and use one of the 31 parameters
in the contradiction table to standardize or model this attribute.
2. Answer the following questions:
a. How can this attribute be improved using conventional means?
b. Which attribute would be deteriorated, if conventional means
were used?