Implementation of the Triz Innovation Methodology: Experience from a Mechanical Engineering Company

In the rapidly changing world, an innovation process needs to become an efficient and consistent supplyof innovative ideas – functioning despite growing the complexity of the products companies make andthe shortening time frame between innovation and its deployment. Creativity and engineering solely areno longer able to handle the just-in-time stream of innovations required to keep the competitiveadvantage of a particular company, and for this reason, innovative methods structuring the process andbringing new ideas are needed. The TRIZ (the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) innovationmethodology is proposed as a possible solution for the mechanical engineering company researched in this case study. The company manufactures products that have already been developed for decadesand, therefore, struggle to bring a sufficient amount of innovations to keep up with the pace of itscompetitors. TRIZ provides engineers a structured approach to innovations and shows them possibleprinciples used in the past to solve similar innovative problems. The case study follows the initialimplementation of the methodology in the company and points out the difficulties faced during a two-daytraining of employees in using TRIZ. The selection of only some of the basic methods of TRIZ and anemphasis on their practical handling are proposed as a better way to begin the training of themethodology, rather than trying to give a participant a broad view of all the possibilities TRIZ offers.