Last updated August 16, 1997
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Own experience is enough. Our goal is to enhance the use of knowledge. In
the beginning,
to start the application of "Two Pluses Matrix", you need only the experience and knowledge you
already have. You can use the matrix without computer, as well as with Invention Machine software.
We have organized the material so that each tutorial gives new tools you can use immediately.
Due to the structure of the material you can choose the level of difficulty you like. You can use the
matrix in the most simple form, or to develope and analyze it infinitely.
The result from the use of the matrix is the improved techniques for problem finding and problem
solving. Maybe yet more important is a new mentality: more readiness to offer nonconventional
solutions and give important questions.
The set of tutorials Two Pluses is based on training experience in Finnish Industry 1985-1997.
No time to spare time? It is necessary, but not enough that every user
of new
tools has strong motivation. Technology management , too, will change inevitably. The process
of innovation should be considered not less important as the production process or marketing.
That means, among other things, that new professions of "problem finder" and "problem solver"
will appear, and companies maybe will need new personnel to make new things.
The most frequently PRESENTED user problem is: "Yes, TRIZ and Invention Machine are
interesting, but I have no time to learn new tools." The argument suggests of an old joke.
A man was walking fast by the side of the bicycle. He was asked: "Why do you not get up
to the bicycle?" The answer: "I am so busy that I have no time to get up!" The REAL problem
is priorities. Ask yourself: What is important? Which investments of time, money and human
resources will give best results?
For example: How much costs insufficient quality? How much we can win if quality is improved?
Or time: What does it mean if we are faster or slower than competitors?
The structure of the course. The main steps of the course:
International background. Tutorials are based on the Theory of Inventive Problem
Solving
- TRIZ, developed by Genrih S. Altshuller and his school. The word TRIZ is an acronym built from
Russian words "Teorija rezhenija inzhenernyh zadach". The English translation is the Theory of
Inventive Problem Solving - TIPS. Nevertheless americans, too, use most the acronym TRIZ. In the
internet information is best found by the word "triz". On the base of TRIZ are developed
Innovative Technology of Design (ITD) and software packages Invention Machine and
TechOptimizer, all trademarks of Invention Machine Corporation. TRIZ or TIPS, ITD, Invention
Machine and TechOptimizer are more and more widely used in the industry of the U.S., Europe
and Japan.
Excercise 2. Describe problems which are important and familiar to you.
Except the
technical description write down economical constraints and market opportunities, too:
Letīs list known problems in the bicycle and in its environment:
Bicycle: competing systems
There are many proposals to improve the bicycle, or many bike concepts.
We list only few:
The form of the bicycle
The list displays a principle. Actually there are much more alternatives. Mere patents
related to the bicycle can be found more than one can study. Query from a patent data base
maintained by IBM, consisting patents from 1971, gave by "bicycle" 5 785 patents
(query 24 June, 1997).
- The database is in Internet, see
IBM Patent Server.
We have just described problem and solutions in the way we usually understand words "problem"
and "solution". Now weīll define more exactly the concept of "problem".
Usually we donīt think of the meaning of the word "problem". We just listed some drawbacks
we often call "problems". But there are different problems. If I have a grain of sand in a shoe,
I have "a problem". This problem, however, is easily solved. I remove the the grain of sand.
But we cannot simply remove the bicycle in order to get rid of the problems associated with
it. The bike has many useful functions and features, which more than offset the disadvantages.
When we have a difficult, inventive problem, the useful features are coupled with the
negative ones. When we speak of problems, we mean the pair of useful and harmful
features. The first step in problem solving is to remove from a drawback to the pair
of a "plus" and a "minus". The drawback is only one half of the inventive problem.
Bicycle: pairs of alternative systems
Different engineering systems have different pluses and minuses. Often a feature,
improved in one system, is worsened in another one, and vice versa. A common
bike is light, but gives no protection against rain. A roofed bike protects, but is heavy.
We introduce two useful concepts, competing and alternative system:
We select from the list of competing system pairs of alternative systems:
Letīs consider the first pair, "open" and roofed bike. We present the pluses and minuses
of alternatives by a simple table:
| System | Weight | "Tightness" |
| "Open" bike | + light | - "leaking" |
| Roofed bike | - heavy | + "tight" |
The situation when improving of one feature of the system (product/process) leads to undesirable
worsening of another, weīll call
Engineering Contradiction.
An "open"
bike is light, but "leaks". A "tight" bike is heavy. A "plus" is coupled with a "minus".
The system which have the both pluses and none of the minuses of the initial prototypes, weīll call
Ideal Final Result.
The features of the ideal final result in our example are:
+ light
+ "tight"
We complete our table:
| System | Weight | "Tightness" |
| "Open" bike | + light | - "leaking" |
| Roofed bike | - heavy | + "tight" |
The table we got is called is Two Pluses Matrix.
In the matrix we see at the
same time alternative systems, engineering contradictions and idealt final result. The matrix is
simple, nearly childish, but it works, and allows to see unexpected sides of the problem.
Important key words. Letīs repeat main concepts:
Important steps. Letīs repeat main stages of work:
How to realize the ideal final result?Weīll study later in detail tools for
getting
the ideal final result. But of course we can already now try to imagine the ideal system. Some
kind of framework of "box" around a cyclist? Or an opposite direction: all-weather clothing
for cyclists.
Switching off psychological inertia. Usually two likes arguments are
presented
against new ideas. First: "It is crazy. It is nonsense. A roofed bicycle!!!". Second: "There is
nothing new. A roofed bicycle? So what? This like designs has existed long ago."
The unconscious defence reaction against unusual ideas is called psychological inertia. We
know beforehand that a roofed bike is not possible, not reasonable, and no one needs it.
We interprete all facts so that they seem to support old beliefs. We avoid contradictory ideas.
Partially because of we usually see around us compromise solutions.
Psychological inertia is useful when routines are carried through. The same inertia is very
harmful when new ideas are sought. Thatīs why we need means of switching off
psychological inertia when needed. The two pluses matrix is one effective tool.
One cause of inertia is language. Words as "bike" or "roof" has some very fixed meaning.
The meaning of words changes, when the system evolves. Here, too, everyday
communication requires that all speakers have the same, conventional meanings for
words. Then new engineering systems are created, new meanings of words are
created, too.
The greatest success of the bike industry in 1980s and 1990s has been the mountain bicycle,
invented by cycling fans Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher, California, in 1970s. But in the
beginning just the cycle industry laughed to the whole idea. When the first mountain bike
was displayed at the 1981 New York Bike Show, its inventors were told it would never
catch on. Ten years later nearly 80 % of all bicycles sold in the U.S. were mountain bikes.
TRIZ - Theory of Inventive Problem Solvin - which is the basis of the Two Pluses Matrix,
too, has met in its history exactly the same inertia as all new techologies. The founder of
the theory, Altshuller, published the first article on the topic in 1956, but only 1990s
TRIZ made its breakthrough in the U.S. and now is catching on all over the world.
The arguments have been most typical. First: "It is not possible to control or develope
creative thinking." Then: "What is new in this? We have made these things all the time."
Or the radial tire, which is today taken for granted in private cars. Actually, the radial tire
was developed already in 1914, but was not finally accepted in the tire industry until 55 years
later. By the way, pneumatic tires for bicycles, which were introduced in 1989, were not
immediately accepted, either. One of bicycle manufacturers, J. K. Starley, observed that
only theoretical advantages could be adduced in their favor.
The contradiction must be removed. Formulate the contradiction,
and the ideal final
result so that the contradiction is clearly removed! The step from a compromise to an ideal final
result is the point where we broke the psychological barrier.
A frame is existing (around) and is non-existing (between legs). A roof is existing (in the form
of clothes), and is non-existing (in the bike).
Benefits of the Two Pluses Matrix. The first advantage of the matrix is that
you can
begin to use it without long preliminary training on the background theory. It is logical and rational.
You are working with your problem, not with the methodology for
problem solving. Second, the matrix is effective and gives non-trivial ideas. The alternative
system approach donīt allow to go on the beaten track.
Some applications of the matrix:
Exercise 4. Study the list in the exercise 3. Select a pair or alternative
systems.
Describe the pluses and minuses of an initial system, and the pluses and minuses of an alternative
system:
- initial system
- plus and minus of a system
- alternative system
Present the information in the matrix:
| System | Feature 1 | Feature 2 |
| Initial system | + improves | - worsens |
Alternative system | - worsens | + improves |
Exercise 5. Continue the exercise 4. Add the features of the ideal final result.
Build
the two pluses matrix. Make formulations carefully. Donīt think yet so much how the
solution can be realized! Repeat and make more exact the economical analysis you
begun in the exercise 1:
| System | Feature 1 | Feature 2 |
| Initial system | + improves | - worsens |
| Alternative system | - worsens | + improves |
| Ideal Final Result | + improves | + improves |
Control of Situations. According the unwritten rule an engineer hasnīt
right to
say: "I donīt know". Let us suppose we are asked: "How to improve a piston ring?", although
we have no special knowledge on piston rings. One thing we can always say is: "Let us consider
an nonexistent piston ring as an alternative!". The obvious argument: "Itīs crazy!" Now we can
say: "Why, precisely, it is crazy! Why the other elements of system (piston, cylinder, oil) can
not make the job of the piston ring?" We give good "stupid questions". So we can begin a
fruitful discussion, avoid frustrating disputes, and win time for the more careful study of
a problem.
Obviusly because of the computer with a printer allows make drafts again and again. Why
are we doing drafts on paper, although it is easy to write, erase and rewrite texts in the
disk of a computer? Because it is convenient to keep a paper in hands. So the good
feature of the paper is convenience. The bad feature is inflexibility. We write dow both
the plus and the minus of paper:
+ Convenience: comfortable to keep in hands, comfortable to read
- Inflexibility: you cannot correct the printed text
Next step is to describe the opposite features:
- Inconvenience: you cannot easily take it to hands and read it
+ Flexibility: you can easily correct the text many times
Now we should find the system having the opposite features. I think you already know
at least one such system: the computer disk, of course. The table of pluses and minuses:
| System | Convenience | Flexibility |
| Paper | + | - |
| Disk | - | + |
Our short analysis gave some interesting and nontrivial results. We understand, why the
prediction of paperless world has not been fulfilled. An electronic storage of information
- disk - is not yet user-friendly enough. No we can improve the prediction. We can
immediately see some features of the things to come. The ideal system must have
the convenience of the paper and the flexibility of the disk. We add the features of
an ideal system to a matrix:
| System | Convenience | Flexibility |
| Paper | + | - |
| Disk | - | + |
| Ideal final result | + | + |
Maybe we will see in future special draft paper which can be used many times. Maybe
we will have a printer with an "eraser mode". A printer which recycles paper. Really,
the existing recycling technology is very complex. Why not to recycle paper inside the
office or at home? The another trend is the electronic book or notepad, a flat screen for
reading only. Laptop and notepad computers are already lighter than thick dictionaries
and handbooks. But they are not as easy to handle as books.
I think it is not possible to give a strict rule how to find the alternative system, and it is not
necessary. The best way to learn the methodology is to study many examples. Alternative
systems are everywhere. And each engineering system has the alternative system. Collecting
alternatives is a fascinating, not less interesting hobby than collecting of stamps must be
for philatelists.
More examples. Systems can be both devices, materials or
processes. Here are some important systems and and their competing systems. You
can easily find pairs of alternative systems:
Transport as process:
- Walking
- Cycling
- Car driving
- Travel by bus
- Travel by train
- Travel by train
- Travel by ship
- Etc.
Food production and food processing:
- Ancient scheme: fresh plants - cooking
- Modern scheme: plants (- meat) - processing - cooking
- Freezing
- Drying
- Freeze-drying
- Canning
- Fermentation
- Radiation
- Packing
- Transportation
- Cooking home
- Etc.
Building materias:
- Stone
- Brick
- Wood
- Concrete
- Plastic
- Steel
- Etc.
Television:
- Common television
- Film projector
- Eyeglass-TV (virtual reality)
- Computer
- Telephone
- Etc.
Exercise 6. Find different examples of combining alternative systems.
Short Summary. Often it is necessary to answer very shortly to a
question:
"Whatīs, actually, so different in these new tools?"
A short answer I prefer is a table:
| + | - |
| - | + |
| + | + |
Comments to a "fixing problem". We can get, for example, following
models.
A hard tool fixes effectively, but smashes the product. A soft gripper fixes neatly, bu cannot
support the product properly:
| System | "Fixing efficiency" | "Smashing protection" |
| Hard gripper | + | - |
| Soft gripper | - | + |
Or: If we make an individual tool for each product and each geometrical shape, we can support
without smashing, but weīll need many tools. If we have only one tool, weīll have goo cost-
efficiency, but the product will be often smashed:
| System | "Cost- efficiency" | "Smashing protection" |
| One gripper | + | - |
| Many grippers | - | + |
Possible solutions:
- A soft tool consisting of hard particles
- Granules in the bag which can be vacuumized: when the bag is formed and the air is sucked out,
the bag gets hard and maintains the given form.
Do you have yet other ideas? Maybe better? Explain the ideas and bring forward the arguments!
The concept of the alternative system is introduced by Vladimir Gerasimov and Semyon Litvin.
First articles on the topic are published in 1990-91 (see the chapter Further reading).
Updated August 16, 1997
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