Soft Side of TRIZ

Jack HippleJack Hipple

When we first look at the contradiction table and the inventive principles, we are tempted to look at the words and not see how to connect them with business, organizational, and people problems and just say they aren't applicable. However, as was demonstrated in a proposed answer to the first homework problem from the last issue, it's not impossible—it just takes some mental effort and a little imagination. An excellent TRIZ Journal article reviewing the 40 principles and their "translation" into business terms can be found at the www.triz-journal.com web site. It's in the September 1999 issue. In addition, an additional resource in this area is the business contradiction table developed by Darrell Mann. It's a 31X31 matrix and uses parameters unlike those in the original contradiction table and the terminology is a little different than used in many US businesses.