Welcome Back Kotter

Michael S. Slocum

After I gave my presentation at the IQPC Six Sigma Summit with Ms. Sally Frettinger from Ventana Medical Systems, I was asked about the cultural implications of the work Sally and I presented. The next day General Colin … Read More

A TRIZ Podcast

Katie Barry

The TRIZ Journal’s managing editor Ellen Domb is featured in a podcast interview by Dan Keldsen, emphasizing applications of TRIZ to software development. It’s the third TRIZ interview in Keldsen’s series.

Listen to it here to learn more about … Read More

Real Cultural Change

Ellen Domb

One concern of the “innovation community” is the need for massive cultural change to convert old-style, business-as-usual organizations to aggressive, change-hungry, experimental innovation organizations. And the history of cultural change is not good–various studies of corporate change initiatives have failure … Read More

Providing the Tools

Cass Pursell

So the organization has decided to become more innovative. Great. We can expect an increase in R&D spending, a shift in strategic positioning, and an emphasis on new products or services. But what will be missed? Where are the … Read More

Travel to Conferences

Ellen Domb

Regular readers of The TRIZ Journal know that I am constantly filling the “welcome letter” (our editorial column) with reminders almost a year in advance for readers to submit papers to the various conferences around the globe, and more … Read More

Innovation and Rome

Michael S. Slocum

Rome was founded in the middle of a savage world. Legend has it that twin brothers Remus and Romulas founded the city after being raised by a wolf in the wild. Rome was, at this time, under the … Read More

Celebrating 10 Years of The TRIZ Journal

Michael Cyger

During the last 10 years The TRIZ Journal established itself as the leading online publisher of information about TRIZ, systematic innovation, and creativity-related articles and tools. The TRIZ Journal has developed and promoted the methodology’s use, the functionality of … Read More

Little "i" Innovation

Cass Pursell A process engineer is hired by a service organization after a successful career spent improving work flow and throughput in a manufacturing environment. He busies himself identifying tools he used in his manufacturing career that could be retrofitted … Read More

About Commentator: Praveen Gupta

Praveen Gupta

Praveen Gupta has been differentiating his work throughout his career. He has solved many problems over 25 years at small to large organizations. Praveen has developed a Six Sigma Business Scorecard for measuring corporate performance, the 4P (Prepare, Perform, … Read More

About Commentator: Ellen Domb

Ellen Domb

Ellen Domb is the founder of the PQR Group and founding editor of The TRIZ Journal. TRIZ is Dr. Domb’s 6th career: she has been a physics professor, an aerospace engineer, an engineering manager, a product line general manager, … Read More

About Commentator: Cass Pursell

Cass Pursell

I make my living as a Quality professional. I am certified via the American Society for Quality (ASQ) as a Quality Manager (CQM). I received my Black Belt training in Six Sigma from the fine folks at Pivotal Resources, … Read More

About Commentator: Michael S. Slocum

Michael S. Slocum

Dr. Michael S. Slocum, Principal and CEO of The Inventioneering Company, is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of strategy and innovation, specializing in Competitive Excellence and the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). He has over … Read More

About Commentator: Katie Barry

Katie Barry

Prior to becoming the editor of Real Innovation and The TRIZ Journal, Katie held editorial positions at Fenwick Publishing Group, Inc., and AMN Healthcare, Inc. She also worked at the Children’s Defense Fund and served in the correspondence office … Read More

Out-of-Place Artifacts and Disruptive Innovation

Michael S. Slocum

Archeologists sometimes find artifacts that are not consistent with the collection of technologies discovered for a certain period and/or culture. These finds are termed “out-of-place artifacts” (OOPARTS).  The pyramids are often cited as a fantastic example of this … Read More

Entrepreneur of the Year

Ellen Domb

End of year contradiction: there’s lots of good information in all the “best of the year” issues of magazines. But there’s less and less time to read it and extract useful lessons. BUT this is not going to be a TRIZ lesson … Read More

Right Tasty Glaze

Cass Pursell

There’s a great quote by British cookbook author Jane Grigson relating the holiday season to innovation. “Clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous. Don’t,” she warned, “Be original.”

Innovation Maverick

Michael S. Slocum

The innovation maverick is that individual who perceives the way forward in an organization through the creation of innovative concepts. When an organization is in the entrepreneurial phase, the maverick is the driving force for the commercialization of the … Read More

Aligning For Innovation

Cass PursellAccording to a recent article in The Economist, Google has established a production formula that requires developers to spend 70% of their time working on core products, 20% of their time in support of non-core projects, and 10% of … Read More

Innovation with Silly String

Katie Barry

Silly string in combat? Sounds silly (forgive the pun), but it’s true. Cans of Silly String are being used in combat areas for serious work – testing for trip wires. [Click here to read the full story.]

This is … Read More

Who Can I Sell This To?

Ellen Domb

TRIZ and QFD usually focus on understanding a customer, and either improving a product or service to make it better for that customer, or keeping it the same for the customer while improving the production and delivery system. In … Read More