Simplifying Smartly

Jack Hipple

Have you paid attention to some of the new product developments lately and looked for some over-riding trends? Think about Dyson, the i-Phone, and the new electronic book readers from Borders and Barnes and Noble as examples. Dyson is selling vacuum cleaners … Read More

Open Innovation and TRIZ

Ellen Domb

Two times in two weeks on two continents then twice more by e-mail people asked about TRIZ and open innovation.  Sounds like a trend?   I honestly had not given it much thought, and before my current exposure I would … Read More

Observations on the TRIZ Developers Summit 2010

Guest Commentator

Kalevi Rantanen reports from the TRIZ Developers Summit 2010 ——————

* A non-governmental organization, the TRIZ Developers Summit conducted the conference in Saint Petersburg, July 26-27, 2010.* Approximately 90 experts from 12 countries participated in the summit.* First day … Read More

Oil and Chlorine DO Mix!

Jack Hipple

“Oil Companies to Create Industry Response System for Deep-Water Oil Spills”

What’s so special about this announcement? It says that, after decades of off shore oil drilling, the industry is going to collaborate on safety matters. Do you … Read More

World Future Society Meeting Report

Jack Hipple

The annual meeting of the World Future Society was held in Boston this past week and I attended to teach a short TRIZ Futures Course and listen to a few speakers address future issues of concern. It was interesting … Read More

Making Copies II

Jack Hipple

How many of you are old enough to remember some of the original cast episodes of Saturday Night Live? There have been several famous ones including the mimicing of Julia Child’s cooking show and bleeding all over the food … Read More

"The Invention of Air"

Jack HippleLast month we discussed resource utilization levels in food production and made some observations regarding inevitable trends. In that case we were talking about obvious resources. What about unobvious ones? We often say in our workshops that some of … Read More

TRIZ in Six Sigma at DoD

Ellen Domb

I’m in the beautiful suburban environment (all the trees are in flower!)  of Washington DC this week for the 2010 DoD Performance Symposium, which is the USA’s Department of Defense Six Sigma meeting.  People from all services present their … Read More

Continuous Innovation Enables Breakthrough

Ellen Domb

Rosabeth Moss Kanter (well-known management author and Harvard professor) presents her observations and challenges to CEOs who are embracing innovation during the recovery in the article “Block-by-Blockbuster Innovation” in the May 2010 Harvard Business Review.   See http://hbr.org/2010/05/column-block-by-blockbuster-innovation/ar/1  

I … Read More

Water and Innovation

Jack Hipple

Do any of you use water in your processes? Why? How much? Most likely it’s to cool something or to dilute something. Clean water is becoming more precious all the time as a Florida resident such as myself can … Read More

Getting to Know You….

Jack Hipple

Anyone old enough to remember that song? “Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You…” Well, I am still in a state of amazement and it took 4 days of contemplation to write a column after seeing … Read More

The Recipe for Creativity

Jack Hipple

Those of you who are not chemists or chemical engineers probably don’t read Chemical and Engineering News which, once a year, reprints the acceptance speech from the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s most prestigious award, the Priestley Medal. … Read More

50 Most Innovative Companies?

Ellen Domb

Technology Review magazine’s listing of the world’s most innovative companies has just arrived (see www.technologyreview.com/tr50).  For the first time I am not going to rant about lists of “most innovative” that don’t have the criteria for selection or the … Read More

Innovation for Creating Jobs

Praveen Gupta

There will always be a need for creating jobs. Governments around the world are looking into ways for creating jobs. President Barack Obama held a Jobs Forum like meeting at White House in December, 2009. I read that $5000 … Read More

Business Innovation Maturity Model (BIMM)

Praveen Gupta

After years of talking about innovation there is insufficient progress in deploying innovation in organizations around the world. There are tools and methods to gain new skills but a framework needed for deploying innovation in an organization is still … Read More

Report: Queens School of Business 1st Annual Innovation Summit

Ellen Domb

I’m at the Queens School of Business First Annual Innovation Summit in Kingston, ON Canada  (Friday-Saturday, March 19-20).  Over 160 students, faculty and alumni are talking, listening, and being creative about the process of innovation, with a few visiting … Read More

Look Up and Down for Innovation!

Jack Hipple

There is a fundamental law of product and business innovation that says that systems integrate into their super-systems over time. What does this mean? Let’s take an example. You are in the business of making paint roller pans. You … Read More

Creativity and Risk-taking Competencies for Innovation

Ellen Domb

Can you teach other people to be innovators?   Or can you teach yourself to be more innovative?   TRIZ practioners learn to generate innovative ideas, but they don’t always get their ideas adopted in their organizations.

Sarah Miller Caldicott is … Read More

Light Weight Cycle Vs Heavy Weight Cycles

Prakasan Kappoth

I decided to be fit this year and reduce my personal carbon footprint by introducing a bicycle in my daily life. I spent more money (considering this will be a worthy, onetime investment) than I would spend in a … Read More

Attitude vs. Tools

Jack Hipple

As an engineer and someone involved with TRIZ and innovation audits of organizations, I frequently find myself in discussions and conflicts with more right brained creativity individuals. I will define right brained as those who basically believe that in … Read More