Editor | On 03, Jun 2002

Book Review: Simplified TRIZ: New Problem-Solving Applications for Engineers & Manufacturing Professionals

Dr. Michael S. Slocum and Ms. Catherine Lundberg*
Ontro, Inc.

Title: Simplified TRIZ: New Problem-Solving Applications for Engineers & Manufacturing Professionals
Price $59.95
Publisher: St. Lucie Press, CRCPress
Purchase through the Products and Services page of The TRIZ Journal, or from the publisher, or from your favorite book source.
Authors: Ellen Domb, Ph.D. and Kalevi Rantanen

Simplified TRIZ: New Problem-Solving Applications for Engineers & Manufacturing Professionals is an excellent introduction to the foundations and capabilities of TRIZ. This book is directed at professionals interested in expanding their methodologies and capabilities without dedicating an exorbitant amount of time to learning a new science.

The authors do an outstanding job of briefly explaining fundamental concepts associated with TRIZ. The examples are clear, concise, and easily understood by non-technical readers. It is the reviewer�s beliefs that this book breaks through the traditional correlation of TRIZ and manufacturing/technical processes and gives numerous examples of business, managing, personal examples (as well as technical and manufacturing examples).

The first eleven chapters outline basic TRIZ principles while coaching and encouraging problem analysis and idea development through mini-exercises. These exercises invite reader participation while the numerous examples help to clarify the principles and demonstrate the limitless situations for which TRIZ can be applied. The reviewers have found that in other TRIZ literature, examples are often limited to a technical nature, which can be difficult to understand if there is no previous knowledge in the technical area from which the example is drawn. This is not the case here. Here is a table indicating the chapter topics:

Part	Chapter	Subject
	1	Why do we need new problem solving methods?
1: Contradiction, Resources, IFR	2	Ideal Final Result (IFR)
1	3	Identify and clarify the trade-off(s)
1	4	From the trade-off to the contradiction
1	5	Free Resources
1	6	Increasing Ideality
1	7	Solution Evaluation
	8	Enriching the Problem Solving Model
2: Patterns of Evolution and the 40 Principles	9	Patterns of Evolution
2	10	40 Principles
	11	Use it to improve it
	12	How to Successfully Implement and Use TRIZ
3: Implement TRIZ, TOC, Six Sigma	13	TRIZ and TOC
3	14	TRIZ and Six Sigma
3	15	Summary
	16	CHALLENGE TO BEGIN

Chapter 12 briefly outlines how to integrate TRIZ into various working environments that already utilize other methodologies. Chapters 13-14 discuss in detail integrating TRIZ with The Theory of Constraints and Six Sigma Quality Improvement, respectively. Chapters 15-16 provide a brief summary of the book and encourage readers to try the methodology themselves.

It is apparent that the authors are well versed in TRIZ and have done an excellent job breaking down and outlining the basic components of the methodology. The numerous examples would allow someone who has never heard of TRIZ to understand all the components addressed. The authors have included numerous exercises and templates that any TRIZ practitioner would find beneficial and useful.

This book is clearly a positive contribution to the body of TRIZ literature and the authors should be commended for their efforts. This book is a must read for any serious student of TRIZ. As stated previously, there is an abundance of non-technical examples that should benefit the reader. This book could enhance any pedagogical TRIZ system and Dr. Slocum intends to incorporate the books usage in his graduate level courses on TRIZ. There is also a web-page link that will provide the templates used in the book as well as a few other resources that will be made available to the readers.

*All correspondence should be addressed to Ms. Lundberg at: clundberg@ontro.com