Management - use TRIZ technique to generate new ideas [sap5] - Essay Example

Using TRIZ Techniques Using TRIZ Techniques to generate New Ideas TRIZ is ordinarily a problem solving approach based on data, logic, and research, but not intuition. It borrows on the historical ingenuity and knowledge of many project managers and engineers to speed up the project team's capability to creatively solve problems (Barry, Domb, & Slocum, 2010). In isolation, TRIZ conveys predictability, repeatability, and reliability to the problem-solving methods with its algorithmic and structured approach.

It has been found for more than 65 years that primary findings of research bring out: 1. Problems and solutions iterated across sciences and industries. Through classification of contradictions in individual problems, good creative solutions to the problem can be predicted. 2. Blueprint of technical evolution is predisposed to repetition across sciences and industries. 3. Creative innovations employ scientific effects external to the field in which they were developed. Greater application of TRIZ constitutes learning these repetitive patterns of problems-solutions, technical evolution patterns, scientific effects methods, and application of general TRIZ patterns specific to circumstances that face the developer.

Problem and Objectives The attention of the management is significant in ensuring that work place safety and health of employees stabilizes. However, Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) believe that troubles of many grocery stores gives a basis for providing solutions for protection of workers. The objective of the study is to establish the relationship between workplace activities and the development of back injuries and sprains. The problem viewed from the dimension of the employees takes care of their safety and health.

The alternatives available to companies are to provide opportunities for workers to work in a protected environment. Using the TRIZ Technique TRIZ technique enables the grocery stores to value the quality of work from employees by investing on their health insurance and welfare. The company can invest in ergonomics and product liability where inadequacies of products can be traced and repaired or reworked. Finally, employee safety can be harnessed and sustained by buyers who insist on minimum requirements and employee safety (Genrich, 2006).

Through these alternatives, injuries reduction will be reinforced by improvements in information and technology. There will be greater enhancement of the relationship between workplace activities, back injuries and sprains. TRIZ Diagram Figure 1: TRIZ Technique for solving grocery store fatalities Significance of TRIZ Technique I believe TRIZ technique is a significant tool to solve generic and specific problems in all areas of business operations. Following the figure above, it can be deduced that one or two elements contributing to lowered productivity at the workplace is the high frequency of injuries emanating from employee negligence or company oversight on the fatalities.

The resulting costs will be high if the specific problems do not match the specific solutions. There are contradictions with processes and machinery used in the industry (Barry, Domb, & Slocum, 2010). For instance, a highly efficient process may be injurious to employees where the cost of operation is reduced while the cost of procuring sick leaves and medication increases. The inventive situation challenges us to be considerate of inherent and physical contradictions of working in a grocery store (Genrich, 2006).

The fundamental concepts of TRIZ are finding the root of several problems to the contradiction that causes sprains and back injuries. In diverse cases, a consistent way of solving the problem is to remove the contradictions. TRIZ distinguishes two classes of contradictions: 1. Classical engineering trade-offs being the technical contradictions. The preferred state of employee safety and health cannot be attained since something else in the system limits its performance. In other words, when it gets better, something else involuntarily worsens.

Classical instances include: 1) Employees perform better (good), injuries and sprains increase (bad) 2) Service is customized to every grocery customer (good), but the installed service delivery system becomes sophisticated (bad). 3) Medical Insurance scheme is comprehensive (good) but increases the time taken on workmanship compensation claims (bad). 2. Inherent contradictions also referred as physical contradictions, are circumstances in which people or system suffers contradictory, opposite needs.

Daily examples include: 1) The machines used in the grocery store should be sophisticated (to have many features), but has to be simplistic (to be easy to learn). 2) Items sold to be easy to transport, but stacked well to prevent falling on the customer. 3) Staff training on occupational should be thorough, but not take longer time. References Barry, K., Domb, E, & Slocum, M. S. (2010). "Triz - What is Triz". The Triz Journal. Real Innovation Network. Retrieved 2 October 2010. Genrich, A. (2006).

 The Innovation Algorithm: TRIZ, systematic innovation, and technical creativity. Worcester, MA: Technical Innovation Center.