40 Inventive Principles

How to use 40 inventive principles? How to invent or solve a problem with 40 Inventive Principles?

40 Inventive Principles is a classical TRIZ tool, a problem-solving tool. It is a very strong technique for new Ideas generation.

Genrich Altshuller developed fundamentals of the technique based on analysis, classification, and systematization of tens of thousands of patents.

Each patent is an example of a solved problem that is properly documented; therefore, we are able to use the patents for problem solving and idea creation. Altshuller revealed significant things:

• Any problem can be described as an engineering contradiction – if something is done, then a parameter will be improved, but another parameter will be worsened.
• Any specific parameter can be assigned to one of 39 general parameters
• There are 40 typical ways of solving all engineering contradictions. These are the Inventive Principles;
• Using Altshuller’s matrix (general improving parameter versus general worsening parameter), 2 – 4 principles can be found as relevant for the solution of the specific problem;
• Applying the Principles recommended significantly improves the efficiency and impact of problem solving

Correct usage of Altshuller’s matrix of 39 parameters and 40 principles allows us to solve problems and generate new ideas.

How it works?

– Our system will take you through the process to bring you to new idea generation:

1. Start to use the app. Click on any of the orange buttons and sign in to the platform.
2. Open a new Project. Open a new project or choose a project from the list of proposed challenges.
3. Click “What’s Next” and chooce “Creative Tools” (“Creative tools” button can be found on the left menu as well)

4. Click “+NEW” button and choose the “Inventive Principles” tool out of the available tools:

5. Write the Best Known Solution (BKS) – even unrealistic solution – BKS is needed to create correct Engineering Contradiction

6. Engineering Contradiction. A contradiction is a form of the problem description. Please read your best-known solution, think, and formulate the engineering contradiction in the form “IF (something will be done), THEN (something will get better – some parameter will be improved), BUT (something will go worse – some parameter of the system will be worsened). This step is extremely important.

7. Choose the Improving parameter. The parameters can be found in your contradiction. An improving parameter can be recognized from the description after “THEN”. In the first field please describe your specific parameter that you are going to improve. In the second field scroll down and choose out of the list a general parameter that is relevant to your specific improving parameter. The description of the general parameter will appear below just after clicking the parameter.

8. Choose the Worsening parameter. The worsening parameter can be defined based on the description mentioned in your contradiction after “BUT”. Insert a description of the specific parameter that is expected as worsening into the first field. Scroll down the parameters list in the second field and choose one that is the most relevant to your specific worsening parameter. Click “Next”.

9. Get the relevant principles. Based on Altshuller’s matrix PRIZ GURU system will pick up relevant principles for you. Please read the principles and explanations. On the right side, you can scroll down the list of different areas of the activity. Please choose the area that is relevant to your case. By clicking on the relevant area a relevant explanation of the principles will appear on the page. Perceive proposed principles and explanations as tips for thinking about your problem solving. Move from the first principle to the last one-by-one, read the explanations and think. Read and think about how the

10. Solutions/New ideas generation. This is very important and not such an easy step. Please remember that the system proposed to you certain principles because a similar problem was already solved using such principles. Please read the principles and explanations and think about how this could solve your problem. Please be completely disconnected from all other things, think inventive, think inventive principle. Do not skip the rest of the principles, go one by one, think and create ideas. Use the button “Record an Idea” for your idea documentation.

11. Ideas management. This is a critical step that allows you to have a look at all ideas that were generated, make relevant comments or corrections, and start the ranking of the ideas using the Round-Robin Matrix method.

Report out will confirm the excellence and your ownership of the idea.

For more details about the 40 Inventive Principles technique please read our blogs: PROBLEM SOLVING USING 40 INVENTIVE PRINCIPLES and Trapshooting is bad for the environment – here is our problem solution…

Click any of the orange buttons (LOGIN) to get to the app and start using 40 inventive principles for your problem solving and idea generation.