This article explores the distinction between guessing and thinking as cognitive processes. Guessing involves making quick decisions or forming opinions without substantial evidence, relying on intuition. On the other hand, thinking is a deliberate and evidence-based process that aims for accuracy through careful consideration. The article discusses the disparities in decision-making basis, evidence, reasoning, speed, accuracy, informed decision-making, and engagement of cognitive processes. It emphasizes the significance of thoughtful analysis over guesswork, particularly in engineering and innovation endeavors. The article advocates for embracing thinking processes and utilizing tools like PRIZ Guru for efficient problem-solving and idea generation. Guessing involves making…

When a task force is working on a problem, it is important to understand the context and objectives of the project. This understanding helps the team approach the problem more effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, when utilizing AI assistance throughout the project, the context and objectives become even more crucial, as the quality of AI’s output depends on the data provided. This is exactly why we have introduced the context for every project. Understanding the Context Understanding the context of a problem-solving project involves gaining insights into the industry, department, and goal of the project. It allows the task force to…

At PRIZ, we are dedicated to accelerating the problem-solving process with the help of our AI assistant. In line with this vision, we are excited to announce a significant enhancement to the PRIZ Platform – the integration of an AI assistant specifically designed to assist in defining problem statements. With this latest development, you now have the ability to streamline the process of building a problem statement, almost putting it on autopilot. While our goal is not to fully automate the process, our AI assistant provides conversational support. It acts as a collaborative participant, engaging in conversations with engineers to…

Have you ever found yourself skipping the creation of a detailed description of the failure and jumping right into solutioning? Don’t worry, we’ve been there too! We are thrilled to announce the release of a new feature on the PRIZ platform that is designed to enhance the quality and completeness of project overviews. With this new feature, engineers and project leads can receive a thorough review of their written background and also get guidance and suggestions for improvement. One of the main problems this feature solves is that many engineers tend to jump straight into solutions without investing enough effort…

This article discusses the importance of using engineering thinking to solve problems in an engineering environment instead of resorting to engineering guessing. It covers the dangers of engineering guessing and the benefits of using engineering thinking. The article also outlines a systematic approach to problem-solving using problem-solving tools and facilitation, such as the PRIZ Innovation platform. Proper documentation, defining the problem statement, identifying root causes, and understanding the process are all essential components of engineering thinking, which is the only way to generate fast and effective solutions. Types of Problems in a Production Environment A healthy and growing production can…

One of the challenges our users face with the Perception Mapping tool is collecting perceptions from other people. Usually, it requires people to be physically present in the same room or on a conference call, and even then, coming up with good perceptions takes a lot of time. Eventually, it wastes the majority of the meeting dedicated to finding the blockers, leading to the need for scheduling another meeting to continue. We have done our homework and concluded that this is a problem worth solving to make time more valuable. With the latest update to Perception Mapping, you can now…

The Perception Mapping tool has long been renowned for its ability to help engineers to find blockers. The process of finding blockers results in a list of perceptions and their blocking ranks. The higher the rank, the more impacting the blocker is. These are the ones that should be resolved first. Without it, you won’t be able to “move a needle”. But, what should we do when we end up with many perceptions with the same blocking rank? Now, by combining Perception Mapping with our popular Round Robin Ranking, you can effortlessly determine which blocker deserves your immediate attention and…

We all know that understanding your customer’s needs is essential for any business to succeed. This is one of the reasons why we built one of our creative thinking tools called Action Preventing Action (APA). However, we felt that the tool alone was not enough, and we wanted to make it better by providing a working companion when you need him. Get ready to be amazed by our latest product update that brings an incredible breakthrough to our APA tool! We’re excited to introduce the power of AI-assisted customer needs analysis right at your fingertips. With this game-changing update, you…