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The Future of Organizational Problem Solving: New Tools and Approaches

This article discusses the history, changes, and future of organizational problem solving, including the use of new and old tools in innovative ways. It explores the importance of cross-cultural collaboration, customer input, and knowledge management. The article also introduces TRIZ as a new tool for problem solving and offers practical examples of its application.

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The Future of Organizational Problem Solving: New Tools and Approaches

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  1. INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC. THE FUTURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEM SOLVING World Future Society July 19, 2003 Jack Hipple, Principal Innovation-TRIZ, Inc. www.innovation-triz.com

  2. OVERVIEW AND TOPICS • Brief history of organizational problem solving • What’s changed? • What’s different? • New tools • Old tools used in new ways • The future and recommendations

  3. THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZATIONALPROBLEM SOLVING TOOLS • Thomas Edison (early 1900’s) • Mass trial and error • Osbourne and Parnes (1940’s, 50’s) • Creative problem solving/”brainstorming” • Myers and Briggs (1950’s) • “Styles” of approaching problems and people • Michael Kirton/KAI (1960’s) • “Styles” of problem solving can be measured • TRIZ (1950’s/Russia, 1990’s US and West) • Knowledge management/patent mapping

  4. RECENT ORGANIZATIONALATTEMPTS AT “INNOVATION” • Early 1980’s to 1997 • Do “different” things, focused on R&D function • Joint with acquisitions and ventures • Study of these programs published and presented in the 2000-2002 time frame • 1995-2002 • The arrival of quality, Six Sigma, statistical analysis, minimization of cost • 2000-Present • Low cost alone is not enough • Innovation is important again • Have we learned anything? • Many of the presentations are like 20 year old reruns!

  5. WHAT’S CHANGED?OVERRIDING ISSUES • Globalization of businesses and markets • Cross cultural teams and enterprises • Alliances of many different sorts • Acquisitions • Mergers • Joint ventures • Temporary alliances and ventures • Temporary employees as well as alliances and ventures—loyalty is not there anymore

  6. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? WHAT’S DIFFERENT? • Learned • Breakthrough problem solving and innovation is not the sole responsibility of the research organization • Customer input • Technology licensing and venturing • Different • Cultural and business issues just discussed • Recognition of the need for “knowledge management”—cost of wheel reinvention is exhorbitant • In part driven by lack of long term personnel commitments

  7. OLD TOOLS USED PROACTIVLEY IN NEW WAYS • MBTI/related tools • Used typically only for personal growth and development of individuals • Not normally used proactively in the innovation and problem solving arenas • Some concerns are legitimate • Example: Different perspectives on the future of health care • Doctors/nurses/patients/insurers/government/ AARP

  8. USING MBTI PROACTIVELY • Insuring total involvement (E/I) • Impact vs. possibilities (S/iN) • Data and economics as well as human impact (T/F) • Closure and additional thought (J/P)

  9. OLD TOOLS USED PROACTIVLEY IN NEW WAYS • Kirton KAI™/Buffalo BCPI™ • Measures problem solving styles (adaptive/innovative) • Not normally used proactively in the innovation and problem solving arenas • Some concerns are legitimate • Example: breakthrough vs. incremental Kirton KAI is a registered trademark of M.J. Kirton, BCPI is a registered trademark of Gerard Puccio

  10. USING PROACTIVLEY • Three subscales • Originality • Long term vs. short term • Rule and group conformity • Importance of consensus • Efficiency • Manner of problem solving

  11. PLANNING, FUTURE FORECASTING, AND PROBLEM SOLVING WITHOUT THESE TOOLS IS LESS THAN COMPLETE AND NON-OPTIMUM

  12. NEW TOOLS • TRIZ • Patent and knowledge mapping software

  13. INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC. I HAVE TO REMOVE CORES FROM A MILLION GREEN PEPPERS…. How would I do this?

  14. PATTERNS OF INVENTION Processing Sweet Peppers

  15. WHAT IS THE INVENTIVE PRINCIPLE (OPERATOR) ? “Slowly raise pressure and suddenly reduce it” • A path to a solution • An approach to solving a problem • A direction towards an answer

  16. PATTERNS OF INVENTION • Removing stems from bell peppers • Removing shells form sunflower seeds • Cleaning filters • Unpacking parts wrapped in protective paper • Splitting diamonds along micro-cracks • (+27 years after pepper patent) • Producing sugar powder from sugar crystals • Explosive depulping

  17. HOW WOULD THINGS BE DIFFERENT IF INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND GRINDING TECHNOLOLGY HAD BEEN AVAILABLE 27 YEARS EALIER?

  18. THE CAVIAR EGGS AND BALL BEARING STORY

  19. THE CONTACT LENS STORY

  20. “I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow” Woodrow Wilson

  21. LESSONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING • Always look in parallel universes • Never assume your problem is unique because it probably isn’t • Don’t talk to just your customers—who might put them out of business?

  22. COMMENT ON PARTNERSHIPSAND JOINT VENTURES • Frequently based on a joint commercial approach to solving a unique problem • At recent IRI/PDMA meeting on joint ventures: • “What assessments are done prior to entering a working partnership? • 4 answers: “Nothing” • 1 answer: “Take my fellow VP to lunch and see if we get along” • Organizational culture can be measured and openly discussed

  23. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT • Large sums of money generating it • Low sums of money to collect it in a retrievable fashion • New software tools from many companies • Storage and retrieval • Searching and retrieval • Some based on the TRIZ generic principles • Patent mapping

  24. KEYS TO SUCCESS • For data to be retrieved, it must be entered • Willingness to admit that “it might have already been done” • “Six months in the lab will save at least an hour in the library”

  25. THE FUTURE….A CHECKLIST • Proactive measurement and use of: • Cultural and individual differences • Within organizational teams • Within joint ventures and collaborations • Knowledge of parallel universes • Past knowledge • Ability to capture new knowledge

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