My First infection with TRIZ and OTSM

I was infected by TRIZ when it was converted from Algorithm to a Applied Scientific Theory for creating tools (instruments?) for solving non typical problems. It was 1979, book that original title was proposed by Genrich Altshuller - Exact Science Instead Of Creativity. Publisher was afraid of this challenged title and replace it by less challenged - Creativity As An Exact Science... I was electronical engineer and book was full of mechanical examples.
 At that time I was not able to understand that TRIZ instruments is domain free tools for solving problems in various domain. So I was punished - my TRIZ education was postponed for one year.
In 1980 I attend my first 4 weeks training. It was 140 hour - 22 days – 50 participants. It was very first 4 week training in Minsk. The training was organized by Val Tsourikov – the author of Invention Machine project. Every single day we had homework for exercise on ARIZ… It was amazing.
Few weeks later my colleagues started laughing on me and say that TRIZ is nothing. I took one of the most difficult problems they have. It was a problem about sensitivity of thermocouple for Voltmeter of special kind. I got it… I propose a solution. I did it during few minutes. The have spend for the problem several months before this moment… it was easy. After this they stoped saying that TRIZ is stupid and nothing….
In 1981 my bosses forced me to teach other in my research institute for electronics devices development. Of cause I taught them ARIZ but very shortly just - one week. Just four homework… Surprise! Several students have solved their electronics problems and improve their devices sufficiently... I was impressed even more.... I stared teach others by my own voluntarily... It was fun! They also started to solve problems/ I helped several of my friends with their Ph.D. research. ARIZ did work in many domains not only in electronics!
In 1983 I found a way to contact Altshuller and started discussion by mail about ARIZ improvement. He invited me to the conference and then in 1984 he invited me first time for his 4 weeks training. Then two more of I attend two more of his trainings - in 1985 and in 1986.
His trainings were overflowed with deep knowledge and philosophy of classical TRIZ. I discover from him that ideality is not the core of the TRIZ and even not the core of the TRIZ philosophy. There are something more deep in The theory of developing tools for solving non typical problems than just ideality which is just one of 8 Laws of a system evolution in His system of laws. Nothing more, than just one of several others laws that are equally important. Because of G.Altshuller develop a system of laws but not random set of laws… Which law dominate depend on the stage of a system evolution. Ideality belongs to the stage named by Altshuller – Cinematics. Before cinematics is stage that had a name – Statics. Other lwas dominate on this stage but not ideality. Last stage of System evolution was named by Altshuller – Dynamics. It is transition to a next generation of the system, ideality do not dominate here as well. Above all Harmonization seems much better candidate for most important law. But in the same way: it dominates on certain stage of a system evolution.
During these training I have learned more about other TRIZ superstitions not only about ideality… One of many is oversimplified model of TRIZ problem solving as 4 boxes process that G.Altshuller described in 1975 much more detail in His paper “Solving non typical problems: Fundamental stages and mechanisms ” and then use this model to create ARIZ 77. However ARIZ-85-C started new S-curve of ARIZ evolution and use sufficiently different model of a problem solving process. This fact is also mostly unknown in the world TRIZ community.
In 1985 I was impressed by Altshuller’s ideas about OTSM – Russian acronym for General Theory of Powerful (Strong, Systemic) Thinking. He did believe that TRIZ should be transformed into more general and universal theory on solving non typical problems and became domain free tool. Since then under his supervision I was working on the developing this interesting subject. Several of his ideas on OTSM was very productive. In 1997 he look through my 50 pages paper on background of OTSM and say that now it seems as OTSM and then Altshuller allowed me use this acronym for my result... This conformation was much more important as I realized later… It was our last meeting. Then I was invited to Korea as a first Russian TRIZ expert and had no chance communicate with him during last year of his life....
Classical TRIZ is still unknown in the world and it is not so much hidden. Not so many people know about three postulates of classical TRIZ - assumptions were done by Altshuller for developing Classical TRIZ. Not so many people know what question was posed by Altshuller to be answered by Classical TRIZ... These theoretical backgrounds are still unknown. bet even practical tools do not used as well, for instance Altshuller's ARIZ-85-C. Instead people consider 40 principles as most popular tools of Classical TRIZ. However Altshuller remove this tool out of TRIZ at all. In ARIZ-85-C you can not find any reference to the matrix and 40 principles. Instead system of 76 Inventive Standard Solutions was integrated into ARIZ. And those who know ARIZ do not need any algorithms for using standards. Why? Because of the system of standards is organized according Altshuller’s system of laws and work as more practical tools to implement laws for practical needs. Same was done in ARIZ. Try to recognize laws of system evolution that underlining Altshuller’s ARIZ. It is a good exercise for self development in TRIZ understanding.
Many other important details are still unknown for TRIZ world wide community for Russian TRIZ community as well. There are many reasons for this status quo. It will be subject for other posts of this blog. In case that someone will show interest to know more about this point of Classical TRIZ History.
Classical TRIZ is not difficult and can be learned deeply by any one who apply certain efforts and has open mind to communicate.... Solving non typical problem need the same skills as skills needed to learn TRIZ itself in order to learn for deeply understanding of Classical TRIZ.