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By Tanasak Pheunghua (Email: consult@tanasak.com)
The Resources in TRIZ Series
By Tanasak Pheunghua (Email: consult@tanasak.com)
The Resources in TRIZ Series
01 Resources vs. Resources
The term “resources” in the domain of TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) is widely
regarded as a cornerstone of the idea generation process.
In this context, “resources” can be defined as anything, or any system created by humans which
are made available as an input for the idea generation process.
At times, confusion may occur between the resources as in the “Idea Generation Resources” (input)
and the resources (natural resources or human-made resources) used in some productions,
manufacturing processes, or invention of some equipment, etc. Simply put, one may think of the
latter as some types of raw materials for the production process.
In 2020, during my pre-defense on “Resources” research, a TRIZ Master advisor mentioned a
tendency toward generalization when people think of the term “resources”. Generally, people often
associate the resources with raw materials used in producing something. And, of course, the lesser
the resources are used, the better the process is in terms of economy, efficiency, and value of such
production or invention.
That brings us to one important question –
How many resources should we put into the idea generation process in the TRIZ context?
An invention or a production process usually requires resources that appear in the form of
substance, volume, energy, etc., and the idea is to attempt to make the most out of those resources
and realize the highest output. In other words, we want to achieve efficiency. In comparison, TRIZ is
a process of idea generation that aims to overcome any conflicts of existing systems. The end-
product of TRIZ is an idea. And that is a marked difference between the idea generation process
and the ordinary invention or production process.
Resources Brain Idea
By Tanasak Pheunghua (Email: consult@tanasak.com)
The Resources in TRIZ Series
The resources used in an idea generation process are available as data that can be
retrievable from several sources such as memories of some individuals, patents, existing
technologies, empirical data from existing systems, other comparable industries, etc.
A simple analogy can be deduced from cooking a meal. We look for the necessary resources or the
ingredients that will help us to complete our cooking process efficiently, such as;
• Raw materials
• Cooking recipe
• Kitchenware and utensils
• Source of energy
• Preparation of ingredients and cooking time
• A decent chef
• The taste that our eater or consumer prefers
If we are to start from customer needs, whatever we may be cooking, we will want to make the most
out of our available resources, raw materials, cooking process, equipment, etc. Sometimes, if we
cannot find certain ingredients for the dish, we may need to change some materials and replace
them with something else or even go ahead and cook a less than perfect meal. For this production
process, we usually aim for the minimum number of resources required to ensure customer
satisfaction.
That kind of mindset is understandable. Maybe it is because we are very clear from the beginning
about what the final dish should look like - the ingredients needed and the cooking processes
involved. That is the kind of system or process in which we have the exact knowledge of
what resources are needed. In contrast, the outcome of the TRIZ process is an idea
generation or a new approach to problem-solving. Here, the key word is ‘new’; we are
attempting to look for something 'new', something that is not yet known from the outset.
By Tanasak Pheunghua (Email: consult@tanasak.com)
The Resources in TRIZ Series
In other words, resource availability for the idea generation process should be ample to increase
the likelihood of landing on more ideas. Imagine someone trying to come up with a new idea but;
• has access to a limited amount of data from memories of concerned parties
• works with a limited set of databases of existing systems to execute an analysis adequately
• chooses not to do more research on new technology
• never studies information from related patents of the issue in question
• refuses to consult the experts and the internet
• neglects to apply the existing idea or seeks additional ideas
Given those limitations of resources and restrictions, which should otherwise become an input into
the idea generation process, it is highly likely that the process will yield fewer outcomes or even
result in ones that are not quite materially different and viable.
There should be an abundance of resources available for the idea generation process (or at least
having enough input to be applied to a new resource, hence, increasing even more resources). It
will vastly enhance the competence or the opportunity to accomplish new, feasible ideas to address
a complex or restrictive and conditioned problem.
In summary, the idea generation process differs from any other process or system in terms of the
uncertain nature of the outcome (not known from the outset) and the kind of resources needed to
be ‘input’ into the process. When it comes to the process of generating a new idea, we should
avoid approaching it with the production mindset, trying to minimize the resources in the
hope of more efficiency. Because at the end of the day, even if it takes a substantial number of
inventive resources to come up with any new idea, it is definitely worth the hassle.