Leading Innovation to Improve Complex Process Performances by Systematic Problem Analysis with TRIZ

AbstractComplex organizational processes are subject to many dynamic attractors and influence factors. They generate a multitude of obstacles in the framework of process improvement. Application of traditional tools of process improvement cannot lead to significant evolution of process maturity and capability. Even the use of TRIZ-related tools has limitations in defining an ideal solution because in complex adaptive nonlinear systems optimality cannot be achieved. Therefore, an enhanced way of applying TRIZ for process improvement projects is considered in this paper. The proposed algorithm identifies the pool of obstacles and applies TRIZ in relation with each obstacle. Afterwards, a strategy is considered to handle a long list of inventive principles for generating and ordering appropriate improvement projects. The proposed algorithm is successfully tested in the case of a company dealing with software development services. Results demonstrates the concept effectiveness and reveals that active improvement of complex processes requires a well-scheduled implementation of a well-directed package of interrelated and convergent improvement projects