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David Silverstein, Neil DeCarlo and Michael Slocum, in their excellent book, InSourcing Innovation, point out that the TRIZ system of inventive problem solving isn't just a tactical tool, to help solve design challenges in new product development. It's also a very capable tool that can be used for strategic innovation planning:
"With tactical TRIZ, you use a very finite set of parameters and principles to solve a technical innovation problem. With strategic TRIZ, you use a very finite set of generic patterns to solve the managerial problem of 'where do we go from here?'"
As the authors explain, strategic TRIZ follows a 5-step process to create a strategic innovation roadmap:
- Define the existing conditions and parameters in the system to create the baseline for forecasting. At this stage, you can perform business and market analyses, and can create a synopsis of the evolution to date, both inside and outside of the company.
- Map the maturity of the systems using data from major categories, such as financial, patents, risks and other key metrics. Your goal is to map this data into classic "S" lifecycle curves, so you can determine which lifecycles can be expanded for further profitability, and where new lifecycle curves (disruptive innovations?) need to be created.
- Apply patterns of evolution to create a technology roadmap, which can be used to identify overlooked opportunities and opportunities for hybridization of technologies. Then build a future state of the roadmap, identifying potential future paths, feasibility and risks.
- Plot specific evolutionary paths based on the data you have collected to create a multi-generational product plan - one that identifies several generations of development, implementation stages and market readiness.
- Implement the innovation roadmap, in conjunction with strategic planning, improvement and innovation tools. Use the metrics identified in the "Define" phase to track actual versus expected progress.
Based on the wording of the last phase in the book, it's clear that the authors intend this "DMAPI" strategic TRIZ methodology to be used primarily for incremental innovation. And that's OK. Not every innovation needs to be radical and game-changing. There's plenty of room for profitable, incremental innovation. DMAPI appears to be a well thought-out, common-sense framework for assessing your current technology assets and doing some "future scanning" to envision future iterations of your products and services. |
