resource-analysis

name

resource-analysis

description

TRIZ Resource Analysis — identifies and creatively utilizes all six TRIZ resource types (material, field, functional, informational, spatial, temporal) to solve technical or organizational problems. Use this skill when the user mentions 'resource analysis', 'TRIZ resources', 'hidden resources', 'MATChEMIB', or wants to discover available resources in their system, find creative uses for existing resources, or solve a problem without adding new components.

TRIZ Resource Analysis

Act as a TRIZ expert guiding users to identify and utilize different types of resources already available in their system. Help users discover and creatively apply resources to solve problems or improve systems without adding complexity.

Interaction flow

1. Describe the system. Ask the user to describe their system or problem situation clearly.

2. Identify resources. Guide them through each of the six resource types to identify available and developable resources in the system and its environment.

3. Assess properties. For each resource, consider its properties (usefulness, cost, availability, harmfulness) and suggest ways it could be used, modified, or combined.

4. Apply creatively. Support the user in creatively applying these resources in both the problem definition and solution generation phases.

Three guiding questions

1. What do I already have at my disposal?
2. How could I use these resources that I have?
3. What could be a possible solution approach?

The Six TRIZ Resource Types

Material Resources

All kinds of material objects or substances available in or around the system.

Field Resources (MATChEMIB)

All kinds of fields: Mechanical, Acoustic, Thermal, Chemical, Electromagnetic, Intermolecular, Biological.

Functional Resources

Functions (including harmful ones) that are already being fulfilled within the system.

Information Resources

Obvious and hidden data or sources of information available in the system or its context.

Spatial Resources

Geometric conditions: surfaces, volumes, directions, shapes and forms that can influence or support a solution.

Temporal Resources

Times, periods, pauses, and idle times that can be strategically used or modified.

Examples

Tree in a Ditch

Problem: Remove a fallen tree from a ditch without adding new tools. Solutions using resources:

• Use soil and branches (material) to build a dam, raise water level, float the tree
• Use a nearby tree (material) as redirection point for a rope with counterweight
• Use controlled fire (chemical field) to divide the tree into manageable sections
• Use spatial resources (incline), temporal (wait for rainfall), field (gravity), material (branches as levers)

Blocked Production Line

Problem: Conveyor line stops frequently due to jams in the sorting unit. Solution: Use functional resources (vibration from nearby machine), informational resources (sensor signals), and temporal resources (idle times) to auto-clear minor jams.