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Invest in Human Resources to Drive Innovation A survey of 296 Human Resource professionals in the U.S. reported that HR spending averages $1,218 per employee, an increase of 1.4% over last year’s levels. You have questions, Roy Laun finds
What is it being spent on?
the answers. An expert in continuous improvement methodologies including Lean and Six Sigma, Roy answers your questions using his experience and the knowledge of industry’s top thought leaders.
Q: What other problem solving methodologies are available to me in addition to the traditional ones that everyone uses? In a world where life and technology moves very quickly, creative problem solving has become a must. Saddled with the problems of keeping product quality and product cost attractive to prospective customers, design and process engineers rely on creative problem solving skills to meet these formidable challenges. One of the lesser known but very effective problem solving tools is called TRIZ (pronounced trees), which is an acronym for the Russian phrase, “Theoria Resheneyva Isobretatelskehuh Zadach – Theory of Solving Problems Inventively.” Invented by a Russian born patent research analyst, Genrich Altshuller, TRIZ offers possible problem solutions using inventive and engineering principles compiled from thousands of patents. A specific example of TRIZ in practice can be seen on the jet engine inlet for the Boeing 737 twin engine commercial airline. Boeing engineers were confronted with the problem of upgrading the 737 engine thrust which required a larger diameter engine than the airframe was originally designed to carry. Initially, this problem was considered “simple” until the engineering team discovered that a larger diameter engine inlet could allow the engine to ingest debris from the runway and possibly cause engine damage or failure during takeoff. The engineering team selected TRIZ as the
problem solving tool. TRIZ is made up of 39 Engineering Characteristics (where unwanted results can be explored) and 40 Innovative or Engineering Principles that were used to solve the 39 unwanted results. The Boeing engineers noted that Altshuller’s table of 39 unwanted results listed “Area of a Moving Object” and “Length of a Moving Object”. These were selected because by increasing the area of the jet engine inlet the diameter or “length” increased and that was the core problem.
10% Strategic HR Services
employee engagement, workforce planning & wellness programs
30% Talent Management recruiting & development
60% Core HR Services compensation, payroll & employee relations
Imbedded in the 39 unwanted results table are the 40 Innovative or Engineering Principles allowing the Boeing Engineers to see how problems with area increase without length increase were approached. What they discovered was that “Asymmetry” was one of the solutions suggested and ultimately solved the problem. The Boeing 737 engineers solved the problem by making the engine inlet shape more along the lines of an oval (wider horizontally than vertically), thereby maintaining proper distance from the runway surface while still providing increased inlet area for the larger engine. TRIZ is a powerful problem solving tool allowing the user to explore problems and solutions confronting other engineers and scientists in varying applications. The process is simple and intuitive for the user to manage and provides clues and pathways to solving difficult problems in an effective and efficient manner.
Investing in Human Resources is vital to any growth strategy - in the coming year, recruiting and retention are likely to take center stage as companies plan their talent needs for the next stage of their growth. Total turnover averaged over 17% last year. Sharp and forward-thinking companies are creating career, compensation and development strategies to retain key employees. According to Karen O’Leonard and Stacey Harris of Human Resources Executive Online (www.hreonline.com), companies that have invested the resources to improve their HR capabilities will be better equipped to hire the right talent, expand
Roy Laun is a Lean Consultant with CONNSTEP, providing consulting services to a variety of manufacturing companies with a concentration in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma process improvement. Reach Roy at rlaun@connstep.org.
quickly and allow for quicker recovery – all leading to better business outcomes.
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