A PBL-Based TRIZ Training Approach for Improving Inventive Competency of Engineers in Workplace

How to improve inventive competency of engineers in workplace plays a significant role in competitive advantages of companies. This paper presented and validated a PBL-based TRIZ training approach for engineers in workplace aiming at enhancing their inventive competency using the integration of TRIZ and PBL-based educational techniques. To do so, after a systematic review of related studies, a new TRIZ training approach is fabricated with seven specific steps built on the framework of PBL. Subsequently, research data collected from 95 participants is used to validate the practical proposed TRIZ training approach. Statistical analysis is conducted based on pre-training, during-training and post-train inventive outcomes of the research sample that are measured by a set of patent-based indicators. Comparing analysis results have indicated that the proposed TRIZ training approach has evidently increased the inventive outcomes of participating engineers. Moreover, regression results revealed that the position closeness to the new product development and the patent applying experience are two most significant positive influencing impactors on the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Lastly, this paper also highlights several implications for educating TRIZ to engineers in workplace and limitations to initialize studies in the future.