Overview

Eliyahu Goldratt introduced an integrated problem-solving tool set loosely known as the "Theory of Constraints" (TOC) in the early 1990s. For those people who are already familiar with the TOC methods, this chapter is intended to show how TRIZ and TOC integrate very naturally. For those who would like more information on TOC, we suggest Goldratt's books, particularly, ^[1], ^[2], ^[3] H. William Dettmer's books ^[4], ^[5] and the articles in The TRIZ Journal by Domb and Dettmer ^[6] and Ed Moura. ^[7]

The conflict resolution diagram (CRD), or "evaporating cloud," is one of the most powerful tools in the TOC tool set for resolving conflict. It is one of the few methods designed for formally structuring "win-win" solutions. In that respect, it is similar to TRIZ, in that both reject tradeoffs.

The strength of the CRD lies in two characteristics. First, it is an excellent way to structure and illustrate graphically the crucial elements of any conflict, starting from the overt indications and tracing the roots of the conflict back through the ultimate objectives of each side. Second, it helps to expose and identify the unspoken assumptions underlying each element of the conflict. Knowing what these assumptions are is the key to resolving the conflict in a "win-win" manner.

But, like most tools, the CRD is not perfect. While it is strong in the areas mentioned above, it is also somewhat weak in one key area: idea generation. The whole purpose...