This 2003 article published in the TRIZ Journal demonstrates that ASIT possesses a unique capability to explicitly handle both system objects (system components) and process objects (process elements) through its own logic, without resorting to analogy. Toshio Takahara, engineer at FUJITSU, also establishes a precise mapping of relationships between TRIZ's 40 principles and ASIT's 5 tools.
In this 13-page article, the author introduces a fundamental conceptual distinction between spatial objects (system objects) and temporal objects (process objects), then demonstrates that ASIT's five tools work for both object types. This academic validation confirms that ASIT extends far beyond simple technical design framework to apply to institutional and personal domains.
Takahara establishes that an object in problem-solving context is anything that must be selected and decided. This definition encompasses system objects in spatial domain (technical or institutional system components) and process objects in temporal domain (action process elements). This time/space classification reveals the crucial importance of process objects, particularly in institutional and personal domains where manage phase predominates.
The article demonstrates that ASIT applies to three distinct domains. The technical domain concerns technical systems (car, computer, medical system) with their components and processes. The institutional domain deals with institutional systems (company organisation, law, language) with their structures and management processes. The personal domain concerns human actions and behaviours, involving only process objects.
The article adopts a rigorous methodology based on five progressive tables establishing relationships between temporal domains, object types, action phases and ASIT tools. This systematic progression builds a coherent and verifiable conceptual framework, culminating in Table 5 documenting complete applicability of ASIT tools to both object types.
The author provides eight concrete examples covering three domains and both object types. For example, the child who doesn't tell about their day (Multiplication applied to process object in institutional domain), or the helicopter whose pilot cannot eject because of the rotor (Object Removal applied to system object in technical domain). This diversity empirically validates the generality of the proposed framework.
Section 5 undertakes systematic mapping of TRIZ's 40 principles against ASIT's 5 tools, producing Table 6 establishing that ASIT covers 32 principles out of 40. The 8 uncovered principles all share a characteristic: they involve substitution or replacement, which violates ASIT's Closed World Condition. This quantitative analysis precisely identifies ASIT's strengths and limits.
Takahara positions ASIT as the main object of his theoretical analysis, dedicating sections 4 and 5 of the article (pages 5 to 11 out of 13). This central position testifies to the importance he accords ASIT as a thinking system deserving deep conceptual examination, beyond usual practical descriptions. The author doesn't just apply ASIT, he examines its logical foundations and internal architecture.
Takahara establishes and demonstrates that ASIT possesses "great capability to explicitly handle both system objects and process objects through its own logic without using analogy". This characteristic is presented as distinctive and valuable, fundamentally differentiating ASIT from creative methods based on analogies. The author validates that ASIT operates by direct transformation of problem world according to clear structural rules, making it a systematic and generalisable method.
The article considerably expands ASIT's recognised scope by formally demonstrating its applicability to process objects. Takahara reformulates the five tools to show they work explicitly for actions and processes, not just material components. This theoretical extension, validated by examples in three domains (technical, institutional, personal), positions ASIT as universal method beyond pure technical design.
The comparative analysis establishes that ASIT covers 32 of TRIZ's 40 principles, i.e., 80% of the corpus. Takahara presents this result positively: ASIT retains the essence of TRIZ's elegant solution patterns while eliminating complexity. The 8 uncovered principles are explained as inherently incompatible with Closed World Condition, not as ASIT deficiencies but as deliberate logical exclusions. This presentation values ASIT's intellectual coherence.
The fact that a FUJITSU senior engineer, respected figure in Japanese TRIZ community, dedicates 13 pages to analysing ASIT constitutes significant validation. Takahara explicitly acknowledges benefiting from comments by Roni Horowitz and Ellen Domb, demonstrating interaction between Japanese researchers and international ASIT experts. This mutual recognition reinforces ASIT's academic credibility in Asian scientific community.
Although the article doesn't explicitly criticise TRIZ, Takahara implicitly positions ASIT as response to TRIZ accessibility challenge. By developing a theoretical framework showing ASIT works in manage and use phases that dominate institutional and personal domains, the author suggests ASIT responds to needs that TRIZ, mainly oriented towards technical make phase, doesn't fully satisfy.
The article enriches ASIT's theoretical base by providing rigorous conceptual formalisation of its functioning. The five tables progressively build a coherent explanatory framework connecting object types, application domains, temporal phases and ASIT tools. This theorisation helps understand why ASIT works and within which limits, strengthening its academic legitimacy beyond simple empirical validation through use cases.
Tables 3 and 4 reveal an important observation valuing ASIT: in institutional and personal domains, manage phase dominates, massively involving process objects in semi-real-time. Takahara emphasises that these domains have "a practically more important role" than traditional technical domain. This observation positions ASIT, through its capability to explicitly handle process objects, as particularly adapted to contemporary management, organisation and behaviour challenges, beyond classical engineering.
By demonstrating that ASIT's five tools apply to system objects and process objects, Takahara academically validates ASIT's universal applicability beyond technical domain. This universality positions ASIT not as a specialised technical design method, but as a general creative thinking system applicable in varied contexts including institutional organisation and personal behaviours.
Table 6 establishes for the first time systematic correspondence between TRIZ's 40 principles and ASIT's 5 tools, quantifying overlap (32 principles out of 40) and identifying exceptions (8 substitution-related principles). This mapping helps practitioners understand that ASIT retains the essence of TRIZ's elegant solution patterns while eliminating complexity and elements incompatible with Closed World principle.
By identifying that the eight uncovered TRIZ principles all concern substitution, and citing Horowitz's confirmation, Takahara clarifies a fundamental ASIT limit that logically follows from its basic principles. This clarification helps practitioners choose the right method: if solution requires introducing new elements absent from problem world, complete TRIZ is necessary; if solution can be found by reorganising existing elements, ASIT suffices and offers a faster path.
The table set provides ASIT practitioners with decision tools to quickly identify if ASIT is adapted to a given problem. Crossing dimensions (application domain, object type, temporal phase) allows choosing appropriate method. These explanations and tables help, as Takahara concludes, to decide which tools and methods to use in a variety of situations.
It should be noted that, since then, SolidCreativity field experience has largely proven that ASIT method should be used systematically (all tools) for maximum effectiveness.
Author: Toshio Takahara
Title: How People Interact with Objects using TRIZ and ASIT
Type: Scientific article
Publication: TRIZ Journal
Publication Date: July 2003
Number of pages: 13 pages
Affiliation: FUJITSU Limited
Language: English
Keywords: ASIT, TRIZ, system object, process object, 40 principles, 5 tools
Canonical link (official source): https://www.osaka-gu.ac.jp/php/nakagawa/TRIZ/eTRIZ/epapers/e2008Papers/eTakahara2003-2007/eTakahara03_TJ2_Object_2003.pdf
This document is hosted on Osaka University website by Professor Toru Nakagawa, major TRIZ figure in Japan. We recommend consulting the document via this official link to respect copyright.
APA Format:
Takahara, T. (2003). How People Interact with Objects using TRIZ and ASIT. TRIZ Journal.
ISO 690 Format:
TAKAHARA, Toshio. How People Interact with Objects using TRIZ and ASIT. TRIZ Journal, 2003.
This article proves ASIT explicitly handles both object types. Expand your application field!