Substance-field analysis

Substance-field analysis is a part of standard inventive solutions application that models a problem in the form of a substance-field model.

Overview

In classical TRIZ, substance-field analysis was used to identify the components (substances and fileds) necessary to model a problem in the form of a Su-Field. However, since cause-effect chain analysis (CECA) became widely used in the analytical phase of projects, this tool has fallen out of common use.

Key disadvantages identified through CECA clearly point to the substances and fields that form the Su-Field of the problem.

Similar to contradictions, the substance-field analysis is used for problem modeling. The tool designed for processing the substance-field models (Su-Fields) of problems is the system of 76 standard inventive solutions (SIS), which leads to solution models represented by selected SISs. In some cases, these solutions can also be presented in the form of Su-Fields. Thus, substance-field analysis is the only TRIZ tool where the model of solution can have the same form as a model the problem.

Basic assumption in the approach is that a minimally functioning system must consist of 3 basic elements:
1. 2 substances (S), i.e., objects with a rest mass involved in the system, and
2. a field (F), i.e., entity without a rest mass that establishes an interaction between substances.

The substances are closely tied to the key problem that needs to be solved. They can refer to microscopic objects, single components, or the entire technical system. The field is typically one of the types selected from the MATChEM model.