In the ever-changing world of quality management, the intersection of innovation and standardization offers both exciting opportunities and tough challenges. Maria, a dedicated and certified quality professional, struggled with the concept of “standardizing innovation”—something that seemed like an oxymoron at first. How could you possibly standardize something as dynamic and creative as innovation?

Her journey began at the Innovate for Excellence Summit, hosted by the Chicago section of ASQ, where she attended sessions on innovative problem-solving using TRIZ (teoriya resheniya izobretatelskikh zadatch, Russian that translates to “theory of inventive problem solving”) and the newly released ISO 56001 standard for innovation management. As she delved into these discussions, Maria’s perspective shifted dramatically.

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