Author Description

An excellent introduction to Anticipatory Failure Determination(TM)(AFD(TM)), an application of TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) for failure analysis and prediction. The authors also define a subset of risk analysis called the Theory of Scenario Structuring, and offer a view of AFD as an application of this theory, comparing it to traditional techniques such as FMEA and HAZOP. The AFD framework is described as a valuable method of extracting and applying information based on the world's accumulated experience in the operation of systems and processes, thus providing a means to avoid repeating costly (and often tragic) mistakes.