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Criterion
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Purposedifferent
For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly.With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighMedium
Timedifferent
15-30 min1-6 Wochen45-120 min
Participantsdifferent
2-64-102-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Root cause notes, Countermeasures8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action PlanTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides
Tagsno overlap
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
QualityProblem solvingRoot cause
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Paper illustration for Root Cause Tree Analysis
Operations
Root Cause Tree Analysis