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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Facilitation Dot Voting |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Decision Making Pareto 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. | When a workshop has produced too many options and the group needs to condense quickly, dot voting makes preferences visible in a short time. It bundles individual votes into a solid signal for the next selection. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | In many problem situations, effect is distributed unequally across many causes. A Pareto Analysis separates the few drivers with high leverage from the long remainder and focuses attention on what measurably moves the needle. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 5-15 min | 1-4 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-20 | 3-8 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Ranked list, Consensus signal, Shortlist | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Pareto Chart, Top Causes, Focus List |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | FacilitationVotingConsensusPrioritization | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | PrioritizationQualityFocusRoot cause |