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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 of a yellow story card, blue rule cards, green example cards and a red question card on a light workspace.
Agile
Example Mapping
Paper illustration for TRIZ
Innovation
TRIZ
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause 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 story carries business rules and exceptions, it brings clarity before implementation. It makes examples, open questions, and boundaries visible enough that the logic becomes jointly sound.For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles.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.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowHighMedium
Timedifferent
15-30 min30-60 min1-4 h1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
2-63-72-83-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Root cause notes, CountermeasuresExample Map, Acceptance Criteria, Open QuestionsContradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution ConceptsProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan
Tagsno overlap
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
Behavior-Driven DevelopmentRequirementsExamplesRefinement
InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
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