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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting |  Business Strategy Value Chain 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 systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 30-240 min | Half day |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 1-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary | Value Chain Map, Lever List |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis |
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