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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Product Strategy ICE Scoring |  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 ideas need sorting quickly, it condenses impact, confidence, and effort into one compact score. It connects customer value, product logic, and decision priorities. The result is captured as an ICE table and top-ideas list. | 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 | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 30-60 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | ICE Table, Top Idea List | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | PrioritizationScoringGrowthDecision | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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