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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting |  Operations Barrier 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 a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | When systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 2-8 h | 30-240 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-8 | 1-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis | Root causeSafetyIncident |