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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Product Discovery Outcome-Driven Innovation |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Outcome-Driven Innovation clarifies customer problems, solution opportunities, and evidence. It separates jobs, desired outcomes, importance, satisfaction, and opportunity, and captures results as desired outcome statements, an opportunity landscape, and segments by underserved needs. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | Mehrere Wochen | 1-3 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-6 researchers plus sample | 2-8 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Desired outcome statements, Opportunity landscape, Segmentation by underserved needs, Innovation hypotheses | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | OutcomesInnovationResearchQuantitative | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |