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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Business Strategy PESTLE Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Business Strategy SWOT 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. | PESTLE Analysis makes political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental influences visible. The environment of an initiative is thereby read systematically instead of through isolated trends. | 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. | SWOT Analysis arranges strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats into a compact picture of the situation. It keeps internal capabilities and external influences separate before strategic options emerge from them. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-10 | 2-8 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | PESTLE Map, External Risks, Strategic Questions | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | SWOT matrix, Strategic options, Action list |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | StrategyMarketAnalysis | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | StrategyAnalysisMarketPositioning |