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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Business Strategy Strategic, Tactical and Operational Planning |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  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. | It places decisions and artifacts at the right level. Strategic planning clarifies direction, tactical planning translates it into programs, and operational planning steers concrete processes. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 90-180 min | 2-4 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 4-12 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Planning Levels Map, Cadence Model, Planning Artifact Inventory | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | CadenceGovernanceExecution | Root causeSafetyIncident | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |