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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Systems Thinking Theory of Constraints Thinking Process |  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. | The Theory of Constraints Thinking Process exposes a system's bottleneck and the logic behind it. It suits situations where many symptoms trace back to the same limiting relationship. | 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 | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | 0.5-3 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 4-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Current Reality Logic, Conflict Cloud, Future Reality Tree, Implementation Obstacles | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Theory of ConstraintsConstraintsSystems thinkingCausality | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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