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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |  Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting |  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. | Value Chain Analysis shows where value is created, costs accrue, and differentiation becomes possible along the process. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a value-chain map and lever list. | When systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable. | 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 | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | Half day | 30-240 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-8 | 1-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Value Chain Map, Lever List | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |