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| Criterion |  Operations 5 Whys |  Business Strategy Value Chain Analysis |  Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting |  Business Strategy VRIO Framework |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The VRIO Framework rates resources and capabilities on whether they are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Organized. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a VRIO table and strategic actions. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-30 min | Half day | 30-240 min | 90-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-8 | 1-6 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Value Chain Map, Lever List | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary | VRIO Table, Strategic Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | StrategyBusiness modelDiagnosisAnalysis | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis | StrategyDiagnosisBusiness modelCapability |