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| Criterion |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Agile Ideal Days |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | When effort needs to be thought of as real working time, it offers a simple common denominator for comparison. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as Ideal Day Estimates, Assumption Notes, and Capacity Caveats. | 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. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 15-60 min | 2-4 h | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-5 | 2-9 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Ideal Day Estimates, Assumption Notes, Capacity Caveats | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | EstimationEffortAgile | Root causeSafetyIncident | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |