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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations 5 Whys |  DevOps Blameless Postmortem |  DevOps Incident Command |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | 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. | After an incident with damage or a near miss, the method creates a sober field for learning without assigning blame. It directs attention to the course of events, conditions, and effective countermeasures. | During an acute incident with several people involved, the method creates a clear leadership and communication structure. It reduces chaos when fast coordination and clean situational awareness are both needed at once. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 15-30 min | 30-90 min | As needed |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-6 | 3-12 | 4-15 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Postmortem Doc, Action Items, Timeline | Incident Log, Action Tracker, Stakeholder Updates |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Site Reliability EngineeringIncidentLearningReliability | IncidentOperationsReliability |