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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  Operations Bottleneck Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | For a flow that backs up at one point, the method looks for the capacity limit with the greatest leverage. It explains why extra effort elsewhere barely improves throughput. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-8 h | 1-3 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Bottleneck Map, Flow Metrics, Improvement Options, Follow-up Measures | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | FlowMeasurementConstraints | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |