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| Criterion | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Innovation TRIZ | ![]() Innovation Contradiction Analysis | ![]() Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-4 h | 60-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |



