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| Criterion |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Innovation Reverse Brainstorming |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | For persistent errors or blockages, the method shifts the view to the opposite of the desired effect. It exposes the mechanics of failure and makes hidden causes easier to grasp. This makes improvement more concrete and the problem clearer. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 1-4 h | 30-60 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 3-8 | 3-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Reverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |