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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Facilitation Decision Jam |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | When a decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer. | 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 | High | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 30-90 min | 60-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |