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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Innovation Contradiction Analysis | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 60-120 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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