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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Innovation Reverse Brainstorming | ![]() Innovation Morphological Analysis | ![]() Innovation Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 search for solutions with many degrees of freedom, a grid emerges for systematic combinations. The method separates features, variants, and exclusion criteria, so the space gets explored deliberately. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 30-60 min | 1-3 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-12 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Reverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution Ideas | Morphological Box, Concept Combinations, Idea Shortlist | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk | IdeationInnovationCreativity | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |



