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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Product Discovery Riskiest Assumption Test |  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 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. | When an idea hinges on one critical unknown, it prioritizes testing that exact piece of uncertainty first. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a prioritized list of assumptions, a test plan, and a result report. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-4 h | 1-2 Wochen pro Iteration | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Prioritized Assumption List, Test Plan, Results Report | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryAssumptions | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |