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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |  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 a topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 45-90 min | 60-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items | Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | FacilitationOptionsDecision | FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |