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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling Competency Questions |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Competency Questions translate a domain model into concrete questions that it must be able to answer. The method keeps the model's scope clean and prevents pretty but useless structures. | 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. | 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. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 1-4 h | 15-30 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Competency Question Set, Required Concepts, Test Queries, Coverage Matrix | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | OntologyKnowledge graphScopeRequirementsSemantic | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |