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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | 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 technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | 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 | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 h | 1-4 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |