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| Criterion |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Business Strategy Business Model Stress Test |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | A Business Model Stress Test checks how well a business model holds up under pressure and headwinds. It compares strengths, risks, market logic, and courses of action. The result is captured as a stress-test report and action plan per scenario. | 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 | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-180 min | 45-90 min | Half day | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 2-5 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Stress Test Report, Action Plan per Scenario | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | StrategyBusiness modelRiskDiagnosis | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |