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| Criterion |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations Gemba Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-180 min | 45-90 min | 1-4 h | 30-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 2-5 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | LeanObservationProcessOperations |