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| Criterion |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Product Strategy Impact Mapping |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | When a goal needs to be connected to several possible paths, it shows chains of impact instead of feature lists. It connects business goal, behavior change, and measures. | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 10-20 min daily | 45-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Impact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeQualityOperations | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning | StrategyAnalysisPlanning |