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| Criterion |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 2-6 | 2-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeQualityOperations | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |