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| Criterion |  Decision Making Force Field Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  DevOps Incident Timeline Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | For an incident with an unclear sequence, the method makes the timeline precisely visible. It separates perception, reaction, and delay so cause and effect become more clearly readable. | 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 | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 60-180 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Incident Timeline, Evidence Log, Delay Analysis, Improvement Actions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | ChangeDecisionStrategy | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | IncidentTimelineSite Reliability Engineering | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |