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Criterion
Gap Analysis method illustration showing its working structure
Business Strategy
GAP Analysis
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
A3 Problem-Solving workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
A3 Problem Solving
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Purposedifferent
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.For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations.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 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
MediumHighMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-3 h2-8 h45-90 min15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
2-82-82-52-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk NotesProblem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk PlanA3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause AnalysisRoot cause notes, Countermeasures
Tagsno overlap
StrategyAnalysisPlanning
Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations
LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
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