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| Criterion |  Business Strategy GAP Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Product Strategy Impact Mapping |  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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-4 h | 45-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Impact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |