View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Operations Getting Things Done | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Operations ALPEN Method | ![]() Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With many open commitments and ideas in daily life, a reliable external storage system emerges. The method relieves the mind so priority and context don't have to compete in memory. | 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. | 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. | 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 | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h Setup, laufend | 2-6 h | 10-20 min daily | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1 | 3-10 | 1 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Action Lists, Project List, Review Routine | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | ProductivityPlanningTasksExecution | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |



