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| Criterion |  Innovation How Might We |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With a stuck problem carrying many implicit assumptions, the method translates observations into open, workable questions. It sharpens the problem frame without pre-thinking the solution, turning frustration or fuzziness into a search space with clear direction. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. | 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 | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30–45 min | 2-4 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 2-6 | 2-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis |
Tagsno overlap | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | Root causeSafetyIncident | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations |
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