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| Criterion |  Innovation How Might We |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30–45 min | 45-90 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-8 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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