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| Criterion |  Innovation How Might We |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  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. | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30–45 min | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 1-8 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
