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| Criterion |  Product Strategy Impact Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations 8D Problem Solving |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 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. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. | 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 | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-6 Wochen | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Impact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |