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| Criterion |  DevOps Incident Timeline Analysis |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For an incident with an unclear sequence, the method makes the timeline precisely visible. It separates perception, reaction, and delay so cause and effect become more clearly readable. | When knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | 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. | 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 | Medium | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-180 min | 1-4 Wochen | 15-30 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 6-30 Experten | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Incident Timeline, Evidence Log, Delay Analysis, Improvement Actions | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | IncidentTimelineSite Reliability Engineering | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |