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| Criterion |  Operations Ivy Lee Method |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Decision Making Pareto Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With a restless workday full of too many open items, the method creates radical simplicity. It directs attention to a short sequence instead of a broad, still-open field. | 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. | 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. | In many problem situations, effect is distributed unequally across many causes. A Pareto Analysis separates the few drivers with high leverage from the long remainder and focuses attention on what measurably moves the needle. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 5-10 min daily | 2-6 h | 1-4 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Daily Priority List, Completion Notes | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Pareto Chart, Top Causes, Focus List |
Tagsno overlap | PrioritizationProductivityExecution | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | PrioritizationQualityFocusRoot cause |