View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
Selected:Kepner-TregoeHypothesis-Driven TroubleshootingFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisFishbone Diagram
| Criterion | ![]() Operations Kepner-Tregoe | ![]() Engineering Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | When systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-8 h | 30-240 min | 2-6 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-6 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Hypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | Root causeQualityOperations |



