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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Operations A3 Problem Solving | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-90 min | 1-4 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 2-5 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeQualityOperations |



