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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Innovation Brainwriting |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 loud voices or hierarchy distort the idea search, the method creates a quiet entry into joint development. It gives everyone thinking space and gathers contributions without social brakes, making diversity more visible and easier to build on. | 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 | Low | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-10 | 3-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Idea sheets, Expanded concepts, Prioritized list | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | BrainstormingCollaborationInclusionIdeas | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |