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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |  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. | 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. | 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 | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 2-6 h | 2-8 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 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 | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |