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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Operations 8D Problem Solving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-4 h | 15-30 min | 1-6 Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause |



