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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 4-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | InnovationPrototypeResearch | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |
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