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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Innovation TRIZ |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | 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. | 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 | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 h | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 2-8 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | InnovationPrototypeResearch | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |