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| Criterion | ![]() Product Discovery Pretotyping | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Operations A3 Problem Solving | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Pretotyping clarifies whether a customer problem and solution idea create enough real demand. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence, and captures the result as a pretotyping sketch, test setup, and conversion data. | 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 a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Stunden bis wenige Tage | 15-30 min | 45-90 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 2-6 | 2-5 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Pretotyping sketch, Test setup, Conversion data, Go or no-go decision | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationDemandMVP | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |



