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| Criterion | ![]() Product Discovery Problem Interview | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the picture of the problem still needs to become solid, it asks about real situations and consequences. It separates genuine suffering from mere interest in a solution. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. | 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 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 | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min je Interview | 2-4 h | 2-6 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-12 Interviews | 2-6 | 3-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Evidence, Risk Notes, Customer Segments | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | DiscoveryInterviewsValidation | Root causeSafetyIncident | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |



