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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Innovation SCAMPER |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 existing solution under pressure to change, the method deliberately opens space for systematic variants. It directs attention to rebuilding, combining, and repurposing rather than only new basic ideas. This produces concrete evolution paths for products, offerings, or workflows. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 15-30 min | 30-60 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | SCAMPER Idea List, Concept Shortlist, Variation Notes | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityReframingInnovation | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop |