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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Innovation SCAMPER |  Innovation Morphological Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a search for solutions with many degrees of freedom, a grid emerges for systematic combinations. The method separates features, variants, and exclusion criteria, so the space gets explored deliberately. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 15-30 min | 30-60 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | SCAMPER Idea List, Concept Shortlist, Variation Notes | Morphological Box, Concept Combinations, Idea Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityReframingInnovation | IdeationInnovationCreativity |