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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  Innovation Reverse Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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. | For persistent errors or blockages, the method shifts the view to the opposite of the desired effect. It exposes the mechanics of failure and makes hidden causes easier to grasp. This makes improvement more concrete and the problem clearer. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | 45-90 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Reverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk |