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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Innovation Reverse Brainstorming |  Innovation 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. | 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. | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | 30-60 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Reverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution Ideas | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |