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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Innovation Reverse Brainstorming |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
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 | 2-8 |
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 | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk | Root causeQualityOperations |