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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Decision Making Force Field Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In change initiatives, supporting and restraining forces sit at the table at the same time. Force Field Analysis makes these tensions explicit and shows where change can be pushed forward by strengthening or relieving. | 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 a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 45-90 min | 15-30 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-12 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Force Field Map, Change Levers, Risk Notes | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ChangeDecisionStrategy | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |