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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | 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 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. | 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 | 1-3 h | 2-6 h | 30-60 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | Root causeQualityOperations |