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| Criterion |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Innovation SCAMPER |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 an existing solution under pressure to change, the method deliberately opens space for systematic variants. It directs attention to rebuilding, combining, and repurposing rather than only new basic ideas. This produces concrete evolution paths for products, offerings, or workflows. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-60 min | 30-60 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-10 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | SCAMPER Idea List, Concept Shortlist, Variation Notes | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityReframingInnovation | Root causeQualityOperations | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop |