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| Criterion |  Operations Scatter Diagram |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the question is whether two measures are related, the method makes patterns in the data picture visible. It separates felt correlations from relationships that actually show up in the data. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-2 h | 1-4 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 4-12 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Scatter Plot, Korrelationsnotiz, Hypothesenliste | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeQualityVisualization | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |