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| Criterion |  Business Strategy Strategy Map |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Strategy Map translates strategy into a few connected objectives across perspectives such as finance, customers, processes, and learning. This makes visible which capabilities and activities are meant to drive which results. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. | 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 | Medium | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h workshop plus review | 2-6 h | 1-2 h | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Strategy Map, Objective Set, Cause-Effect Hypotheses | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentExecutionGoalsCausality | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |