View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Facilitation Timeline |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a project, incident, or change process is only remembered in fragments, Timeline brings the sequence back into a readable form. It makes turning points, precursors, and after-effects recognizable over the course of time. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-4 h | 15-30 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Timeline, Milestones, Insight Notes | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | TimelineFacilitationSequence | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |