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| Criterion |  Facilitation Timeline |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | When a topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. | 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 | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 2-8 | 4-12 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Timeline, Milestones, Insight Notes | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | TimelineFacilitationSequence | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | FacilitationOptionsDecision | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |