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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation TRIZ | ![]() Operations ALPEN Method | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Innovation Contradiction Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | 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. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 10-20 min daily | 15-30 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving |



